Can anxiety cause random pain

Anxiety in relation to chronic pain: Advanced Pain Management: Pain Management Specialists

We are following the Current Guidelines COVID-19 pandemic and have started Telehealth visits to keep you and our staff safe. Click Here or call (706) 922-7246 for an E-visit.

With so many factors contributing to the onset of chronic pain, there are some that many don’t realize are the cause. Anxiety has been discovered to be a common factor in why you may have chronic pain issues, and the worst part of all is that chronic pain can also cause anxiety. This bad cycle of worry and pain can make your life seem unbearable, and it is important to understand how these two problems correlate.

If you are dealing with chronic pain then it is no secret that stress comes along with it. Whether you are stressed from never feeling relief, or because those around you aren’t understanding your pain, having stress is a common lead into anxiety. Try to eliminate your daily stress to prevent anxiety taking over.

For those who already have anxiety, it can make symptoms of chronic pain even worse. Anxiety is known to make sufferers hypersensitive to pain, which makes them focus on the pain even more. This combination only leads to more problems because focusing on pain only makes it feel worse.

Anxiety also can create its own kind of pain that can soon contribute into chronic pain problems. Chest pains from panic attacks, headaches from stress, and even muscle pain from constant tension.

If you are dealing with this combination, try and discover the best techniques to reduce anxiety and stress. Coping with anxiety is the first step to ensuring you break the cycle of chronic pain and anxiety.

This blog is written for informational purposes only and should not be a substitute for actual medical treatment. Please contact the APM Augusta office to schedule an appointment if you are in need of medical care.

Risk factors that can lead to chronic pain

Chronic pain affects millions upon millions of people all across the world, and it doesn’t discriminate when it comes to who it will consume.

How to sleep when chronic pain won’t let you

Tossing and turning, not being comfortable, or your mind just won’t shut off can all keep you wide awake throughout the night; but for those with chronic pain, there are even more struggles with falling asleep.

Tools to help fight your pain

Chronic Pain continues to affect millions of people in the world, with new cases reported every day. Not only can it begin to take a toll on your physical health, but it can also take over your mental well-being, and emotional stability.

10 Most Common Physical Symptoms of Anxiety : Intrepid Mental Wellness, PLLC: Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners

10 Most Common Physical Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety and panic disorders can produce a wide range of distressing physical symptoms. Many people are unaware that their symptoms are caused by anxiety, which can make the problem worse, as many people worry that their symptoms are caused by an underlying disease, leading to further anxiety. This vicious circle can be broken by learning about anxiety and being able to recognize the physical symptoms. Here are the 10 most common physical symptoms of anxiety.

Fatigue

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms associated with anxiety, panic disorder, chronic stress, depression and other mental health disorders. Chronic anxiety leaves the body and mind in a constant state of tension and high alertness. The mind is constantly scanning the external and internal environment for threats, leading to emotional distress and physical tension. This constant state of high alertness leads to mental and physical exhaustion, which will often persist even after a long sleep.

Increased Heart Rate

Anxiety is a natural response to danger and is needed for humans to survive. High levels of anxiety trigger changes in the body to help prepare for dealing with threats and danger, also known as the fight or flight response. However, if you're living with chronic anxiety, your body and mind are often unable to tell the difference between real and imagined dangers, which means that the fight or flight response may be continually active. One of the first changes to occur during the fight or flight response is an increase in heart rate.

Heart Palpitations

Heart palpitations are often one of the most distressing symptoms associated with anxiety, as they can feel scary and many people worry that they are having a heart attack, particularly when palpitations are combined with chest pain. Heart palpitations can feel like your heart is pounding, fluttering, beating too fast or missing beats. Some people can even feel their heart beating in their throat, neck or head. While heart palpitations can be scary, they usually pass within a few seconds.

Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath is another distressing symptom that leads many people to worry that they are having a heart attack, choking or experiencing problems with their lungs. Shortness of breath is usually caused by breathing too quickly (hyperventilation), as the body is inhaling too much oxygen and exhaling too much carbon dioxide. Hyperventilation will not harm you, but you may feel as if you are choking, have a lump in your throat or are unable to take in enough air.

Dizziness

Feeling dizzy, faint or unsteady is often the result of hyperventilation, although it may also be caused by other issues related to anxiety, such as muscle tension in the neck and shoulders. Many people feel lightheaded and worry that they might pass out during a panic attack, but some people with an anxiety disorder also experience chronic dizziness and problems with balance.

Muscle Aches

Muscle aches and joint pain can be caused by tension, as well as general poor health. Anxiety causes the muscles to tense up, which can lead to pain and stiffness in almost any area of the body. Constant stress and worry can also prevent the immune system from working properly, leading to decreased resistance to infection and disease. Infection increases inflammation in the body, which can cause a range of symptoms, including joint pain.

