Tuesday, February 17, 2009

What Are The Physical Symptoms Of Anxiety ?

By Adrian Fletcher

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.

Physical symptoms of an anxiety attack can mimic those of a heart attack or even nervous breakdown. Many people wind up in the emergency room of a hospital as a result. Although this step is not really necessary for the panic attack, people may still benefit from professional care. People who suffer from severe anxiety may need other alternatives in dealing with the anxiety.

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.

A person with a history of panic attacks has an increased risk of having a stroke or heart attack at a future time. A person who has suffered only one panic attack, without being diagnosed with anxiety disorder, are less likely to have serious lasting effects such as heart damage. What is not clear is the degree of correlation between heart issues and the long-term effects of enduring frequent physical symptoms of an anxiety attack.

Some physicians believe that heart problems can result from the use of medications that are prescribed to treat anxiety disorder. In any event, a panic attack is a sign that something is wrong, and the root of the problem must be found and corrected, instead of simply alleviating the physical symptoms of an anxiety attack.

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.

Some individuals do deep breathing exercises or practice more complex methods of relaxation along with aromatherapy, acupuncture or massage treatment. Regardless of what others think, taking care of the physical symptoms of anxiety attack is not as easy as simply lightening up or thinking calming thoughts. Anxiety is a bona fide medical condition and has to be dealt with as such. With any luck and by remaining vigilant, anybody can overcome the devastating effects of anxiety.

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