10 Anxiety Body Symptoms Tricks Experts Recommend
Anxiety Body Symptoms
Everyone feels anxious at times especially when confronted with a fear or worry. Anxiety that is constant can cause an array of physical symptoms.
Fright or stress triggers the fight-or flight response that causes your breathing and heart rate to increase. If you need to escape danger, fuel and blood will flow into your muscles.
Tingling
The nervous system triggers an anxiety response when you perceive a threat. It releases a flood of chemicals and hormones, like adrenaline, which increases blood flow, increase oxygen levels and enable you to respond quickly and effectively. This is the body's normal response to situations that could end your life. It's meant to safeguard you. However many of us are anxious about things that don't necessarily pose a threat, or even have a positive impact. The constant increase in stress hormones and other physical symptoms of anxiety can be mentally and physically draining.
The most typical sign of anxiety is tingling in your body. You may feel it in your legs, arms or in your chest, feet, or. It could also move towards your head and trigger a headache. It may also happen when you sit, lying or standing in the same position for an extended period of time. It could be caused by nutritional deficiencies, nerve damage or compression, for example, due to a compressed spinal cord or pinched nerves.
Sweating is another sign of anxiety. According to NIMH the body pumps more water to sweat glands when you are anxious or on edge. It can also cause you to feel cold in your feet and hands because the body is pulling blood away to protect its main organs.
Anxiety is usually accompanied by the feeling of constant fatigue and exhaustion. You may be suffering from anxiety because of an ongoing fight-or-flight response, or perhaps you are experiencing difficulties sleeping. A psychiatrist or a mental health specialist can offer suggestions on how to get a better night's sleep including staying away from caffeine and alcohol at night and implementing good habits.
Weakness
The body's fight-or flight response can be activated when you experience anxiety or fear. If you are feeling anxiety or fear and your body's fight or flight response might begin to kick in. Over the long term however, this continuous state of anxiety and stress can cause your body to feel weak, particularly as it wears down your muscles.
Tight muscles can be painful and can lead to a variety of physical ailments, including headaches, aches and pains. If you're frightened or stressed, your body starts to tense and if it occurs repeatedly this can result in tension headaches. Tight neck and shoulder muscles can also contribute to migraines.
If you have a tummy ache, it could be a sign of anxiety too. Your digestive system is directly connected to your emotions. People with anxiety are more likely to suffer from digestive issues like stomachaches and constipation.
It can also be a sign of anxiety as it can affect your immune system, which makes you more susceptible to infections. A prolonged period of high levels of stress hormones, similar to the ones experienced by people suffering from anxiety, can reduce the immune system's capacity to fight germs.
The first step to identifying and managing symptoms of anxiety is to stop and assess the situation, advises Dr. Barsky. If you are able to determine that your physical symptoms stem from a constant state stress and worry you can take action in order to break the cycle. "Distract yourself," says the expert, adding that even something as simple as watering your plants or putting a jigsaw together can be helpful.
Lightheadedness
Anxiety can make you feel dizzy, off-balance or feel like the world is spinning. This can be a distressing feeling, and it can make it difficult to be active or participating in activities that you like. Vertigo is a term used to describe dizziness caused by anxiety. It can also be the symptom of an inner ear disorder such as Benign Peripheral Constant Dizziness (BPPV).
Stress response, also known as "fight or run" in the body, releases hormones and chemicals to prepare you for danger. This increases the heart rate, increases breathing, and alters how much oxygen is flowing to the brain. This can cause a temporary feeling of lightheadedness. That's the reason you might feel lightheaded before giving a speech or in a crowded room. If you experience constant anxiety and you feel this way without any apparent reason, it could be a sign of an anxiety disorder.
This kind of anxiety-related dizziness can last for a whole day or longer and is known as Chronic Subjective Dizziness or Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD). If you have a medical condition that also causes this, you should consult your physician for a proper diagnosis.
If you're not experiencing any health issues but feel dizzy when stressed, you can try to calm yourself by taking deep breaths or by staring at a fixed location. This is how ballet dancers manage to ease this kind of dizziness when dancing. If this does not work, call an individual in your family or a close friend to discuss your anxiety with them and ask for their support. This will help alleviate your symptoms and stop the anxiety from becoming out of control.
Mouth dryness
When you are feeling anxious you're likely to experience changes in your breathing and heart rate. As part of your fight-or-flight response, your body releases the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol which raise your heart rate to get more oxygen to your bloodstream. If your anxiety is chronic and constant, the release of stress-related hormones can cause negative health effects. For instance, it could alter your digestion in ways that affect you physically, like stomach pains, bloating, and diarrhea.
In addition to altering your heart rate as well, these stress hormones may also cause you to feel exhausted or short of breath. This can happen in high-stress situations, for instance, when you're preparing an important event, or during an anxiety attack. It can also happen if you feel anxious often and without any reason.
These symptoms can cause you to feel nauseous or sick to your stomach, and it's common for those suffering from anxiety to experience digestive issues. According to the APA people who suffer from these symptoms often should see an expert in mental health.
You're not the only one who feels anxiety. Talk to a GP when you're concerned about your anxiety. They can assess whether your symptoms are related to a specific issue or if you have an anxiety-related condition. They can also provide information and advice to help manage your anxiety. This may include recommending certain treatments or medications like cognitive therapy for behavioural problems (CBT). Be active and get enough rest. Relaxation exercises like guided imagery and deep breathing can be helpful to ease symptoms.
Tension
Anxiety can cause the body to feel tense. It can even be painful. This is because the brain sends signals to other parts of the body, telling them to brace for the possibility of a fight or flight. This can result in a knot in the stomach muscles and a feeling of stomach pain. This is not something to ignore since it could cause serious digestive issues like irritable bowel disorder or ulcers in the stomach lining known as ulcers.
Another common symptom of anxiety is heart palpitations, which are rapid and irregular heartbeats. This occurs when the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline are released into the bloodstream. These hormones can increase the rate of heartbeat and also increase the quantity of oxygen circulated throughout the body. The body doesn't have to be on constant alert, and when it is always in this state, it can be exhausted and weak.
Cold feet and hands, and lightheadedness are all signs of anxiety. This is due to an increase in blood flow towards the major organs and muscles. This is a part of the fight or flight response, which prepares your body for a dangerous situation. It can be triggered by actual dangers or by simply thinking about them. The amygdala is an area of the mind that controls emotional responses. It can also react to fears and cause these physical sensations.
Breathing that is shallow and fast can also cause anxiety. This is referred to as hyperventilation and upsets the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the bloodstream according to the U.S. anxiety symptoms lump in throat Iampsychiatry of Medicine. This can contribute to dizziness and tingling in the feet and hands.