Vascular surgeon shares 3 tests to find out if stress is affecting your circulation

Stress is often considered an emotional state that affects the mind. However, chronic stress can lead to a number of physiological changes in the body. One of the systems in the body that also gets affected is the cardiovascular system. Stress can affect your body’s circulation. The American Physiological Association notes that repeated acute stress and persistent stress can affect the cardiovascular system, particularly the heart and blood vessels.
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Many of us are repeatedly exposed to stress, mainly due to the demands of modern lives. So, is there a way to find out if stress has already affected us? Recently, Vadodara-based Vascular surgeon Dr Sumit Kapadia (Instagram/@drsumitkapadia) shared three easy-to-do tests that can help you find out if stress is affecting your circulation. Knowing these tests can help in timely prevention.

Test 1: Capillary refill

Press your fingernail for 5 seconds and then release it.
The fingernail should turn pink in under 2 seconds. If the process is slow, it may reveal slow blood circulation.

Test 2: Hand elevation

Raise both hands for one minute.
If doing so makes the palms turn pale, or if you feel numbness in the palms, it may reveal circulation damage.

Test 3: Ankle test

Press the ankle with your thumb for five seconds.
Noticing a dent or ‘hole’ after removing the thumb could reveal fluid build-up or poor venous return.

How to improve stress-affected circulation

The most important one is to manage stress. Practicing yoga, meditation and deep-breathing can help improve circulation and overall cardiovascular health. Other measures that may help are; regular physical activity, leg elevation, proper hydration.