Anxiety Body Symptoms

Everyone experiences anxiety at times, especially when faced with anxiety or fear. However, constant anxiety can trigger a chain reaction of physical symptoms of anxiety and depression symptoms.

Fright or stress triggers the fight-or flight response, which triggers your heart rate and breathing to increase. If you must escape danger, fuel and blood will flood your muscles.

Tingling

If you sense danger your nervous system triggers a response of anxiety. It releases a flood of chemicals and hormones, such as adrenaline, to increase blood flow, increase oxygen levels and assist you in responding quickly and efficiently. This is the body's natural response to life-or death situations. It's intended to safeguard you. However many of us are worried about things that don't really pose a threat or may even be beneficial. The constant rise in stress hormones, as well as other physical symptoms that are associated with anxiety can be physically and mentally draining.

The most common sign of anxiety is tingling in your body. You may feel it in your legs, arms, chest, or feet. It could also extend up to your head and trigger a headache. It may also occur when you lie, sit or stand in the same place for an extended period of time. It could be caused by nutritional deficiencies, nerve damage or compression, like from a compressed spinal cord or pinched nerves.

Sweating is another common sign of anxiety. Your body is working hard to pump more water into your sweat glands when you are anxious or stressed according to NIMH. It can also cause you to feel cold feet and hands as the body is pulling blood away from those areas to help protect its main organs.

Anxiety is usually accompanied by persistent feelings of fatigue and exhaustion. You may be suffering from anxiety because of an ongoing fight-or-flight response, or because you are having difficulties sleeping. A doctor or mental health professional can offer suggestions on how you can get better sleep, such as adopting healthy habits and avoiding alcohol and caffeine at night.

Weakness

In the event of fear or anxiety your body's fight or flight response might kick in. Your brain is signaling the sympathetic nervous system to release hormones such as adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and enables blood to flow faster to your large muscles so that you can escape or fend off an attack. However, over time the constant state of your body can wear down your muscles and make you feel weak.

Tight muscles can be painful and cause a variety of weird physical symptoms of anxiety ailments, such as headaches, aches and pains. For example, when you're startled or anxious, your body tenses up and if this happens repeatedly it could lead to tension headaches. Migraines can also be caused by tight shoulder and neck muscles.

If you experience stomach discomfort, it could be a sign of anxiety too. The digestive system of your body is directly connected to your emotions. People who suffer from anxiety are more likely than other people to experience digestive issues such as stomachaches and constipation.

The feeling of weakness is also of anxiety, since it can affect your immune system and make you more prone to infection. Stress hormones can impact the immune system. This is particularly relevant for those who are anxious.

Dr. Barsky says that the first step to identifying and managing anxiety is to stop, look at your situation, and take action. If you are able to identify that your physical symptoms are the result of a constant state of anxiety and stress then you can take steps to break the cycle. "Distract yourself," says the expert noting that even things as simple as watering your plants or putting a jigsaw together can be helpful.

Lightheadedness

Anxiety can make you feel agitated, unbalanced or as if the entire world is spinning. This can be a troubling feeling and can also hinder you from getting active, going out or doing things that you like. Dizziness due to anxiety is sometimes referred to as Vertigo but it could also be a symptom of a disorder that affects the inner ear, such as Benign Peripheral Persistent Dizziness (BPPV).

Stress response, also known as "fight or flee" in the body releases chemicals and hormones to prepare you for risk. This raises the heart rate, increases breathing, and alters the amount of oxygen is circulating to the brain. This can trigger a short-term sensation of lightheadedness and is why you may feel it prior to delivering a speech, or being in a busy room. If your anxiety is persistent and you experience this feeling without any apparent reason, then it could be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

This type of anxiety-induced nausea can last for the entire day or even for a longer period of time. It is also referred to as Chronic Subjective Dizziness or Persistent Perceptual-Postural Dizziness (PPPD). You should consult your doctor in case you have a medical problem that triggers this.

If you do not have any health issues but you get dizzy when you are anxious and stressed, you can settle down by focusing on an object or a single point, or by breathing deeply. Many ballet dancers who experience this kind of dizziness get relief when they do this while they're dancing. If this doesn't help you, you can always contact a family member or friend to discuss your anxiety and how they can assist you. This can help ease your symptoms and prevent the anxiety from becoming out of control.

Mouth dryness

Whenever your anxiety is intense it is likely that you will experience changes in your heart rate and breathing. In the fight-or-flight response the body releases stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline that increase the rate at which you breathe to get more oxygen into your bloodstream to enable you to respond to threats. However, if your anxiety is chronic the constant release of stress hormones can have long-term effects on your health. For instance, it can alter your digestion in ways that affect your physical health such as stomach pains, bloating and diarrhea.

In addition to changing your heart rate as well, these stress hormones may also cause you to feel exhausted or short of breath. This could happen when you're in a high-stress situation, like during an anxiety attack or when you're preparing for an important event. But, it could occur when you're feeling constantly anxious, with no obvious reason.

It's not uncommon for people who suffer from anxiety issues to develop digestive issues. According to the APA, people who suffer from these symptoms often should seek out an expert in mental health.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that anxiety can be extremely hard on your body, and you're certainly not the only one. Consult a GP if you are worried about your emotions. They can assess whether your feelings are connected to a specific challenge or if you have an anxiety condition. They can also provide you with information and advice on how to manage your anxiety. This could include recommending certain medication or therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Keep active and take plenty of rest. Relaxation exercises like guided imagery and deep breathing can help to alleviate symptoms.

Tension

Anxiety can cause the body to feel tense. It can be painful. The reason for this is that the brain sends signals to other parts of the body that tell them to prepare for the possibility of a fight or flight. This could result in an increase in the size of stomach muscles and the feeling of stomach pain. This isn't something you should avoid as it can lead to serious digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome or sores in the stomach lining called ulcers.

Heart palpitations are another common symptom. They are fast and irregular heartbeats. This happens when the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released into the bloodstream. These hormones increase the speed of heartbeat, and they can also increase the quantity of oxygen circulated throughout the body. The body doesn't need to be alert all the time. If it is, it'll become weak and tired.

Sweating, cold feet and hands, and lightheadedness are other signs of anxiety. These are caused by the increase in blood flow to the major organs as well as the muscles. This is part the fight or flight response which prepares your body for a potentially dangerous situation. It can be triggered by real dangers or simply by thinking about them. The amygdala, or brain area, is one of the brain that regulates emotional anxiety symptoms responses. It also responds to fear and trigger physical sensations.

Rapid and shallow breathing can also increase anxiety. This is known as hyperventilation and upsets the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the bloodstream according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This can cause dizziness as well as sensations of tingling in hands and feet.