Stress Management - American Heart Association
What is stress?
Stress is your body’s response to change. The body reacts to it by releasing adrenaline (a hormone) that causes your breathing and heart rate to speed up, and your blood pressure to rise. These reactions help you deal with the situation. The problems come when stress is constant (chronic) and your body remains in high gear, off and on, for days or weeks at a time. Chronic stress may cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Not all stress is bad. Speaking to a group or watching a close football game can be stressful, but they can be fun, too. The key is to manage stress properly. Unhealthy responses to stress may lead to health problems in some people.