| Nervous System / Stress and Anxiety
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state ranging from mild unease to extreme distress. Anxiety differs from fear in that while fear is a rational response to a real danger, anxiety usually lacks a clear or realistic cause. Though some anxiety is normal and, in fact, healthy, higher levels of anxiety are not only uncomfortable, they can lead to significant problems.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety?
Anxiety is often accompanied by a variety of symptoms. The most common symptoms relate to the chest, such as heart palpitations (awareness of a more forceful or faster heartbeat), throbbing or stabbing pains, a feeling of tightness and inability to take in enough air, and a tendency to sigh or hyperventilate. Tension in the back and neck muscles often leads to headaches, back pains and muscle spasms. Other symptoms can include excessive sweating, dryness of mouth, dizziness, digestive disturbances, and the constant need to urinate or defecate.
The anxious individual usually has a constant feeling that something bad is going to happen. They may fear that they have a chronic or dangerous illness—a belief that is reinforced by the symptoms of anxiety. Inability to relax may lead to difficulty in falling asleep and to constant waking through the night.
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety can be the result of both physical and psychological factors. For example, extreme stress can definitely trigger anxiety and so can certain stimulants like caffeine. Anxiety can also be triggered by elevations in blood lactic acid levels. Lactic acid is the final product in the breakdown of blood sugar (glucose) when there is a lack of oxygen.
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