Top 3 Most Dangerous Habits
Now, pay close attention, because we’ve reached the three worst habits, especially if they’re combined with the ones we just talked about.
➡️3. Letting Stress Control Your Life
When stress is poorly managed, chronic stress doesn’t just create emotional or mental burdens; it becomes a serious problem that triggers a cascade of inflammatory and chemical reactions in your body, flooding your system with cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones constrict blood vessels, raise blood sugar, and increase blood pressure. Day after day, that tension on your artery walls builds up, similar to what happens when you repeatedly bend a wire until it breaks.
After 55 or 60, you might find yourself juggling more responsibilities than people realize. Maybe you’re still taking care of family, managing finances, or feeling personal fears about body changes and aging. But despite all this, there are ways to take back control and keep stress from dictating your life. For example, take a few seconds or minutes each day to practice mental breaks, meditation, or simply close your eyes and count your breaths, trying to clear your mind. You might think this won’t work, but believe me, in the long run, it will change your life.
I also suggest taking short walks when you feel stress peaking, or lying down and putting your legs up against a wall. Physical activity or staying in this position for at least 15 to 20 minutes a day lowers cortisol levels and relaxes your nervous system. My message is to do whatever you need to feel better. Practice hobbies that relax you: gardening, yoga, reading, or listening to music. If you live with stress and don’t immediately notice harmful changes in your body, don’t think you’re protected or different from everyone else. You need to know that inside, damage is happening to your blood vessels. Managing stressful situations should be part of your routine, just like eating or brushing your teeth. It might seem insignificant, but stress is the factor behind millions of unexpected strokes worldwide.
➡️2. Never Measuring Your Blood Pressure
Did you know that high blood pressure is called the “silent killer”? There’s a reason for this. Contrary to what people think, most of the time it doesn’t cause any symptoms; you can’t see or feel it. And if you ignore it, it damages your artery walls day after day until suddenly one of them gets blocked or breaks, and a stroke happens.
On the other hand, when symptoms like circulation problems, dizziness, or blurred vision do appear, in many cases the damage is already advanced. Imagine driving a car without a speedometer. You don’t know how fast you’re going until an accident happens. This is the same as living without measuring your blood pressure, especially after age 50, because your vessels can start to lose elasticity, become stiffer, and be more susceptible to the effects of high blood pressure. Precisely because of this, monthly blood pressure checks at home or as directed by your doctor are essential.
What I recommend is very simple: get one of those blood pressure monitors. They can be digital ones found at any pharmacy, and check your blood pressure at least once or twice a month, as long as you know how to do it. You should be calm, sitting in a comfortable position, without pain or the urge to go to the bathroom, and without having had coffee or smoked in the hours before. And if you see values close to 130 over 90, consult your doctor. Remember, measuring your blood pressure takes seconds, but the consequences of a stroke can last a lifetime.
➡️2. Thinking “It Won’t Happen to Me”
This is, without a doubt, the worst habit of all. I beg you, please don’t do it. Denial is a very dangerous thing, and the reality in hospitals shows every day that strokes don’t discriminate. Nine out of 10 of my patients thought it would never happen to them. Even if you feel great and full of energy today, remember that ignoring the risk of stroke or heart attack is like ignoring the check engine light in your car. It might keep running for a while, but sooner or later, you’ll face the consequences. My message is to wake up, be aware of your daily habits, your stress levels, and your food choices. As a final message, I’ll tell you this: the cancer detected at 70 started at 40 with low-grade inflammation in the body. The heart attack that happened at 65 started at 20 with silent blocked arteries. And the stroke that happened at any age started with bad habits years before. But the excellent news is that you have the power to change them.
Source: Dr. RN Veller