![]() ![]() Merrill says, and when there’s anxiety in the brain, it sends out signals all along those connections. ![]() Tingling, sharp pains, and tightnessīecause the central nervous system is connected to the peripheral nervous system, that means you’re wired from head to toe, Dr. Related effects can include bloating, excessive gas, abdominal pain, and cramping. In some cases, you may toggle between the two. That often results in constipation but can also swing in the other direction toward diarrhea. ![]() “As your blood flows toward muscles, vision, and hearing to react to threats, your motility can change,” says Dr. What’s not needed when you’re in the middle of a fight or you’re sprinting away from danger? Digestion. Constipation or diarrheaĪs the body prepares to respond to a threat, it shuttles resources like blood flow to what it considers necessary for short-term mobilization. “Any kind of emotional imbalance like anxiety is likely to create stomach issues, such as nausea, indigestion, and upset stomach,” he says. Most of your serotonin-the “happy chemical” that send signals between nerve cells-is in your gut as well, and when emotional distress happens, it can throw off your nerve signaling and serotonin response. That’s why, when you feel excited, you have those butterflies-it’s your nervous system responding to stimulus.Īnother hormone, serotonin, steps in here as well, he adds. Merrill notes that there are more nerve fibers in the gut than anywhere else in the body. In addition to the parts of the brain, and certain hormones, being associated with anxiety, the central nervous system plays a major role in the stress response as well, and Dr. Of course, if you’re having chest pains, the symptoms don’t subside, or it feels worse after a few minutes, seek immediate medical attention. “This is why, in extreme anxiety-like a panic attack-you’ll not only have a rapid heart rate, but also shortness of breath, and the advice with those is to try and implement deep breathing so that both can get corrected,” he says. If you’re experiencing a sudden rise in heart rate, that could lower your oxygen intake and your lungs see that as a tip-off to power up, so they start working harder, Dr. Your heart and lungs work in concert to keep you going strong, so when one is affected, the other is likely to be, too. That’s why you may have odd muscle aches in conjunction with the hot or cold flashes. That effect could also come from the way muscles fire up during an anxiety response, he adds, as one more way to get you ready to take on threats. That’s because another part of the brain involved in anxiety is the hypothalamus, which regulates body heat.īecause of that, you could have chills, feel drenched in sweat, or weirdly, both at the same time. But when that alarm button seems stuck in the “on” position, it can exacerbate these reactions, which are designed to be temporary.Īs part of the fight-or-flight response, you may experience a sudden temperature change, Dr. “That reaction is essential to our health and preservation, because a surge of anxiety can propel us to move quickly,” he explains. That can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, and even lead to heart palpitations, Dr. Rapid heart rateĪnxiety is part of the body’s built-in alarm system, alerting us to danger in the surrounding environment, according to Joseph Laino, Psy.D., senior psychologist and assistant director for clinical services for ambulatory behavioral health at the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone Health.Ī part of the brain called the amygdala rings that alarm during a perceived threat and it causes a cascade of effects-such as a surge of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline-meant to prep us to flee or fight. ![]() Here, some clues that your body is manifesting anxiety in physical ways-and what you can do to feel better ASAP. That notches both problems up unless the issue is recognized and addressed. For example, anxiety could cause digestive problems, and those effects could, in turn, worsen your anxiety. That’s because the brain-body connection is very strong, and what might seem like unrelated mental and physical conditions could actually be intricately linked in an ongoing cycle, Dr.
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