Anger is not all that bad. In fact, the Bible plainly separates anger and sin in Ephesians 4:26, “In your anger do not sin.” Anger is a normal emotion we all feel. It can compel us to make positive changes and make us a better person. We get angry when there’s injustice around us, right? We get angry when someone oppresses us. We get angry when we see other people getting hurt and that prompts us to help out.
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In fact, repressing anger is not healthy at all. Dr. Ernest Harburg and his team from the University of Michigan School of Public Health conducted a longitudinal study of anger for decades. Their study concluded that individuals who repressed their anger in response to unjust attack were more likely to suffer from bronchitis and heart attacks. It also increased their likelihood of dying earlier than their peers who express their anger.
How we respond to feelings of anger, however, is what matters the most. You can either express and resort to an action or any form of retaliation that is considered a sin or respond without committing a sin. For instance, when someone offends you, you can either verbally let that person know you are angry and let off steam by taking a walk or you can choose to retaliate by cursing the person or getting into a fist fight. You can choose to resolve your anger peacefully at the proper time or choose to harm the offender right then and there.
Anger comes in many forms. Unfortunately, we often fail to recognize it. Anger can be disguised as bitterness, resentment, malice, envy, intolerance, criticism, revenge, rage, hatred, jealousy, sarcasm, gossip, unforgiveness, rebellion, clamor, and assault. If you are sick or have been suffering from a recurrent illness that does not seem to go away despite medical intervention, ask yourself this question: “Am I an angry person?”
Anger that is fleeting and resolved may not cause you any damage. Being in a constant state of anger, harboring resentment and bitterness, plotting and carrying out revenge, refusing to forgive, succumbing to rage and pent-up wrath come with such a high cost—your health. It will cause you mental, emotional, and physical stress.
Anger impacts your heart and cardiovascular system. It causes the narrowing of blood vessels (the pipes inside our body where blood flows), which in turn spikes up the blood pressure. When this happens often, the blood vessels will eventually be damaged, arteries get clogged, and become stiff. Clots can form that could cause a stroke or heart attack.
“Rage can have effects on the arteries that supply blood to and from the heart, it can have an effect on the electrical system that tells the heart when to beat, and it can have an effect specifically on the heart muscle,” said Dr. Wittstein, an expert in stress cardiomyopathy. Anger affects the nervous system, which comprises the brain, spinal cord, and a complex network of nerves that send signals throughout the body. Anger and other emotions are generated in the brain and not in the heart that pumps blood. Technically, the heart we refer to when we speak of emotions is the brain. It is a person’s emotional center located between the temples, specifically known as the prefrontal cortex.
Nerves that stem from this emotional center are connected to all vital organs, including the brain, heart, and stomach. As constriction of blood vessels occurs, oxygen and nutrient supply are impeded. Hormone secretions are affected and muscle tension occurs. Ever wonder why you have unexplained body aches and pains when you’re stressed out or furious?
There is a connection between the brain and the stomach too. We call it the gut-brain axis. When we are enraged, acid production is increased in the gut, essential nutrients that keep the stomach and the intestinal lining healthy are restricted, and the gut microbiome or friendly bacteria alters. Have you experienced getting hyperacidity when you are upset? Are you having a difficult time digesting food and end up bloated after you eat while seething in anger?
Alterations in gut microbiome affects the immune system and gut health. Peptic or gastric ulcer is caused by the bacteria H. Pylori. It is a common microorganism that could be harmful when the immune system is compromised. Thus, causing ulcers to form in the stomach.
While anger constricts blood vessels in the heart, it causes the opposite in the head. Dilation of blood vessels occur permitting an abnormal supply of blood in the brain. Since the skull or cranium is rigid, it does not allow any room for expansion. Thus, we get headaches.
If you are an angry person and you want to be set free from illnesses that may be related to this strong emotion, seek the help of counselors or psychologists who can help you manage your anger. Learning to express anger in a creative and positive way, as well as learning how to forgive will surely make you a healthier person free from the pains of ulcer, headaches, and other diseases. Take action before it’s too late or you just drop dead from stroke or a massive heart attack.