It’s very common for people to have experienced stress in some form or another during their life.Stress covers a vast range of events, such as car accidents, injuries, surgery or sudden unexpected news – just to name a few. The interesting thing about stress, is how it can impact your brain, and in such a way, that knock on issues, often undetected, can be produced.

When you are exposed to a stressful experience, your sympathetic nervous system is activated. This releases hormones, such as adrenalin and cortisol, which flood into your brain and body to create a dulling effect on the rational, logical part of your brain. This most often creates an overall emotional change in feelings; of feeling sad, angry or frightened. 

The stress response does not end there.  From the first time you are exposed to a stressful event, your body reacts, learns and remembers that new response.  Anything that then reminds your brain, even mildly, of that stressful event, may trigger the same, learnt, stress response in your body.

This cascade of traumatic, stressful experiences can affect your brain and body in different ways, including having physical symptoms in your body, such as affecting your blood pressure. 

In general, there are bands that you can use to gauge if you have good blood pressure.

• Optimal blood pressure: less than 120/less than 80

• Normal blood pressure: 120–129/80–84

• Normal to high blood pressure: 130–139/85–89

• High blood pressure: anything greater than 140/90

According to the Heart Research Institute (UK):

“High blood pressure (hypertension) occurs when too much force is applied to blood vessel walls by the blood that the heart pumps around the body.

Blood pressure affects blood flow to the organs. High blood pressure is cause for concern as it can damage the arteries over the long-term and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes and heart failure.

Most people with high blood pressure experience no symptoms, which is why it is important to regularly check blood pressure and know the measurements that are normal for you.”

You can buy a digital blood pressure monitor online or at your pharmacy to accurately measure your blood pressure or ask your GP to measure it.

Heal > Adapt > Evolve