Anxiety disorders can cause rapid heart rate, palpitations, and chest pain. You may also be at an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. If you already have heart disease, anxiety disorders may raise the risk of coronary events.
The autonomic nervous system produces your fight-or-flight response, which is designed to help you defend yourself or run away from danger. When you are under stress or anxious, this system kicks into action, and physical symptoms can appear — headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, shakiness, or stomach pain.
If your anxiety, or the anxiety of a loved one, starts to cause problems in everyday life—such as at school, at work, or with friends and family—it's time to seek professional help. Talk to a health care provider about your mental health.
Stress affects all systems of the body including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems. Our bodies are well equipped to handle stress in small doses, but when that stress becomes long-term or chronic, it can have serious effects on your body.
The most common physical symptoms of anxiety include fatigue, increased heart rate, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, muscle aches, muscle weakness, headaches, digestion, discomfort and tingling sensations.
Recognize the Signs
Physical symptoms of anxiety such as rapid heart rate, increased breathing rate, sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath. Extreme feelings of fear or anxiety that are out of proportion to the actual threat. Irrational fear or worry about different objects or situations.
Extended periods of stress or anxiety can cause fatigue. Fatigue can cause a number of symptoms, including lightheadedness, concentration problems, and muscle weakness. Moreover, stress can cause problems with sleep. Sleep deprivation can also cause symptoms, including feeling dizzy and having weak and tired muscles.
Persistent feelings of fatigue and exhaustion are common signs of anxiety. The body's fight-or-flight response can keep you on high alert, which can be mentally and physically draining. People with anxiety might also find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep or experience unsatisfying sleep.
There are some long-term effects on the body and mind are caused by stress and anxiety. Harvard Health (2008) found that Anxiety was related to chronic illness such as GI issues and heart disease. The Mayo Clinic (2017) included other worsening symptoms such as headaches and migraines as well as sleep issues.
Summary: Pathological anxiety and chronic stress lead to structural degeneration and impaired functioning of the hippocampus and the PFC, which may account for the increased risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and dementia.
GAD is a long-term condition that causes you to feel anxious about a wide range of situations and issues, rather than 1 specific event. People with GAD feel anxious most days and often struggle to remember the last time they felt relaxed.
While the physical symptoms of an anxiety attack tend to subside after about 20 minutes, others may continue to linger for a while. The person may continue to feel fearful, or their chest or stomach may hurt. They may continue to hyperventilate or have trouble catching their breath.
Achy muscles. The fight or flight stress response causes your muscles to tense up and, when you're in a constant state of stress and anxiety, it doesn't give them an opportunity to relax. As you can imagine, chronic tension in your muscles leads to persistent discomfort.
When the body becomes chronically stressed, which we call stress-response hyperstimulation, the body can exhibit a wide variety of odd and unusual sensations and symptoms. [3][4] This feel wrong, odd, strange symptom is one of them.
Physical exercise can help relieve stress and tension felt throughout the body, increase energy levels, and improve mood. Stress-reducing relaxation exercises, such as yoga and meditation can help you learn how to control your body sensations and remain calm in the face of anxiety.
It's not dangerous, but it can cause your muscles to feel weak, tingly, or light, along with many other symptoms. Fight or Flight During the fight or flight response, anxiety causes several changes in the body.
Overall, preliminary evidence suggests anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia and panic disorder, are associated with increased inflammation.
According to the American Institute of Stress, our muscles tense up when we are stressed. This can lead to tension headaches and migraines, as well as pain in the neck, back, and shoulders. Muscle tension can also affect the body's joints, causing pain, tenderness, and aches.
Stress can cause your muscles to tense up — and over time, that can lead to pain and soreness in virtually any part of the body. The most common stress-related aches and pains are in the neck, back, and shoulders.
If you're mentally exhausted, you may experience brain fog, or difficulty concentrating. You could also feel physically tired if your anxiety causes muscle tension, and you might feel sleepy if anxiety interferes with your sleep. In any case, it's best to talk to a doctor or mental health provider about your concerns.
Your stomach can feel like it's rumbling and you may even feel nauseated. Feeling sick may be a sign that you've fallen ill, but it can also be a sign of anxiety. While feeling sick may be the only physical symptom of anxiety, there are often others including breathlessness, dizziness and fatigue.