According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States”
What is anxiety?
- Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress
- Increased fear, uneasiness, alertness, and tension is the brain’s normal reaction to stress that prepares the body to deal with danger
- Occasional anxiety is a human reaction for survival
- Disproportionate and persistent anxiety caused by anxiety disorders (mental health illnesses) lead to constant fear that persists even in the absence of a stressor, and it interferes with everyday life
What are anxiety disorders?
- Anxiety disorders are mental health conditions that causes disproportionate and persistent anxiety which gets worsen over time
- The symptoms of excessive anxiety interfere with everyday life and makes it difficult to function properly
- It is essential to seeks help from a professional healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment
What are common types of anxiety disorders?
- Agoraphobia
- Specific phobia (specific object, activity, or situation)
- Social Phobia (Social anxiety disorder)
- Anxiety disorder due to a medical condition
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Illness anxiety disorder (formerly called hypochondria)
- Panic disorder (PD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Selective mutism
- Separation anxiety disorder (SAD)
- Substance-induced anxiety disorder (drug, toxin, or other substance)
Signs and symptoms of Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty handling uncertainty
- Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Muscle tension or muscle aches
- Nervousness
- Overthinking plans
- Persistent worrying
- Restlessness
- Sweating
- Trouble sleeping
What are the health effects of anxiety?
- Cardiovascular system
- Nervous system
- Digestive system
- Immune System
- Endocrine system
Cardiovascular system
Physiological effects
- Anxiety increases cortisol levels
- Increased blood pressure (BP)
- Increased heart rate
- Interfere with normal heart function
- Decreased heart rate variability (↑HRV = better cardiovascular fitness)
Consequences
- Increases risk for coronary heart disease (↑BP weakens heart muscles)
- Exacerbates existing cardiac disease
- ↑BP increases risk of heart attack, heart failure and sudden cardiac death
- ↑BP damages and narrows arteries (dietary fat in the bloodstream may accumulate in the damaged artery)
Nervous system
Physiological effects
- Anxiety activates the nervous system for “fight or flight” response
- Sympathetic overdrive due to fear and anxiety
Consequences
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression (overstimulated sympathetic effects the mind and body)
- Dementia (decreased blood flow to the brain due to narrowed or blocked arteries)
- Stroke (blood vessels leak, rupture, or narrow due to ↑BP)
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA) (temporary interruption of blood flow to the brain due to ↑BP)
Digestive system
Physiological effects
- Anxiety activated sympathetic nervous system
- Decreased GI blood flow via vasoconstriction
- Increased cortisol levels
- Inhibition of gastrointestinal secretion
- Inhibitory effect upon GI muscle
- Reduced vagal tone (vagus nerve activity) due to the anxiety response
- Vagus nerve aka Cranial Nerve 10 is the main nerve of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system that controls calmness, relaxation, digestion and healing
- Vagus nerve controls heart rate, gastrointestinal motility, secretion, sensitivity, inflammation pancreatic endocrine and exocrine secretion, hepatic glucose production, and other visceral functions
Consequences
- Dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- SIBO
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Maldigestion
- Malabsorption
- Nutrient deficiency
Immune System
Physiological effects
- Anxiety activated sympathetic nervous system
- Stress induce alterations of immune system
- Weakened immune response
- Energy resources are diverted from immune system to the musculature
- Turns on natural (innate) immunity
Consequences
- Weakened immune system
- Increased vulnerability to infections and frequent illnesses
- Recurrent infections
- Prolonged recovery time from infectious diseases
Endocrine system
Physiological effects
- Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) causes anxiety
- Thyroid hormone controls diverse bodily functions
- Increases metabolism
- Increases sympathetic nervous system activity
- Anxiety depletes the adrenal glands (prolonged production of cortisol)
- Stress induced by anxiety disorders effects reproductive organs
- May interfere with endocrine system from producing hormones needed for ovulation
- Inhibit the body’s main sex hormone, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)
- Increased brain levels of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH)
Consequences
- Adrenal fatigue
- Erectile dysfunction
- Infertility (suppressed ovulation)
- Suppressed sperm count (↑GnIH, ↓GnRH)
When to see a doctor
Seek a healthcare provider when experiencing disproportionate and persistent anxiety to address your root cause
DISCLAIMER
This information is intended for educational purposes only and it is not intended to take the place of consultation with your physician.
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