Can Anxiety Make You Sick
Anxiety as a form of mental illness can leave physical symptoms as well. It is alarming to have any mental illness for a long time for it to give physical signals for attention. If you have been unable to get help, try getting it sooner cause, with time, it can get worse. So to your issue of- can anxiety make you sick, here are the six types of sickness.
You Seem Prone To Catching Colds
Some people tend to get sick more often in periods of high anxiety, says Dr. Potter. Your immune system doesnt function as well when your fight-or-flight response is operating for too long, according to the Mayo Clinic. This could mean that youre more susceptible to issues such as the common cold, although a lot of other factors come into play here as well, like how robust your immune system is in general and how vigilant you are about hand hygiene.
What Can Parents Do To Help
The first thing our experts suggest is something parents should not do, or at least try not to do: Let kids avoid things they are afraid of. It can be very tempting when children are complaining of a headache or stomach ache to let them stay home from school, or skip the party or the game theyre worried about. But avoidance actually reinforces the anxiety.
If were allowing them to avoid it, says Ms. Greenspan, then theyre not able to learn that they can tolerate it. The message needs to be: I know it hurts, I know its uncomfortable, but I know you can do it.
Another things parents should not do is ask children leading questions like Are you worried about the math test? Questions should be open ended, to avoid suggesting that you expect them to be anxious: How are you feeling about the math test?
If the problems your child is having are disrupting their ability to go to school consistently or concentrate at school, participate in activities, socialize with peers they might have developed an anxiety disorder that should be treated by a mental health professional. The treatment favored by most clinicians for anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy . CBT helps kids as young as 5 years old identify their anxiety and learn skills to reduce it.
The techniques clinicians teach children to calm down body and mind can also be deployed by parents, for children with less impairing symptoms.
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When Is My Anxiety Harmful
Identifying what sort of anxiety youre dealing with can be somewhat challenging because how ones body reacts to perceived danger can be entirely different compared to another person.
Its likely you heard anxiety as a blanket term for that general feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease. Its often a feeling in response to an upcoming event that has an uncertain outcome.
Every person deals with it at one time or another, because its part of our brains response to a perceived danger even if that danger isnt real.
That said, there are times anxiety can get serious and turn into anxiety attacks that initially feel manageable and then gradually build up over a few hours.
Getting Sick When You Dont Treat Depression Or Anxiety
You can heal your depression and anxiety. The usual treatment involves medication, behavior changes, and psychotherapy. And if your treatment combines all these modalities, you increase your chances of treatment success. However, stigma, lack of knowledge, lack of resources, etc., can keep many sufferers of these disorders away from treatment.
The risks that untreated depression and anxiety pose make this particularly unfortunate. Make no mistake. You put your physical health at risk by not treating your depression or anxiety. You may make yourself truly sick.
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Dizziness From Anxiety Is Not Dangerous
Generally, when anxiety is causing your dizziness, there is much less concern for serious harm. If your dizziness occurs while operating machinery or a motor vehicle, please stop all activity immediately. It is best to determine the cause of the symptoms rather than to push through and possibly harm yourself and/or others. Overall, dizziness is not likely to have long term effects on brain function.
Why Does Anxiety Cause A Sick Feeling
In general, that sick feeling is caused by a number of different factors. Just a few of which include:
- Standard Stress Response: Scientists believe that nausea, and some of the common feelings of illness, are the result of issues with related to the activation of the fight or flight response and the hormones related to stress, like cortisol.
- Gut and Abdominal Pressure: Anxiety can also lead to increased muscle tension that causes pressure on the stomach and guts. It is possible that this pressure affects how your stomach feels and thus gives you a sick feeling.
- Mild Illness: Your body fights off germs every day. Anxiety can weaken your immune system, increasing the risk of developing common minor illnesses. This may also contribute to a feeling of nausea and sickness.
Feeling ill is something that often causes concern. Some people feel so sick that they vomit or experience profound nausea that keeps them away from their activities. In this way, the physical effects of anxiety can cause further anxiety, creating a cycle.
Some people experience more than just nausea when anxious. They may experience other symptoms that are similar to catching a cold or flu. They may feel like their glands are swollen, or their tongue is dry. They may feel lightheaded. They may even cough or experience severe stomach discomfort, like indigestion.
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Muscle And Joint Pain
Theres a confirmed link that depression can cause pain and pain can cause depression. Back pain and other joint and muscle pain are common physical symptoms of depression.
Depression and other mood disorders have been shown to alter pain perception, which can trigger or worsen pain. Fatigue and loss of interest common in depression can lead to being less active. This inactivity can cause muscle and joint pain and stiffness.
