What Are The Physical Symptoms Of Anxiety ?
The physical symptoms of an anxiety attack are immediately recognizable to anyone who has experienced this in the past. Among other symptoms, the person may experience difficulty breathing, sweating, chest pain, numbness in the extremities, and uncontrollable shaking. Any combination of these symptoms, or even experiencing other unusual symptoms, can accompany an anxiety attack.
Undergoing physical symptoms of an anxiety attack often feel like a heart attack or complete nervous breakdown. Often, those suffering from an attack call emergency services and are rushed to a hospital because they are convinced they are in the middle of a serious medical emergency. While not strictly necessary, there are advantages to having nurses and doctors available during the course of the attack. Frequent victims of anxiety need their own coping mechanisms to help them survive a scary attack.
A full anxiety attack is linked with the fight or flight reaction to some external experience. The fight or flight response is seen in most animals, including humans. In humans it is caused by the release of hormones, primarily adrenaline and cortisol. This survival response creates an energy rush, sensitivity to the immediate surrounds, and increased aggressiveness, which helps the individual to escape a dangerous situation or defend itself. In the case of anxiety attacks, the body bears the brunt of the rush of stress hormones without any immediate external cause responsible, hence the physical symptoms of an anxiety attack ensue.
Recent research suggests that recurring panic attacks are related to an increased incidence of future stroke or heart attack. Those who experience a single instance of the physical symptoms of an anxiety attack without a prior record of anxiety disorder are not necessarily prone to cardiovascular issues or any long-term issues. But further study is needed to determine if repeated panic attacks actually cause heart problems or are only related to them in some way.
According to some doctors, there is an increased incidence of cardiovascular issues in people who take prescription medications for anxiety disorder. Regardless of how valid this correlation is, a panic attack indicates that there is a serious problem present, which must be addressed instead of just treating the physical symptoms of anxiety attacks.
It is difficult to deal with or treat the physical symptoms of an anxiety attack. The symptoms are treatable but the underlying causes are psychological and embedded within the person’s psyche. Different therapies have been developed to delve into the psychological traits that cause stress in a person, which manifests as an anxiety attack. One such effective therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy which uses a subject’s own willpower to fashion responses to any stressful situation that he or she may encounter.
The techniques that are used to combat physical symptoms of anxiety attacks include breathing exercises and relaxation techniques that are sometimes combined with aromatherapy, acupuncture or massage therapy. Despite what some may think, treatment of physical symptoms of anxiety attacks is not as trivial as mind over matter. Anxiety is a genuine medical condition with far-reaching and sometimes devastating consequences and requires specialized treatment. With proper therapy, many people can overcome the effects of this disorder.
