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Can Stress Cause a Stroke?
Can stress cause a stroke? There are many causes of a stroke, and stress is just one of them. Yes, your body does indeed produce hormones under periods of higher stress (adrenaline and cortisol). These hormones in excess can cause health problems like strokes or heart disease. But other causes cannot be so quickly ruled out either.
There are many instances where greater work schedules or tighter deadlines (high job stress) has led someone to have a stroke. It can result from an increased risk factor for stroke, which is usually hereditary or when someone has uncontrolled high blood pressure.
In the beginning, it might seem like a win-win situation: you get more work done in less time with fewer errors, and your boss is happy because they don’t have to worry about hiring extra people to help finish the work. But the truth is that this type of behavior can lead to a stroke for those at an increased risk and have additional health risks like high blood pressure.
The role of stress in causing a stroke is valid only for some people who have a specific type of reaction to stress–a “stress-response.” More than half of adults are considered immune from the effects of stress on heart health. Such people do not experience significant changes in heart rate or blood pressure when exposed to an event that prompts most other people into a “fight or flight” response.
One important thing worth mentioning is that not all people react to and have the same type of reactions to stressful situations. The long-term effects of chronic emotional distress on heart health are not yet fully understood, but the evidence is mounting.
How Does Stress Increase Your Chances of a Stroke?
Stress is one of the leading causes of high blood pressure. High blood pressure puts a lot of stress on the heart and vascular tissues. Stress can also make people less likely to be physically active and smoke more, which puts even more stress on their cardiovascular system, as it’s harder to move around then there are added side effects from smoking.
Additionally, when someone is stressed, they often have trouble sleeping and can become exhausted (which again adds extra strain on the heart). Putting those risk factors together with genetics means that someone with some familial history of stroke may be at an even higher risk if they were also experiencing chronic anxiety or distress in their life.
In some cases, stress can cause a person to experience stroke-like symptoms. This is usually related to hypertension that was mentioned earlier in this post, and it’s not uncommon for people who are suffering from high blood pressure or chronic anxiety and stress to feeling flu-like symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath etc., all of which can feel like a stroke.
If someone is experiencing these symptoms, they should see a doctor for an evaluation to rule out any other health conditions contributing to the problem and could cause permanent damage if left untreated.
The take-away, stress isn’t always harmless, but it’s usually not enough on its own to cause stroke-like symptoms.
Anxiety Is Linked to a Higher Risk of Stroke in the Long Run.
Anxiety sufferers have an increased risk of stroke. Over time, the negative emotions that people often feel can negatively affect their physical health.
Depression and anxiety cause rapid heart rate and elevated blood pressure, decreased blood flow to the heart, high cortisol levels, leading to calcium build-up in the arteries over time. These changes can also result in metabolic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension.
Also, PTSD may make it difficult for someone’s immune system from fighting off illness because they are constantly trying not to relive bad memories associated with traumatic events like combat missions overseas, where life-threatening injuries were present every day.
If you have anxiety or a chronic mental health condition, make sure that your blood pressure and other aspects of your health are assessed regularly through an annual physical. If not already done, consult a doctor about follow-up tests such as an electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram (EKG) or carotid ultrasound and vascular evaluation of the brain. They may also prescribe medication that can help reduce these symptoms for reduced risk of stroke in those with a history of cardiac events resulting from cardiovascular disease.
Symptoms of a brain bleed
A brain bleed caused by a ruptured aneurysm causes symptoms that can range from mild to severe. Misdiagnosis is common, as the signs of a brain bleed overlap with other concussion-related symptoms like headaches. Signs and effects of a brain bleed include:
- Light-headedness or dizziness
- Difficulty speaking
- Nausea
- Fearlessness and outbursts of rage
- Goggly eyes
- Uncharacteristic behavior
A brain bleed can also lead to a stroke when there is bleeding in the cerebral circulation. The brain’s blood supply – called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) – has its circulatory system that helps control pressure and maintains an environment for healthy cells. Bleeding into this space from trauma or other conditions, such as abnormal growths, can cause a stroke.
If you have a headache that has not gone away and is accompanied by other symptoms from the list above, see your doctor immediately because there might be an underlying problem with your blood vessels or brain.
Strokes may also occur in people at risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), such as people who have had these conditions before.