Mood swings are always with us in our daily lives. Sometimes, an agitated emotion can make us passionate, as if we can do anything; However, we may rarely realize that these emotions affect not only our mental state, but also our physical health, especially our vascular system. Let's take a look at Xiaoling's story.
Xiaoling is a middle-aged woman in her fifties. She is busy with work and family chores, and there is no lack of pressure in her life. One day, she received a call at the doctor's office informing her mother that she needed emergency surgery for health reasons. The sudden news made her emotional, and her heart was full of anxiety and worry. What she felt was not only a psychological shock, but also a strange physical tension.
Emotional agitation is not just a mental state, it also has a direct impact on the chemistry within our bodies. The moment Xiaoling receives the call, her body begins to release large amounts of adrenaline and cortisol – two hormones that increase dramatically when emotionally aroused. Not only do these hormones make her feel excited and anxious, but they also quickly enter her blood circulation, affecting her vascular system throughout the body.
Physiological mechanisms
The physiological response caused by emotional agitation is mainly due to the neuro-endocrine regulatory system within the human body. In moments of emotion, the brain's hypothalamus releases a series of signals that activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA axis) and the sympathetic nervous system. The activation of these systems not only triggers psychological agitation and tension, but also affects various organs of the body, especially the cardiovascular system, through the release of hormones.
Epinephrine is a major stress hormone that is released into the bloodstream in large quantities during times of emotion. It acts on adrenergic receptors in the heart and blood vessels, causing an increase in heart rate and constriction of blood vessels. This physiological response helps to quickly improve the body's ability to respond, allowing people to respond more quickly in emergency situations.
On the other hand, cortisol, as a stress hormone, is also released in large amounts when emotional. Its main role is to regulate metabolic and immune function, but long-term high levels of cortisol exposure may negatively affect vascular health, such as promoting the development of arteriosclerosis and hypertension.
The effects of agitation on blood vessels are not temporary. Long-term accumulation of emotional stress may lead to vascular endothelial dysfunction, increasing the risk of damage to the arterial wall, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Affects the pressure response of blood vessels
Emotional agitation is not just a psychological state, it also directly affects the body's physiological responses, especially the stress response to the vascular system. When we experience intense emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or agitation, the body rapidly releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which are bioactive substances that can quickly enter the bloodstream and affect the function of all parts of the body. Among them, the impact on the vascular system is particularly significant.
Adrenaline, an important stress hormone, is released in large quantities when emotionally aroused, and it is able to act directly on the actin on the walls of blood vessels, causing the constriction of blood vessels. This constriction affects not only peripheral blood vessels, but also vital blood vessels such as coronary arteries. In addition, the release of cortisol is also closely related to emotional agitation, which further increases the pressure burden on blood vessels by regulating the reactivity of the cardiovascular system.
In the long term, frequent emotional agitation can lead to a long-term increase in pressure on the blood vessel walls, which has a profound impact on the health of blood vessels. Studies have shown that people who have been in a state of high stress for a long time may have their arterial walls more stiff and inflexible, which not only increases the risk of high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis, but may also lead to an increased incidence of cardiovascular events.
Health Impacts and Risks
The effects of agitation on the vascular system are not limited to short-term physiological responses, it also potentially increases the risk of multiple cardiovascular diseases. First, frequent release of adrenaline and cortisol may lead to a transient rise in blood pressure, which may induce persistent hypertension in the long term. Hypertension is not only one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but also closely related to the risk of serious complications such as stroke and myocardial infarction.
Second, the pressure and damage to the walls of blood vessels by emotional agitation may also contribute to the progression of arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is a chronic disease, which is mainly manifested by plaque formation in the inner layer of the arterial wall and narrowing of the arterial lumen, which can lead to obstruction of blood flow and cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in severe cases. Prolonged stress caused by agitation may accelerate the formation of plaque in the arterial wall, increasing the risk of arteriosclerosis.
In addition, agitation may affect blood cohesion, increase the likelihood of thrombosis, and further increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Emotional management and stress management are particularly important for people with a pre-existing cardiovascular history or other risk factors.
In summary, emotional agitation suggests that we need to pay attention to the importance of emotion management in our daily life by affecting the stress response of blood vessels and aggravating the risk of cardiovascular disease. Effective emotion management not only helps to maintain mental health, but also effectively reduces the adverse impact of emotions on physical health, especially for middle-aged and elderly people, and is an important part of a healthy life.