Panic disorders and anxiety can produce create a long list of upsetting physical symptoms. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t even know that their symptoms are due to their anxious state.
This can then worsen the issue since people end up worrying that their physical concerns are the result of an underlying disease, making them even more uneasy.
The following are some physical symptoms you should watch out for that may indicate restlessness:
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Digestive Discomfort
Acid indigestion, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, excess gas, heartburn, and stomach cramps can actually be due to stress and unease. Some digestive issues such as IBS or irritable bowel syndrome have been associated with mental health issues and chronic stress. Some people may also suffer from symptoms of food sensitivities and intolerance.
Dizziness
Feeling unsteady, faint, or dizziness is usually due to hyperventilation but other anxiety related issues may also cause them like muscle tension in the shoulders and neck. There are a lot of people who feel lightheaded and even worry about passing out during panic attacks. However, some who have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder may also experience balance problems and chronic dizziness.
Fatigue
Fatigue is among the most usual symptoms linked to chronic stress, depression, panic disorder, and other forms of mental health disorders. Your mind and body may feel like it is always in a constant state being highly alert and tensed.
The mind constantly scans the internal and external environments for threats that can lead to physical tension and emotional distress. This constant high alertness state can lead to physical and mental exhaustion that continues even after sleeping for hours.
Headaches
Tension specifically in the shoulders and neck often cause migraines and headaches. Facial tension, hyperventilation, poor posture, and teeth grinding can also lead to migraines and headaches. Symptoms often linked with anxiety include a dull ache, sharp pain, or feeling of pressure around the eyes and head. Since being anxious can also upset the body’s hormonal balance, there are also women who notice increased migraines since these are triggered by hormonal changes.
Heart Palpitations
Among the most distressing symptoms related to being anxious are heart palpitations since these may feel scary. There are also people who worry that they are experiencing a heart attack, especially when chest pain accompanies the palpitations.
During heart palpitations, it may feel as if your heart pounds, beats too fast, misses beats, or flutters. There are even people who can feel their heartbeats in their head, neck, or throat. Although it can be scary when the heart palpitates, it often passes in just several seconds.
Increased Heart Rate
Human survival requires you to respond to danger through feeling anxious. However, high levels of it can trigger body changes to help you prepare dealing with danger or threats or the so-called fight or flight response.
But, if you have chronic anxiety, your mind and body often cannot distinguish imagined from real dangerous, keeping the fight or flight response constantly active.
Learning to recognize these physical symptoms of anxiety can help you prevent this problem from getting worse.