Anxiety affects your head by causing tension headaches, migraines, dizziness, and "brain fog," stemming from stress hormones and muscle tension that tighten neck/shoulder muscles, disrupt focus, and overstimulate the nervous system, leading to pressure, confusion, poor concentration, and difficulty thinking clearly, impacting daily function and increasing sensitivity to pain.
When you feel anxious, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released, increasing muscle tension, especially around the neck, shoulders, and head. This tension can lead to various types of head pain, including tension headaches, migraines, and general pressure.
While it is known that anxiety can cause psychological distress, many people may not be aware that it can also have physical repercussions, such as shortness of breath. Understanding the link between anxiety and breathing difficulties is important for managing and seeking help for these issues.
Anxiety might lead you to obsess about bad things that could happen. It can cause mental and physical responses that are hard to control. Anxiety can affect all areas of your life, from your work to your relationships.
Tension headaches (mild to moderate pain that feels like having a tight band around your head) are common among people with anxiety, according to the ADAA. It's also common to feel tension and soreness in the shoulders, neck and jaw.
SSRIS (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), like Zoloft (sertraline), Prozac (fluoxetine), and Lexapro (escitalopram), and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), such as Effexor (venlafaxine) and Cymbalta (duloxetine), are widely prescribed for both anxiety and depression.
Breaking the Cycle of Chronic Anxiety
The good news is that the brain has the ability to heal and adapt, a concept known as neuroplasticity. With the right treatments and strategies, it's possible to reverse some of the effects of chronic anxiety.
Common but lesser-known anxiety symptoms are jaw tension, blurry vision, muscle twitching, memory lapses, and emotional numbness. Many times, these symptoms are chalked up to poor sleep, stress, or even illness. But they can be rooted in anxiety. These symptoms can be unsettling because they're not as recognized.
A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances. Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are.
When stress kicks in, your body's natural response is to narrow the blood vessels. This constriction is part of the “fight or flight” response, which helps prepare your body for quick action. However, when blood vessels in the lungs constrict, it can decrease oxygen levels, impairing lung function over time.
Five common anxiety symptoms include excessive worry, restlessness, a racing heart/shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping, and trouble concentrating, often accompanied by physical signs like muscle tension, sweating, trembling, or digestive upset, and behavioral changes such as avoiding triggers.
Typically, anxiety triggers tension headaches and migraines. Tension-type headaches cause mild to moderate pain that's typically described as feeling like a band around the head. The dull, aching head pain may also be accompanied by tenderness in the scalp, neck, and shoulder muscles.
Worry excessively about everyday things. Have trouble controlling their worries or feelings of nervousness. Feel irritable or “on edge” frequently. Feel restless or have trouble relaxing.
Anxiety Stroke Symptoms May Include:
Sudden weakness or numbness in face or limbs. Slurred speech or confusion. Dizziness or loss of balance.
Persistent worry about health creates a feedback loop where anxiety symptoms are misinterpreted as signs of illness. Common physical manifestations include tension headaches, stomach pain, chest tightness, fatigue, and changes in appetite.
There are several things you can try to help combat anxiety, including:
The brain's limbic system, comprised of the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus and thalamus, is responsible for the majority of emotional processing. Individuals with an anxiety disorder may have heightened activity in these areas.
A panic or anxiety attack can cause physical symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat, sweating, shaking, dizziness, and trouble breathing. If you have them often, talk to your doctor about whether therapy or medication could help you. You can also learn to calm yourself with breathing and relaxation techniques.
Supplement options
Although further studies are needed, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to anxiety and depression. Supplements may help manage symptoms of stress and anxiety in those who are deficient. Vitamin B complex supplements may also help lower stress and anxiety levels.
What Is Propranolol? Propranolol is a beta blocker first approved by the FDA in 1967 to treat heart conditions and high blood pressure. Today, many clinicians also prescribe it off-label for short-term, situational anxiety because it calms the body's stress response.
In addition to behavioral tools, healthy eating, and lifestyle choices, drinking tea can also help with stress and anxiety relief.
Medications for anxiety