How Does Stress Affect Your Heart?
Key takeaways:
Stress is a normal part of life, and it’s not always harmful.
Chronic or severe stress can impact your heart health by raising your blood pressure and heart rate and putting you at risk for a heart attack.
In rare cases, severe stress can cause a condition known as “broken heart syndrome,” which can be life-threatening. This is usually reversible with prompt medical treatment.
Table of contents
Everyone experiences stress from time to time. It can temporarily raise your blood pressure and heart rate. Most of the time these effects go away after the stressful event has passed. Your body can usually manage occasional short bouts of stress without any lasting impact.
Long-term stress is different. This form of stress impacts your mental and physical health. In this article, we’ll tell you about the ways that stress impacts your heart health. We’ll share ways that you can reduce the risk of stress-related heart problems. And we’ll talk about when it’s best to get medical care instead of trying to manage it on your own.
Good stress vs. bad stress
Stress isn’t always bad or harmful. There are two main types of stress:
Good stress: This is stress you can control, sometimes called “eustress.” A common example is setting reachable goals that push you a bit out of your comfort zone.
Bad stress: This is stress that comes from a situation outside of your control, often called “distress.” Examples include stress from a demanding job, an unhappy family relationship, or financial issues.
The stress that feels out of your control — the bad stress — tends to cause the most physical and mental trouble.
Can stress cause heart problems?
Yes, stress can cause heart problems. Most of the time, your body can withstand the impact of stress without any long-term consequences.
The stress that tends to be most harmful is chronic stress. This refers to continued stress that takes place over weeks, months, or even years. But both acute (short-term) stress and chronic (long-term) stress can impact your heart health.
Should you go to the ER for chest pain? Many different things can cause chest pain — it’s not always a sign of heart trouble. But you should still get it checked out.
Stress and high blood pressure: Stress can have a direct impact on your blood pressure. But there are ways to quickly bring your blood pressure and stress levels back down.
What is broken heart syndrome? Periods of intense emotional stress can actually lead to changes in your heart muscle. Luckily, most people fully recover from his condition.
Can stress cause a heart attack?
Chronic stress can put you at risk for a heart attack. This is partly because it raises your blood levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones are designed to boost your natural fight-or-flight response in acutely stressful situations, helping you to escape danger. But when stress hormone levels remain high over time, they can be harmful.
Stress can increase your risk for a heart attack by:
Raising your risk for high blood pressure
Increasing inflammation in your arteries
Raising your heart rate
Affecting your sleep patterns, which can increase your risk for heart disease
Read more like this
Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.
If you have both stress and depression, your heart may be even more vulnerable to these effects.
Stress can also lead to patterns of behavior that are risky for your heart. These might include stress eating, smoking, or substance abuse.
Can stress cause heart arrhythmias?
When stress increases hormones like adrenaline, it can irritate your heart and temporarily raise your heart rate. If your heart is already prone to abnormal rhythms, stress may trigger an arrhythmia.
The following arrhythmias can cause palpitations but aren’t usually dangerous:
Premature atrial contractions (PACs)
More serious arrhythmias include:
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) and atrial flutter
Ventricular tachycardia (VT)
See a healthcare professional if you’re experiencing frequent palpitations. They can do testing to determine the cause. If you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or if symptoms don’t go away within a few minutes, go to the emergency room to get checked out quickly.
What is broken heart syndrome?
Broken heart syndrome (also called takotsubo syndrome) is a rare but serious heart condition that can happen with severe emotional stress. It can feel just like a heart attack. Your electrocardiogram (EKG) may even look like one. But unlike a heart attack, with broken heart syndrome your arteries aren’t blocked. Instead, your heart muscle is weakened, causing a very typical “ballooning” pattern that is different from that of a heart attack.
Unlike a heart attack or heart arrhythmia, broken heart syndrome usually results from acute stress.
Common triggers include:
A house fire
The unexpected death of a loved one
Extreme anger
A natural disaster
In these situations, your body may release an overwhelming amount of adrenaline. If your heart can’t handle the excess adrenaline, broken heart syndrome may be the result.
