Physical symptoms of anxiety
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Apr 25, 2019
- 3 min read
Rapid Heartbeat
Your heart beat faster and harder when something scares you suddenly such as loud noise. You may feel like its beating unevenly. With time and when this happens too much you are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hardened arteries and stroke.
Fast Breathing
You might start breathing more quickly when you're scared or anxious, or feel like you can't get enough air. It can be serious if you already have breathing problems because of asthma, lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other conditions.
Fight or Flight Response
It is a set of symptoms that occur when you feel scary. Your fright triggers the release of certain hormones that send signals through your brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Blood and fuel (glucose) floods to your arms and legs to prepare to meet the threat with one of two options: fight or run away. Your pulse and breathing speed up. You also might get sweaty and shaky.
Tense Muscles
Your body gets ready to protect itself when you're anxious. If you're really startled, your muscles tense all at once. They usually relax once the stress passes, but if it happens a lot or if you feel worried all the time, your tight shoulder and neck muscles can lead to headaches, including migraines. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing and yoga may help.
High Blood Sugar
This normally occurs when you are anxious and it is helpful in the case of danger and when you need to fight it. After this blood sugar returns to normal but if you are always anxious this could keep your blood sugar high and can lead to diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and even stroke .
Sleep Problems
Poor sleep can ramp up anxiety even more, especially if you have to work the next day. Good sleep habits and to do list problem solving could reduce anxiety. Go to bed in a dark, cool bedroom. Also do a gradual slowdown at night to ease into bedtime.
Problems Fighting Off Germs
Thinking about something that makes you angry may reduce immune response to fight germs in less than 30 minutes. Anxiety that stretches over days, months, or years can take an even bigger toll on the immune system, making it harder for you to fight the flu, herpes, shingles, and other viruses.
Upset Stomach
Stress and anxiety can make you feel like you have knots in your belly. Some people feel nauseated and even vomit. Over time it leads to IBS so speak to your doctor if you vomitt when you get anxious.
Bowel Problems
Anxiety can change the way you use the muscles that control how you poop and this lead to constipation. It can also give you diarrhea because it changes the way your body absorbs certain nutrients. You stomach may be sensitive to stress and anxiety if you have digestive problem like IBS so speak to your doctor.
Weight Gain
It is due to cravings toward food high in calories, fat and sugar, Consumption of these food will icreasde cravings and overconsumption toward them. With time this lead to weight gain..
Men's Sexual Problems
At first, stress can trigger your fight-or-flight system, which makes the hormone testosterone. That can make you feel more frisky. But another stress hormone, cortisol, can have the opposite effect. Over the long term, worry can actually decrease testosterone, change or lessen your sperm, and slow or stop your body's normal response when you want to have sex.
Women's Sexual Problems
Worry can tire you out and distract you, so you're less interested in sex. The cortisol stress hormone may also lessen desire. High levels of stress can affect your cycle. It can cause missed or uneven periods or make them longer or more painful. It may worsen cramping, bloating, and mood swings in the week before your period, sometimes called premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Anxiety can also make it harder to get pregnant
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