Mental (well-being) and Hypertension

Blood pressure can be measured - not felt. That is why many people do not know whether they have high blood pressure (hypertension) have.

For blood pressure, 140/90 mmHg was set as the upper normal limit regardless of age; the upper value for self-measurement is 135/85 mmHg (as of 2018).

Persistent high blood pressure can have fatal consequences

Heart and blood vessels are damaged by high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis is promoted. The risk is 7 times higher, with hypertension a Stroke than with normal blood pressure. Life expectancy is significantly reduced the higher the blood pressure.

It is scientifically proven that
• depressive mood
• Anxiety
• Anger
• Stress and noise pollution
• Sleep disorders
• Unemployment or workload

can have an impact on blood pressure levels.
Cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, lack of exercise, amount of salt in food, nicotine and alcohol consumption can also cause high blood pressure.

The stress system and high blood pressure

Stress is seen as negative and a major burden. However, what doesn't bother us today may throw us off balance tomorrow. Or what throws one person off track may be a normal burden for another. In this sense, stress can also lead to exceptional mental and physical performance.

From this, experts have created two terms:
- the eustress as positive stress
- the distress as negative stress.

How we perceive and evaluate our everyday situations is determined by our thinking. The experiences we have had in life determine our thinking. The better we deal with stressors and reduce stress, the less we are exposed to the significant risk factors for our health!

The stress system can be divided into four reaction areas:

- mental area:
Stress-inducing situations are limited to the perception and thought processes

- Emotional area:
Stressful situations can trigger aggression and anger or fear and helplessness

- muscular area:
Stress-inducing situations influence the control of the activation of the tension of individual muscle groups and fascia

- vegetative-hormonal area:
uncontrollable body reactions are switched to "highest alert level" by stress-inducing situations

Different intense environmental signals cause uniform reactions in the body.
Such “stressors” include:
• Noise and fright
• Heat and cold
• Pain
• Over-challenge and under-challenge
• Loneliness and social isolation

After a brief moment of shock, "alarm signals" appear as perceptions and a typical stress reaction pattern occurs:
The adrenal glands receive the command via the nerves to release more of the stress hormones noradrenaline and adrenaline. This mobilizes the entire body and creates a readiness for action. Additional energy-rich substances such as fats and glucose are made available for activity. Blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate are increased. At the same time, all functions that are not currently absolutely essential for survival are largely shut down "hormonally" (sexual function, digestion, immune system).

The physical traces of mental stress are unmistakable

If the body, with its entire system of approximately 650 muscles, is not given a chance to react to the effects of additional stressors such as anger and dissatisfaction, the activation level will continue to increase and the well-known stress symptoms can occur.

This leads to different symptoms:
• Head, neck, shoulder pain
• Back pain
• Concentration and memory disorders
• Irritability, nervousness, sleep disorders
• Digestive disorders Erectile dysfunction
• excessive activation of the cardiovascular system, increased blood pressure
• Increase in cholesterol with an increase in the risk of arteriosclerosis
• Need for “relaxation aids” such as smoking, eating, alcohol

High blood pressure and its treatment

High blood pressure can now be treated very well and effectively with medication. In addition to medication, however, the entire range of non-medication treatments must also be used:
• Salt consumption - smoking - alcohol consumption must be limited
• Normal weight must be achieved by changing eating habits and relaxation training

The medicine “exercise”
strengthens our heart, lowers blood pressure, has a positive effect on blood lipid levels, promotes mental alertness, has a peripheral relaxing effect, improves the resilience of bones and tendons, lets our muscles grow and promotes blood circulation and – prolongs our life, without.

In everyday practice, the following psychotherapeutic procedures have proven effective in treating high blood pressure:
• Relaxation techniques and exercises such as autogenic training, muscle relaxation according to Jacobson, yoga, Qi Gong or biofeedback (individually or in groups).
• Behavioral therapy with the approach that views and behaviors can be modified.
• Stress management training in a group setting (there are now even offers in so-called institutes for stress medicine).
• Combination of many therapy approaches (so-called multimodal models: behavior modification, stress management, anger management, relaxation and exercise, nutritional therapy, training, etc.).

Our practice clinic for diagnostics offers one complete health check for early Diagnosis of high blood pressure or hypertension.