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Home / Mental Health

Physical Effects of Anxiety and Treatment Options

May 21, 2020 - Updated on November 25, 2020
5 min read
By Bergina Isbell, MD | Psychiatrist

In this article:

  • Anxiety Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Types of Anxiety Disorders
  • Physical Effects of Anxiety on the Body
  • Medical Treatment for Anxiety
  • Tips to Manage Anxiety Symptoms
  • Panic Disorder
  • Final Word

When presented with a threat, your body releases certain hormones that induce a fight, flight, or freeze response to overcome the problem.

treating anxiety

After the threat has passed, these hormones decrease and your body returns to baseline. But this normal response can sometimes be disrupted, triggering anxiety symptoms, even when there is minimal or no threat.

Anxiety Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Everybody experiences occasional anxiety, but it has become particularly heightened nowadays in view of the COVID-19-related health concerns and movement restrictions.

Several organizations have prepared resources for those experiencing an increase in feelings of anxiety at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether they have a formal diagnosis or not.

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Both the National Alliance on Mental Illness (1) and Mental Health America have prepared a COVID-19 resource guide. (2) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have also released resources for coping with stress. (3)

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Several constellations of symptoms, when put together, can carry a diagnosis of anxiety disorder. Types of anxiety disorders include:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder
  • Panic disorder
  • Social anxiety disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Phobias
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

People can be anxious about a wide variety of things, such as in generalized anxiety disorder, and they can also develop very specific fears, such as a phobia. A person can experience significant symptoms of anxiety that disrupt their normal ability to function. Hence, the condition is called a disorder. (4)(5)

Physical Effects of Anxiety on the Body

physical effects of anxiety on the body

Anxiety is largely perceived as a psychological phenomenon, but it can negatively impact your entire body and pave the way for a number of physical problems. (6)(7)

In addition to fanning uncontrolled mental stress, anxiety creates tension throughout the body that is stored in your tissues, inhibits your immunity, and hampers the functioning of various organ systems.

In general, anxiety can manifest in the form of the following physical symptoms:

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  • Breathing difficulties
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Excessive sweating
  • Trembling
  • Increased fatigue or weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Choking
  • Stomach ache
  • Malaise or feeling sick
  • Headache
  • Tingling or a pins-and-needles sensation in the body
  • Insomnia characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep
  • Muscle aches and tension

If your anxiety symptoms become hard to manage and interfere with your daily activities, it is best that you seek help from a doctor, counselor, or mental health expert.

Medical Treatment for Anxiety

how to treat anxiety?

Treatment for anxiety can take many forms, but the mainstay is therapy and/or medications for most people.

  • There are many types of therapy, but cognitive-behavior therapy has been particularly successful in the treatment of anxiety and depression. (8)
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are antidepressants that can also work in anxiety, although they may need to be prescribed in higher doses.

However, no medicine is without side effects. Most people experience diarrhea, constipation, nausea, headache, or lightheadedness lasting for 2–3 days.

Tips to Manage Anxiety Symptoms

Regardless of the type of anxiety disorder, the symptoms can be managed and, for some people, can resolve completely over time. Untreated disorders can lead to worsening symptoms and an increased risk of other illnesses.

If patients prefer natural or holistic approaches, they can be used alone or in combination with prescription medicines:

  • Essential oils such as lavender, lemon, and chamomile, light therapy, and physical movement and exercise can be helpful. (9)(10)(11)
  • For some people with an underlying medical condition, changes in the diet and nutrition may also be helpful. (12)(13)
  • It is important to get sound sleep as it helps clear metabolic wastes in the brain.
  • Breathing exercises, visualization, and progressive muscle relaxation can be particularly helpful for calming the body during or immediately after anxiety symptoms. (14)(15)

However, it is best to practice these techniques regularly when the body is in a relaxed state so that the brain recognizes them as what you do when you feel “healthy and normal.”

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Panic Disorder

Panic disorder occurs when a person experiences anxiety or a panic “attack” that leaves them debilitated for a while.

During a panic attack, a person may experience increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, tremors, sweatiness, or a sense of fear that they may not be able to get to safety.

Although this experience can leave a person feeling as if they may die, a panic attack is not fatal unless they have another underlying medical condition.

ALSO READ: Anxiety and Panic Attacks: Causes, Treatment, and Management

Final Word

It is normal to experience anxiety in situations of stress as it prepares the body for any perceived danger.

However, one may suffer from anxiety disorders, often characterized by excessive fear, which are different from general nervousness.

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Anxiety disorders are largely treatable with simple self-care and certain medications. It is essential to consult a doctor if you experience heightened levels of panic, nervousness, or anxiety.

References
  1. Home: NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/Home.
  2. Mental Health and COVID-19 – Information and Resources. Mental Health America. https://mhanational.org/covid19.
  3. Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html. Published April 30, 2020.
  4. Thibaut F. Anxiety disorders: a review of current literature. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573565/. Published June 2017.
  5. Bystritsky A, Khalsa SS, Cameron ME, Schiffman J. Current diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders. P &T: a peer-reviewed journal for formulary management. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3628173/. Published January 2013.
  6. Niles AN, Dour HJ, Stanton AL, et al. Anxiety and depressive symptoms and medical illness among adults with anxiety disorders. Journal of psychosomatic research. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4297513/. Published February 2015.
  7. Balázs J, Miklósi M, Keresztény A, et al. Comorbidity of Physical and Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescent: Functional Impairment, Self-Rated Health and Subjective Well-Being. International journal of environmental research and public health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6121583/. Published August 9, 2018.
  8. Kaczkurkin AN, Foa EB. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4610618/. Published September 2015.
  9. Seifi Z, Beikmoradi A, Oshvandi K, Poorolajal J, Araghchian M, Safiaryan R. The effect of lavender essential oil on anxiety level in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A double-blinded randomized clinical trial. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4280720/. Published November 2014.
  10. Barati F, Nasiri A, Akbari N, Sharifzadeh G. The Effect of Aromatherapy on Anxiety in Patients. Nephro-urology monthly. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5111093/. Published July 31, 2016.
  11. Malcolm BJ, Tallian K. Essential oil of lavender in anxiety disorders: Ready for prime time? The mental health clinician. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007527/. Published March 26, 2018.
  12. Masana MF, Tyrovolas S, Kolia N, et al. Dietary Patterns and Their Association with Anxiety Symptoms among Older Adults: The ATTICA Study. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6627391/. Published May 31, 2019.
  13. Firth J, Marx W, Dash S, et al. The Effects of Dietary Improvement on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Psychosomatic medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6455094/. Published April 2019.
  14. Cho H, Ryu S, Noh J, Lee J. The Effectiveness of Daily Mindful Breathing Practices on Test Anxiety of Students. PloS one. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5072593/. Published October 20, 2016.
  15. Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al. How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing. Frontiers in human neuroscience. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137615/. Published September 7, 2018.
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