Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
The fight-or flight response is designed to assist us in escaping or confronting danger, but chronic clinical anxiety symptoms can keep our bodies on high alert and trigger physical symptoms. These symptoms can include:
Get regular check-ups. Untreated anxiety could lead to heart problems and other medical issues. Talk to your doctor to learn how you can manage these symptoms. For example, you can reduce caffeine intake and avoid the use of alcohol and recreational drugs.
Tense muscles
Anxiety is often caused by muscle tension. It can cause stiffness or pain in your back, neck and chest, as well as in your hands, feet or the digestive tract. Anxiety can also affect your breathing and posture.
The muscle tension that is associated with anxiety is often short-lived, and it usually fades after the trigger event or situation passes. For some however, the tension can be chronic and lead to long-term problems.
Muscles that are tight are a sign of anxiety. The fight-or-flight response triggers your body to prepare by sending more oxygen to the muscles. This boosts their strength so they can avoid physical danger. The increased flow of blood is the reason why your heart beats faster and the reason you breathe faster when you are stressed.
During an occasional liver anxiety symptoms attack, the increased blood flow and faster breathing may give your immune system a short boost that helps you to overcome any perceived threat or stressful situation. If you experience anxiety on a regular basis and are constantly alert, this increased alertness could become part of your daily life and trigger long-term symptoms, such as muscle tightness and breathing problems.
As your body prepares to fight off or flee from a perceived threat, it releases a flood of hormones and chemical. This constant state of alertness can make you feel exhausted, as though you always suffer from headaches or in a state of constant stomachache.
Heart rate changes
Anxiety can cause your heart to beat faster, which can cause chest pain and breath shortness. This is because the stress response triggers the adrenal glands to crank out hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which increase the heart rate and blood pressure. This is a good response in an emergency in which you need to pump more blood to your large muscles in order to fight or escape a threat. It can be harmful if you do it continuously the time because it increases your risk of heart disease.
You might also notice that your stomach becomes more agitated when you’re stressed. This is due to the body’s fight or flight response keeps you on the edge and can affect digestion and lead to symptoms such as constipation, abdominal pain diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome. People who are anxious may also experience sleep problems or have a harder time falling asleep because they’re on edge all the time. Stress hormones can cause the immune system to weaken, which increases the likelihood of contracting colds or other infections.
Talk to your doctor If you are experiencing these physical symptoms. They can look for medical conditions that could cause similar symptoms, such as thyroid issues. However, it’s recommended to seek out a mental health professional who can assist you in learning strategies to manage your anxiety so that the physical symptoms stop occurring. They may suggest treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy or psychodynamic psychotherapy that can help you swap negative thoughts with healthy ones. Be careful not to take your pulse since it can trigger anxiety.
Tingling in your feet and hands
A sensation of tingling in your hands or feet can be a sign of anxiety. Tingling is also called paresthesia and is a sign of anxiety-induced stress. During a panic attack or other intense feelings of anxiety your body is trying to shield yourself from danger or harm by releasing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones trigger a range of physical responses, including changes in your blood circulation.
As part of your fight or flight response, your body directs blood flow away from peripheral areas to major muscles that require assistance with physical actions. This can leave the feet and hands with less blood flow, which could cause a tingling sensation. The tingling will probably be more evident during times of anxiety or stress and will likely disappear after the tension has subsided.
Consult your physician if your tingling continues. They can help you find ways to reduce your anxiety and ease the pain in your feet and hands.
While tingling sensations in your feet or hands can be an indication of a serious medical issue, it is most often caused by anxiety. To alleviate these feelings do some exercise regularly to increase blood flow or practicing relaxation techniques. Sleeping enough is crucial, as anxiety can alter your sleeping habits. Limiting your caffeine and alcohol consumption can also help. If you experience a sudden tingling in your feet or hands contact a FastMed Urgent Care location to discuss with a medical professional about your symptoms.
Dry mouth
When you are anxious and stressed, your body may begin to change the way it produces saliva. This is referred to as dry mouth, and could be a sign you have anxiety. It can also be a side effect of some medications, such as antidepressants, anti-psychotics, antihistamines, and muscle relaxers.
If you have a dry mouth, it’s important to consult with a physician. They can rule out medical conditions that may be causing the issue. If your doctor determines you have anxiety, he or she may suggest treatment options.
The stress hormones cortisol as well as adrenaline are released when you feel anxiety or fear. These hormones can boost your heart rate and breathing in order to aid you in battling or running away from a threat. However, they can also cause digestive problems as well as other physical symptoms.
You can also experience a dry mouth when you’re experiencing stress or taking medication that alters the production of saliva. For instance, SSRIs which are usually prescribed to treat anxiety, can cause dry mouth. They work by blocking actions of acetylcholine. This is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in involuntary muscle movements and bodily functions such as salivation, digestion and urination.
If you experience dry mouth and experience anxiety, it is recommended to drink plenty of water and practice relaxation techniques. If your anxiety is severe and you’re suffering from mental illness, a mental health professional can recommend other treatment for anxiety symptoms options such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) as well as exposure response prevention, and complementary health practices like yoga and meditation.
Breathing shortness
This sensation of a shortness in breath can be an indication of anxiety whether you experience it while you exercise or at other times throughout the day. This symptom can be associated with any type of anxiety disorder, including social anxiety, generalized anxiety, and panic disorders. anxiety and physical symptoms can often cause muscle tension, which leads to a feeling of being out-of-breath, especially in the shoulders or back region. These tensions can also cause the cycle of anxiety and depression that can further aggravate the physical symptoms.
The reason that anxiety may trigger these and other physical reactions is due to the body’s fight-or-flight response. This is a necessary response in resolving a threat however, if it is activated for a long time by chronic anxiety, it may have negative consequences.
When you feel anxious it is because your body doesn’t know that you’re not in danger and there’s no real reason to feel this way. This can make you feel that you are always in danger, even though you’re not. This is why it’s crucial to work with mental health professionals.
When you are anxious your body releases number of stress hormones. These hormones trigger your body to feel as if you’re in danger. This can lead to feeling shaky. This is a normal response, but it can be difficult to differentiate from other diseases and conditions that may trigger this symptom. For instance heart disease, blood clot in the lung, or pneumonia could all trigger this. It’s crucial to talk to your physician or health professional to run tests and determine if you have an underlying issue that may be causing this feeling.