Finding relief from physical symptoms of depression may require more than one type of treatment. While some antidepressants may also alleviate some of your physical symptoms, such as pain, other symptoms may need to be treated separately.
Treatment may include:
Can Anxiety Cause Weird Body Sensations
While anxiety is normal and can be helpful in some situations, it can also cause unpleasant body sensations. These sensations can include a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, and nausea. Anxiety can also lead to changes in how a person experiences their body, such as feeling that their body is shaking or tingling. These sensations can be very unsettling and make it difficult to focus on anything else. It is important to remember that these sensations are not dangerous and are usually caused by anxiety.
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Flight Fight Or Freeze Response
Anxiety causes the body to activate the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for our fight, flight, or freeze response to a threat.
When we are faced with a threat or stressor, our sympathetic nervous system releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. When we are in this state, our body prioritizes its resources to give us the best chance of immediate survival.
We experience physical symptoms such as sweating, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, and increased blood pressure. Additionally, blood is diverted away from the digestive system to the large muscle groups, digestion is slowed, and immune system responses are altered.
What Are Anxiety Disorders
We all have feelings of anxiety, worry and fear sometimes. These can be normal responses to certain situations. For example, you might worry about a job interview, or about paying a bill on time. These feelings can give you an awareness of risks and what you need to do in a difficult or dangerous situation. This reaction is known as fight or flight.
Your brain responds to a threat or danger by releasing stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Even if the danger is not real, these hormones cause the physical symptoms of anxiety. Once the threatening situation has stopped, your body will usually return to normal.
But if you have an anxiety disorder these feelings of fear and danger can be ongoing and interrupt your daily routine long after the threat has gone. They can make you feel as though things are worse than they actually are.
Everyones experience of anxiety disorders is different. Not everyone who has an anxiety disorder will experience the same symptoms.
Mental symptoms of anxiety can include:
- racing thoughts,
Anxiety can lead to depression if left untreated.
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How Does Medication Treat Anxiety Disorders
Medications cant cure an anxiety disorder. But they can improve symptoms and help you function better. Medications for anxiety disorders often include:
- Anti-anxiety medications, such as benzodiazepines, may decrease your anxiety, panic and worry. They work quickly, but you can build up a tolerance to them. That makes them less effective over time. Your healthcare provider may prescribe an anti-anxiety medication for the short-term, then taper you off or the provider may add an antidepressant to the mix.
- Antidepressants can also help with anxiety disorders. They tweak how your brain uses certain chemicals to improve mood and reduce stress. Antidepressants may take some time to work, so be patient. If you feel like youre ready to stop taking antidepressants, talk to your provider first.
- Beta-blockers, usually used for high blood pressure, can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of anxiety disorders. They can relieve rapid heartbeat, shaking and trembling.
Your healthcare provider will work with you to find the right medication combination and dosage. Dont change the dose without consulting your provider. Theyll monitor you to make sure the medicines are working without causing negative side effects.
Anxiety Disorders That May Cause Nausea
A certain level of anxiety is a normal response to uncertainty and danger. However, some people experience anxiety so frequently that it interferes with their everyday life. People with this type of anxiety may have an anxiety disorder.
There are many different types of anxiety disorder, each of which may cause nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Some examples include:
Generalized anxiety disorder: Intense worry about everyday aspects of life, such as health, safety, or money, which lasts for 6 months or more.
Phobia: An irrational fear of a specific thing or situation, such as spiders or being in enclosed spaces.
Social anxiety: An overwhelming feeling of self-consciousness during social situations. The sense that people are watching or judging can worsen the symptoms.
Post-traumatic stress disorder : An anxiety disorder that can develop after a traumatic experience. The person may experience vivid dreams, flashbacks, or tormented memories. Other symptoms may include:
- difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- outbursts of anger
- emotional withdrawal
Obsessive-compulsive disorder : A disorder that involves obsessive thoughts and compulsive acts. One of the most common examples of OCD is a fear of contamination, which often leads to repetitive hand washing.
Panic disorder: Frequent, unprovoked feelings of terror or impending doom. Other symptoms tend to include:
- rapid heartbeat
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When To Consult Your Doctor
If you are unable to cope with nausea and anxiety on your own, it is time to consult your doctor. Any anxiety symptom that disrupts your quality of life should be addressed as soon as possible. More often than not, more significant problems like stress and depression can become an issue if your disorder goes unmanaged and untreated for too long. However, with your doctors treatment recommendations and the right tactics, most people can get back to feeling like themselves again.
