High blood pressure risks increase over the long term

Increases in blood pressure related to stress can be dramatic. But once the stressor disappears, your blood pressure returns to normal. However, even temporary spikes in blood pressure — if they occur often enough — can damage your blood vessels, heart and kidneys in a way similar to long-term high blood pressure.

In addition, if you react to stress by smoking, drinking too much alcohol or eating unhealthy foods, you increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

Stress and high blood pressure: What's the connection?

Stress and long-term high blood pressure may not be linked, but taking steps to reduce your stress can improve your general health, including your blood pressure. Discover how.

Stressful situations can cause your blood pressure to spike temporarily, but can stress also cause long-term high blood pressure? Researchers aren't sure yet.

However, doing activities to reduce your blood pressure, such as exercising 30 to 60 minutes a day, can also reduce your stress level. And if you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, doing activities that can help you manage your stress and improve your health can make a long-term difference in lowering your blood pressure.
Your body's stress response

Stress is often defined as a fight-or-flight response — a moment when your body produces stress hormones in preparation for fighting your stress or running away from it. This stress response was useful for people thousands of years ago when facing a wild animal or another threat. Today, your body responds to stress and perceived danger in much the same way. But instead of confronting wild animals, you may face threats such as getting fired, being stuck in traffic or speaking in public.

While these modern-day events are stressful, you don't usually need to run away or fight. And yet your body still produces a surge of stress hormones. These hormones temporarily increase your blood pressure by causing your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow.