For most people, stress is a part of everyday life. However, constant or chronic stress is unhealthy and can lead to emotional and physical problems. For individuals with heart conditions, chronic stress can be particularly dangerous. High levels of stress can increase blood pressure or encourage unhealthy coping habits, such as smoking. In addition, studies have shown that chronic stress can raise the levels of stress hormones (e.g., adrenaline, cortisol) and may affect the way blood clots. These factors can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
For these reasons, it is important for individuals with heart disease or those at risk for heart conditions to recognize and cope with stress. Patients are encouraged to learn and practice stress management techniques for their physical, emotional and spiritual health. This article provides some stress management techniques and ways to utilize the methods to help reduce stress in daily life.
Importance of coping for heart patients
Being a heart patient can be very stressful. Much of the stress is due to a fear of the unknown. Will my condition get worse? What will the test feel like? How will my condition affect my life? How can I handle all my other responsibilities while attending to my heart condition?
Becoming overwhelmed by all that stress may make matters worse. Frequent or lasting chronic episodes of stress can lead to a faster heartbeat, stronger heart muscle contractions, constricted blood vessels or higher blood pressure. In turn, these factors can increase your risk of cardiac events such as a heart attack or stroke.
Fortunately, you are not at the mercy of your body’s natural stress response. You can learn to identify factors that increase your stress and learn stress management techniques. It is unreasonable - and not advisable - to completely eliminate stress from your life. Rather, you should focus on controlling stress to reduce its negative effect. Practicing stress management techniques can help promote better physical and psychological health.
Three steps of stress management
When you are experiencing periods of stress, there are several factors that you should consider in dealing with the situation. It may be helpful to follow three steps for managing stress.
Relax in a healthy way. It is much harder to respond to a challenge when stress is interfering with clear thinking. Relaxation is the first step in coping with stress. Healthy strategies for relaxation include:
Relaxation exercises
Meditation exercises
Breathing exercises
Taking a warm bath or shower in a calming environment
Spending time with a pet
Physical activities, such as walking, biking or working out
Complementary or alternative treatments (massage, yoga, biofeedback)
Spiritual activities, such as praying or reading inspirational words
Engaging in a hobby or enjoyable activity, such as drawing or playing an musical instrument
Adopting a positive attitude (e.g., “I can handle this”)
Writing in a journal or confiding to a friend
Listening to soothing music or relaxation tapes
Watching television or a movie
Attending a support group
Visiting a comforting place (e.g., beach, park)
It is important to understand the difference between the healthy strategies listed above and unhealthy strategies. Unhealthy strategies include the overuse of alcohol, the abuse of prescription or illegal drugs, smoking, overeating, violence, and yelling at or verbally abusing others. Such choices not only avoid the primary issue, but also create more problems than were present initially.
Identify the stressor. This can be fairly straightforward if you just received a diagnosis or a recommendation for a test or procedure. At other times, you might be feeling a general sense of sadness or even doom that you cannot identify. Stressors may be due to external and internal factors. External stressors can include your job, your home environment and challenges you face. Internal factors are your body's way of dealing with stressors. They can include your general physical strength, your emotional stability and even your nutritional status. Take some time either by yourself or with someone you trust to help you identify the external causes and the way you internally deal with the stress.
Address the problem. This means identifying which aspects of the situation are within your control and taking action to change them. This could include lifestyle changes, time management, organizational skills and environmental factors. It also means identifying which aspects of situations are beyond your control. This concept is particularly challenging for many people. Accepting what you cannot change means accepting the countless factors, including many illnesses, death, the behaviors of other people, time, and various mechanical problems. It is vital for your emotional and physical health to learn ways to accept and handle these situations.
Coping with a new diagnosis
When you were told that you had a heart condition, thoughts and feelings may have occurred so strongly that it was difficult to even hear or remember your physician's words. Or, maybe you weren’t really thinking or feeling much at all. You were just numb for a while. Everyone reacts differently. Some people want to go home and deal with it on their own, and some people want to talk with a loved one as soon as possible. No matter how you initially deal with your diagnosis, it is important that you recognize the role stress may play in your life. Stress management as described in the first section is vital to helping you and your loved ones deal with your condition.
Learning what you can do about your diagnosis involves gathering as much information as possible. There are countless sources for information that may be provided by your physician's office, local hospital or community programs. Once you have investigated your condition, you will likely have a number of questions and concerns. It may be helpful for you to prepare a list of questions in advance to ask your doctor at your next appointment.
Learning what can be done also involves talking and sharing with family, friends, co-workers and other people in your life. They will need to hear what you need: Time? Space? Closer attention? Different people need different things, and loved ones cannot read your mind. You should give them guidance as to what works best for you. If you learn that your diagnosis runs in families, then you may need to share your information with extended family members.
Learning what is beyond your control means not feeling guilty about what has already happened. It no longer matters whether you smoked in the past, had a poor diet, delayed seeking treatment or neglected to control your diabetes or blood pressure. Leave the past in the past and begin to focus on the future. You will need your strength and energy for making important lifestyle changes and following your new treatment plan. Do not be afraid to seek the support of others to help you deal with your condition. Professional counseling may be helpful for some people as they adjust to a new situation such as a medical diagnosis.
In addition, do not ignore the warning signs of stress. You may experience physical signs such as fatigue, upset stomach, weight changes or generalized aches and pains. Emotionally, you may feel angry, depressed or irritable. You may become overly anxious and have problems concentrating or making decisions. It is important for you to recognize these signs and choose healthy behaviors to manage the stress in your life.
Coping with a test or procedure
During your medical visit, your physician has recommended that you undergo a particular test or procedure. Although your doctor probably gave you quite a bit of information about what to expect, it is common to have additional questions once you leave the office. Unless you happen to have a friend or family member who is a physician, it can be very stressful to have many questions and no immediate answers.
It is important to follow some of the stress management strategies to help you cope with this situation.
Taking control of the situation means preparing a list of questions to ask your doctor about the procedure. It also involves planning ahead for the scheduled test. Will you need to arrange transportation? Do you need to take time off from work? Will you likely need to stay for other tests? Discuss the procedure and responsibilities with your loved ones to help you feel prepared. Planning ahead often brings an increased sense of control and less stress.
Learning what is beyond your control means conserving your energy for the day of the test or procedure itself. As long as you are following your physician's instructions exactly, there is nothing more you can do about certain specifics, such as the length of the test or how it will feel.
If you are feeling anxious about the test, try some meditation exercises to calm yourself and ease your mind. You also may benefit from practicing relaxation exercises on the way to the medical facility. Breathing exercises and visualization may be done while waiting for the procedure to help keep you calm. With time, you will learn which stress management techniques work the best for you.
Questions for your doctor
Preparing questions in advance can help patients to have more meaningful discussions with their physicians regarding their conditions. Patients may wish to ask their doctor or healthcare professional the following questions:
Where can I go to learn more about my condition?
Should I consult a different specialist or obtain a second opinion?
How often will I need to be seen by you?
What tests or procedures will be used to monitor my condition?
How much information will be given to my family members about my condition?
Who else will have access to my medical information?
What lifestyle changes can help my condition?
What are best ways to cope with my stress?
Can I use complementary and alternative medicine to help with my stress?
Are there any restrictions on activities or methods I can use?
What can be done to help my family deal with my condition?