Youre Having Digestive Issues But Your Diet Hasnt Changed
Theres a reason why stressful situations are called gut-wrenching. The brain and the gastrointestinal system are intimately connected meaning the more stressed out your brain is, the unhappier your stomach will get.
Signs that your stomach isnt handling extra stress well include:
- Stomach bloating
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Effects Of Anxiety On Your Body
These can include:
- a churning feeling in your stomach
- feeling light-headed or dizzy
- feeling restless or unable to sit still
- headaches, backache or other aches and pains
- faster breathing
- a fast, thumping or irregular heartbeat
- sweating or hot flushes
- grinding your teeth, especially at night
- needing the toilet more or less often
- changes in your sex drive
Can Anxiety Cause Dizziness
Anxiety disorders may be associated with dizziness.
People with anxiety disorders, particularly those with panic disorder, often complain of feeling dizzy or lightheaded.
However, the link between dizziness and anxiety isn’t completely clear.
It’s thought, though, that stress-related hormones or compounds released during the fight-or-flight response might affect the vestibular system within the inner ear, which coordinates balance and movement. This, in turn, may be the source of feelings of dizziness or lightheadedness in some individuals with anxiety disorders.
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What Happens If I Dont Get Treatment For My Child With An Anxiety Disorder
Getting your child help for an anxiety disorder can improve their development and self-esteem. But untreated anxiety disorders can harm:
- Family relationships.
- School performance.
- Social functioning.
Your child may also end up with more serious mental and physical health problems. Fortunately, there are several treatments for anxiety disorders. The right treatment can help your child manage their symptoms and feel their best.
So What Role Does Your Mental Health Actually Play In Terms Of Your Physical Well
Before you can even begin to understand how anxiety affects the rest of your body, itâs important to have a general understanding of what anxiety even is. Scientifically speaking, Laura Rubin, Ph.D, a licensed clinical psychologist at Portsmouth Neuropsychology Center in New Hampshire, tells Elite Daily that anxiety is a neurobiological response that happens when your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. In other words, when a situation feels weird or off-putting to you, or a person is coming off really shady or untrustworthy, your brain picks up these cues, causing your nervous system to react.
And, according to Dr. Danielle Forshee, LLC, a doctor of psychology and licensed clinical social worker, when you feel overly anxious or stressed, itâs natural for your body to respond. In fact, she tells Elite Daily, itâs a chemical reaction that sparks these physical ailments, because chronic stress and anxiety can cause your body âto release adrenaline,â she explains, which suggests that, on top of feeling mental stress and anxiety, your physical well-being is going to react, too.
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The Parents Role Is Key
Its only natural that parents dont want to see their kids in distress or make them go to school when theyre worried that theyll throw up. That puts parents in a difficult spot. What we hear from parents is, We just let them stay home one day and one day led to three months, says Dr. Domingues. Its a slippery slope the child may ask to stay home more and more.
So we work with parents a lot around how to find that balance between enabling anxiety and meeting a child where they are, she adds. And we also give them statements that they can use to be empathic and encouraging at the same time. For instance: I know that this is really hard and you feel like youre sick. But we also know that this is anxiety, and you can get through it.
Sometimes setting up a reward system can help by giving a lot of positive reinforcement for kids pushing through their anxiety.
Parents also face the challenge of tolerating their own anxiety about pushing a child who says they are ill or worried about vomiting. If your kid is in distress and talking about not wanting to go to school or feeling sick or thinking they might throw up, says Dr. Domingues, then youre, as a parent, also anxious that that might happen.
Anxiety Isnt Just In Your Headyou Might Actually Feel It Physically
When it comes to anxiety, there are some hallmark symptoms that come to mind: restlessness, irritability, excessive worry, racing thoughts, inability to concentrate. These symptoms certainly cause a lot of distress, but are mostly localized to the mind and our overall disposition. It is crucial to have an awareness that these symptoms help to define anxiety and related disorders, however it is just as important to gain an understanding of how anxiety can have an impact on you physically. So what are the physical symptoms of anxiety? Though this is not an exhaustive list, here are some common physical symptoms of anxiety:
When your body feels threatened or under a great deal of stress, it undergoes something called the âfight or flight response.â This is a natural reaction that has been preserved over the course of evolution and dates back to when our ancestors were under physical threat by predators in the wild. It results in a number of physical responses in the body that include advantageous things like dilated pupils and directing our circulation away from processes like digestion and toward our muscles and other components of the body that are more helpful for immediate survival. Believe it or not though, our feelings of anxiety can actually trigger this response within our body, creating a number of unwanted symptoms . These physical symptoms, among others, can be challenging to deal with in oneâs daily life.
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