I won't lie: Whenever any doctor besides a psychiatrist tries to talk to me about stress or anxiety, I have to fight the urge to tune them out. It's not that I don't know logically that these mental health struggles can manifest physically—I've had my share of panic attacks that felt like death—but sometimes it can be hard to hear anything but "It's all in your head" when I seek help for a new ache, pain, or abnormality and get told to start meditating in return. Like, damn, just tell me I'm suffering from hysteria, why don't you?
At the same time (sigh) I've come to begrudgingly accept that, sometimes, my anxiety really is at the root of my mystery symptoms. Because while other causes, dismissive doctors, and medical gaslighting certainly do exist, so does the mind-body connection. And it is powerful.
Whether you're occasionally anxious, chronically stressed, or have a diagnosed condition, here are some ways it could be showing up in your body.
1. Difficulty breathing.
Ever notice that your breathing gets shallow or even a bit erratic when you're anxious? According to psychologist James MacDonald, PhD, that's because when your body gears up for fight-or-flight, your brain sends signals to your respiratory system to take in more oxygen to fuel your various organs and muscles—just in case you need to bolt.
But if there's no immediate action required, all that in-case-of-emergency prep can lead to the sensation of not being able to catch your breath. The kind of quick, excessive breathing that usually follows can even mimic an asthma attack, thanks to how hyperventilation can lead to your airway spasming. Yeah, no fun.
BTW, we asked experts how to tell if your shortness of breath is from anxiety or something more serious, in case you're wondering how to know the difference.
2. Chest pain and tightness.
Yep, anxiety can cause chest pain too. Another consequence of all that stress-breathing: Your carbon dioxide levels drop, which constricts the blood vessels in your heart and makes your chest tight and achy. Then there's your chest muscles, which can feel uncomfy when they distort as you gulp in big or fast breaths, pulmonologist Barbara Mann, MD, previously told us.
If that weren't enough, you might feel an extra ouch from a heightened response to normal levels of acid reflux. "Like other parts of your body, your esophagus nerves become more sensitive, so even a small amount of acid washing up from the stomach can be perceived as painful heartburn," says Emeran Mayer, MD, director of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience.
Keep reading for 8 more ways anxiety and stress could be showing up in your body.
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