Stress explained
Stress is what a person perceives as a threat, says Sarah Speck, a preventive cardiologist, and medical director of the Center for CardioVascular Wellness at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. When the brain senses a threat -- even if it's a non-physically threatening one, such as a manuscript deadline or a dwindling bank account -- it tells the body to release adrenaline and noradrenaline, the fight or flight hormones. Initially, these hormones create a surge of blood to the heart and brain, which is why we get a rapid heart beat. But in the aftermath of that surge, stress hormones constrict blood vessels, which reduce the amount of oxygen getting to the heart. That makes the heart work harder, raises blood pressure, and can cause angina and chest pain.