Compensation for Work-Related Stress and Hypertension

High blood pressure puts you at high risk in many ways. In the US, nearly half a million deaths included hypertension as a contributing or primary cause.

This condition puts people at higher risks of heart attack, stroke, kidney diseases, heart failure, and even death. Most people think hypertension is caused by an improper lifestyle, defined by poor nutrition, obesity, or lack of physical activity. However, there is another known cause of hypertension and one that many Americans in the workforce actually face on the regular: stress.

How Stress at Work Can Raise Your Blood Pressure

The American Psychological Association says that around 75% of Americans see their job as a significant source of stress. Constant exposures to such environments or stressors can have adverse effects on your health on multiple levels.

First, stress that actually creates chaos in your life, to the point where you cannot focus on eating right, working out, or even relaxing. All your energy is consumed by the stressful situation and environment from work.

Then, stress can actually lead to physical changes in your body, such as higher blood pressure which increases your risks of heart diseases, among many others.

The problem is, stress is hard to diagnose, and people react differently to it. In some cases, a very big deadline coming up at work can put too much pressure on some employees, while other members of that same team seem to sail through it with little to no difficulties.

However, it’s really important that you do not ignore how your job is making you feel, especially if you notice worrying or obsessing about it even in your personal life when you should be relaxing.

Can You Get Compensated for Stress-Related Hypertension?

Under Missouri’s workers’ compensation laws, workers can get compensated for any injury or illness they suffer from, as long as the condition has directly resulted from their job, be it the environment they are exposed to, or by performing their regular activities.

To get compensated, you will have to notify your employer of your stress-related hypertension, which may open the claims process. Technically, this is all you have to do, and then simply wait for your employer to tell you which doctor to see.

However, in some cases, stress-related hypertension can send out a red flag to the insurance company, especially if the nature of your job is not deemed as stressful. Again, people have different responses to stress, so even if your job seems full of peace and quiet from the outside, it doesn’t mean you can’t encounter stressful situations.

Speak With an Experienced Attorney ASAP

If you’re having difficulties getting compensated for stress-related hypertension, reach out to an experienced workers comp lawyer as soon as possible. In most cases, you’ll need to strengthen your case by backing it up with evidence to convince the insurance company to approve your claim.