Broken heart syndrome is a medical emergency. Most people will survive and recover completely. But prompt medical care is important to protect your heart.
Can stress cause symptoms like chest pain?
Chest pain doesn’t always signal a heart problem. Stress can cause pain in your chest in several other ways, including:
Muscle tension anywhere in your body, including your chest
Esophageal reflux (GERD)
Stomach upset
Shortness of breath
Hyperventilation
People living with chronic pain may be at an increased risk of experiencing chest pain from stress.
How can you lower your stress?
Stress can come from many different sources. And lowering your stress level can be hard. This is especially true if it’s coming from something you can’t easily change — like a stressful job or relationship.
But even if you can’t avoid a source of stress, there are some simple things you can do to help reduce its impact:
Spend time in nature
Consider meditation and mindfulness
Practice yoga, tai chi, or qigong
Use a biofeedback app
Spend time with supportive friends or family
Prioritize nourishing foods
Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night
If your stress levels feel overwhelming or difficult to manage, check in with your primary care provider or therapist.
Frequently asked questions
If stress raises your blood pressure or heart rate, then it’s likely affecting your heart health. But increased blood pressure or heart rate won’t always cause noticeable symptoms. Heart palpitations may be another sign of trouble. And chest pain is a warning sign that should be checked out by a healthcare professional right away.
Everyone has a different tolerance for stress. When stress starts affecting your physical health or your mental well-being, it’s too high. For example, if stress is preventing you from a good night’s sleep or causing changes in your appetite, it may be a signal that your stress level is above normal. Mood swings, irritability, and difficulty concentrating are other important signs of too much stress.
If your palpitations are stress-induced, they tend to subside as you engage in calming activities or remove yourself from the stressful situation. But this isn’t always the case. Palpitations from stress and anxiety can come at any time — even when you feel relaxed. It’s best to see a healthcare professional if your palpitations persist or if you also have symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath.
The bottom line
Stress is a normal part of life, but too much of it can take a toll on your health. It can raise your blood pressure and heart rate and sometimes trigger palpitations. These symptoms often ease once the stressful situation passes. But chronic stress can lead to more serious issues, including high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, and even a heart attack.
If you’re experiencing symptoms in your chest or other stress-related symptoms, it’s important to check in with a healthcare professional. And if your symptoms feel severe, don’t wait. Head to the emergency room to get checked out right away.
Why trust our experts?
References
American Heart Association. (2020). Chronic stress can cause heart trouble.
American Psychology Association. (2006). Americans engage in unhealthy behaviors to manage stress.
American Psychological Association. (2013). Stress and sleep.
American Psychological Association. (2018). Eustress.
American Psychological Association. (2024). 11 healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.
Brulé, G., et al. (2018). Working with stress: Can we turn distress into eustress? Journal of Neuropsychology & Stress Management.
Buckley, U., et al. (2016). Stress-induced cardiac arrhythmias: The heart-brain interaction. Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine.
Can, Y. S., et al. (2020). How to relax in stressful situations: A smart stress reduction system. Healthcare.
Endocrine Society. (2022). Adrenal hormones.
He, Q., et al. (2017). The association between insomnia symptoms and risk of cardio-cerebral vascular events: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. European Journal of Preventative Cardiology.
Levine, G. N., et al. (2022). Psychological stress and heart disease: Fact or folklore? The American Journal of Medicine.
Liu, M., et al. (2017). Association between psychosocial stress and hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurological Research.
Lutin, E., et al. (2022). The cumulative effect of chronic stress and depressive symptoms affects heart rate in a working population. Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Tawakol, A., et al. (2017). Relation between resting amygdalar activity and cardiovascular events: A longitudinal and cohort study. The Lancet.
Torpy, J. M., et al. (2007). Chronic stress and the heart. JAMA.
Wyns, A., et al. (2023). The biology of stress intolerance in patients with chronic pain—State of the art and future directions. Journal of Clinical Medicine.
