Chronic stress can compromise your heart health.

It's no secret that stress can have negative effects on your mental, emotional, and physical health.  However, what many people do not know is that chronic stress can actually have long-term effects on their heart health.  Here are some of the ways that stress can affect your cardiovascular health. Stress and Your Heart When you become stressed, the arteries running through your body actually constrict, reducing the amount of blood that reaches the heart.  This decreased blood flow forces your heart to work harder, increasing your chances of a heart attack.  Additionally, when your arteries constrict, this also increases your blood pressure, making you more likely to suffer from devastating complications, such as stroke. Stress can also have less obvious effects on the heart.  For instance, some people's reactions to stress can end up causing heart problems.  Many people turn to smoking or alcohol to cope with overwhelming feelings of stress.  Both of these bad habits can put stress on the heart.  Another common stress reaction is overeating and, because most people tend to binge on unhealthy food, continued overeating can lead to weight gain, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and other issues that put a strain on the heart.  Finally, stress can contribute to a debilitating cycle of insomnia and lack of energy.  Not getting enough sleep puts the body at risk for a number of ailments.  Not having the energy to maintain an active lifestyle also causes major health issues that weaken the heart. This is how stress affects your heart health.  Want to take care of yourself?  If so, then make sure you have the right health insurance in place.  For assistance with all your coverage needs, contact the experts at East End Insurance Agency.  We are ready to assist you with all your coverage needs today.