7 Negative Effects That Anxiety Can Have On Your Body
Before getting into the harmful effects of anxiety on your body, it is essential that you first understand what anxiety really is.
It is an entirely normal reaction to stress, which can be about a current or forthcoming event. The reaction starts at the amygdala, which is an area of the brain that sends distress signals to the hypothalamus. These signals then get communicated to the rest of the body, which evokes a “fight or flight” reaction.
A positive stress response leads to an adrenaline rush, resulting in your heart rate increasing, increases the blood flow to your brain, and a consequent rush of oxygen, which allows you to focus on the current situation and with it in a positive manner.
However, there is a catch……
Long-term and repetitive stress responses to excessive anxiety and unnecessary worrying about everyday life situations like – arriving late to work due to the traffic, a crying baby, a failed deadline, stressing about an examination or interview, missing out on an appointment, fear of appearing in social occasions, and so on can lead to a devious cycle of stress cycle can have a damaging effect psychologically. They can cause adverse physical reactions in your body, some of which we are about to discuss below.
ADVERSE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ANXIETY ON YOUR BODY
Dizziness, lightheadedness, and an impending sense of doom are but some of the physical effects of anxiety, which stems from long-term stress. However, chronic stress can lead to severe effects that can be harmful to your body.
FOLLOWING ARE 7 SUCH NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC ANXIETY:
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Respiratory Problems
One of the more common effects of anxiety on the body is shortness and shallowness of breath, which also becomes rapid. This might cause unhealthy breathing patterns where you actually breathe in more oxygen than the amount of carbon dioxide you exhale.
This excess carbon dioxide restricts the blood supply to your brain, which in turn causes dizziness, numbness in your hands and/or feet, and even loss of consciousness.
Moreover, if you are suffering from asthma, then anxiety can worsen the symptoms. And patients with inflamed airways or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD might need frequent hospitalisation as a result of stress.
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Gastrointestinal Disorders
Another adverse effect of anxiety is that it can cause chronic digestion problems and excretion, like stomach aches, abdominal cramping, excessive bloating, irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, diarrhoea, vomiting, and many more.
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Immune System
When you are continually coping with the fight or flight response, what you are doing is you are not allowing your body to its normal state of rest. This can leave your immune system vulnerable to viral infections and a host of other illnesses. During such times, regular flu attacks might become commonplace, and even in some cases, vaccination might not work for you.
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Heart Disease
One of the most common signs that you will notice while you are having a bout of anxiety is heart palpitations and rapid breathing patterns.
The constant rush of stress response hormones at persistent and high levels of anxiety can easily lead to high blood pressure and which might cause, at times fatal, coronary problems like heart disease or heart attack.
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Muscle Tension & Chronic Pain
Regular distress signals from your amygdala to your CNS or central nervous system, which is intended to prepare you for stress response, can make muscles contract and tighten quite often.
This constant tension in the muscle can lead to cramped, stiff, and sore muscles, the effects of which usually tends to spread throughout your body. This, in turn, can result in chronic pain in the joints leading to arthritis, fibromyalgia, and so on.
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Loss Of Memory
One of the most insidious mental and emotional effects of anxiety is that if you are a constant worrier or suffer from a generalized anxiety disorder, there is a high chance that it will ultimately affect your working memory.
This will result in you forgetting important appointments, making frequent mistakes, unable to manage a hectic schedule, and so on. When this happens, it naturally becomes difficult to make crucial decisions at your workplace and home. If you are a student, then your grades might be adversely affected as well.
All of this can lead you to become more anxious and enter into a state of depression.
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Putting On Extra Weight
Physical effects of severe depression and anxiety also include weight gain. So, when you get anxious frequently, your body gets flooded with adrenalin and cortisol triggered by your brain.
This so-called “high” influences you to reach out for comfort foods like chocolate, cake, creamy pastries, and aerated drinks that contain high levels of sugar in them.
The rise and drop in blood sugar levels lead you to constantly crave salty and sugary foods. This seemingly unending cycle of cravings ultimately leads to unhealthy weight gain and obesity.
Remember That…
Anxiety and depression are 2 different stages of energy, high and low, respectively, that are bound together by the common thread of fear, frustration, a feeling of helplessness, dejection, etc.
This constant state of fear is precisely what leads people to fall into the vicious cycle of anxiety, and as we know, the effects of anxiety can have negative impacts both psychologically and physically.
It should also be mentioned here that untreated anxiety can lead to severe depression. But the good news is that anxiety can be overcome by therapy, meditation, support from family, and a host of other techniques.
Do not hesitate to get in touch with a specialist the moment you realize that you are having frequent bouts of anxiety. Please do not leave it until it is too late.