Stress, regardless of the source, is interpreted by the body as a threat.
The nervous system will kick in the fight or flight mode and that has a number of physical effects on the heart and blood vessel system.
The fight or flight response is essential to our survival and always has been.
When the cave man was about to be attacked by the saber tooth tiger, his body needed to be super charged in order to fight back or flee.
The same is true today.
We need to be able to get super charged if we are facing a real threat.
However, our threats are not always "real" in the sense that they can do physical harm to us, but more mental as in what happens if I don't get to work on time.
Unfortunately the body can't tell the difference between the two.
The more you stresson the mental threat, the more the body responds with the fight or flight response.
So what happens when this occurs? The purpose of the response is to get the body ready for an exertion that is beyond normal.
To accomplish this:

• The heart pumps faster to rush blood to the body increasing blood pressure.
  
• Breathing becomes more rapid to get nutrients and oxygen to the muscles and the brain.
  
• A natural coagulant is produced to encourage blood clotting if we get cut.
  
• Blood sugar and fat are released into the blood system to give us the extra energy we need to handle the threat.
  
• Adrenalin is manufactured and released to give us a sense of heightened awareness.
  

The body wasn't designed to maintain this response for long periods of time.
In a perfect world, the threat would be assessed and then the effects of the response would be burned off either by fighting or running.
In the modern world we tend to have stress through out our entire day.
Many people do nothing to relieve it so the system continues in a mini mode, raising blood pressure and putting blood clotting agents in our blood stream.
This obviously is not a good situation in a healthy person.
Take someone with hardened blood vessels and plaque and you have created a dangerous situation.
Three Quick Tips To Reduce Stress Exercise Exercise is the natural way to reduce stress as it replicates the fighting or fleeing.
Thirty minutes a day of a good aerobic and light resistance routine will have immediate effects on your stress level and blood pressure.
However, time it so you get the best benefit.
I used to work out before going to the office.
By the time I finished my hour and fifteen minute commute in Los Angeles traffic, I had completely used up my exercise benefit.
I joined a club near my office and started to exercise after work.
The hour spent at the gym worked wonders and the bonus was rush hour was over by the time I was done.
I would arrive home relaxed and could better enjoy my family.
And the big bonus was the ability to go to sleep.
Get Some Sleep Most Americans get less than 6 hours of sleep a night.
Sleep is a natural stress management system and can't be ignored.
Find a way to get the sleep you need be it warm milk or an herbal tea.
Take A Garlic Supplement Garlic is kind of a miracle food.
It acts as a vasodilator encouraging the blood vesselsto expand making less resistance for the heart.
In addition, it has a property that thins the blood making it easier to pump and assisting in lowering blood pressure.
Lastly it keeps vampires away.
Stress can kill.
Follow these tips and you will be that much closer to a healthier blood pressure.