Muscle Weakness

Another common symptom of chronic anxiety is weakness in the muscles, most commonly experienced in the legs and sometimes the arms. During the fight or flight response, the body is preparing to take action against danger. One of the ways in which the body prepares for this action is to redirect blood flow to the areas most needed, including the legs, which are needed to run away from danger. Increased blood flow to the legs can make them feel weak, tingly or like jelly.

Headaches

Headaches and migraines are often caused by tension, particularly in the neck and shoulders. Teeth grinding, facial tension, poor posture and hyperventilation can also cause headaches and migraines. Sharp pain, a dull ache or a feeling of pressure around the head and eyes are common symptoms associated with anxiety. As anxiety can also upset the balance of hormones in the body, some women notice an increase in migraines, as they can be triggered by changes in hormones.

Digestive Discomfort

Excess gas, bloating, stomach cramps, acid indigestion, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea can all be caused by stress and anxiety. Several digestive problems, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), have been linked to chronic stress and mental health problems. Anxiety can also increase the symptoms of food intolerance and sensitivities in some people.

Tingling Sensations

Pins and needles, tingling and numbness are common symptoms that mostly affect the extremities, but can also be experienced anywhere in the body. Tingling of the lips, face and arms can be particularly distressing, as many people worry they are having a stroke. Odd sensations in the body, including tingling and numbness, are usually the result of hyperventilation, but can also be caused by physical tension.

Anxiety can cause a wide range of distressing physical symptoms, but recognizing and accepting that these symptoms are temporary and harmless helps to alleviate fears and prevent further anxiety. The most common physical symptoms of anxiety include fatigue, increased heart rate, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, muscle aches, muscle weakness, headaches, digestion, discomfort and tingling sensations.

9 Tips for Managing Your Anxiety Right Now

Are you feeling overwhelmed with anxiety? Whether recent life changes have caused it or it's something you've been struggling with for a while, it can be challenging to know how to manage your anxiety. These nine tips can help you get started.

7 Foods You Should Avoid If You Have Depression

You probably already know that diet has a huge impact on your psychological and mental state. Excluding harmful foods from your diet is the first step towards a healthier brain and mind.

How to Use Food to Manage Your Mental Health

Moods are not created in the mind alone, but in partnership with the body. Ask anyone who has eaten ice cream to cheer themselves up, and they'll tell you that's true. What we feed the body can have an enormous impact on how we feel.

Beyond Depression: Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Depression is a complex disorder, a condition triggered by biochemical, environmental, and psychological influences. Although patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder often experience bouts of depression, their condition is far more complex.

Dietary Changes That Can Have Positive Effects on ADHD Symptoms

When parents suspect their child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a diagnosis has already been made, making changes to the child's diet, for example, could have significant positive effects.

Gaslighting: Is Someone Meddling with Your Perception?

Does the way someone communicates with you make you question your reality? Then, perhaps they are gaslighting you. When you understand what gaslighting is, you can identify whether you are its victim and improve your life.

Anxiety and panic disorders | Articles by doctors of the EMC clinic about diseases, diagnosis and treatment

Anxiety treatment at the European Medical Center:

Thorough diagnosis of the patient's mental state, identification of risk factors.
Drawing up an individual treatment program, including pharmacotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, if necessary, TMS. nine0007
The Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy constantly organizes trainings that teach relaxation skills and coping with anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety disorders are a group of disorders in which irrational, uncontrollable fear and persistent feelings of anxiety become the predominant symptoms, which can occur in situations that do not actually pose a current danger.

nine0006 The experience of anxiety is a normal adaptive response of the body to changing conditions or threatening events. However, fears can be a serious problem for a person if the level of anxiety reaches pathological proportions. This imposes restrictions on the normal functioning of the patient, which significantly reduces his quality of life. Also, the long-term existence of an anxiety disorder dramatically increases the risk of other mental disorders, such as depressive disorder (by about 15 times) and pathological addictions (by about 20 times). nine0007

Major anxiety disorders include:

Panic disorder - the main symptoms of the disease include recurring attacks of irrational anxiety (panic), not limited to a specific situation or any specific circumstances.

Dominant symptoms : sudden onset of tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), sweating, tremors, dry mouth, chest pain, difficulty breathing, feeling of choking and nausea, as well as dizziness and a feeling of unreality of what is happening. nine0007

Agoraphobia is a group of anxiety disorders that encompasses a range of phobias, which include a morbid fear of open spaces and public places. Patients experience uncontrollable anxiety when they are in a crowd, refuse to visit shops and other crowded places, limit their exits from the house unaccompanied, and have difficulty using public transport on their own. Agoraphobia is one of the most maladaptive types of phobic disorders. nine0007

Dominant symptoms : when immersed in a frightening situation, anxiety increases sharply in patients, heartbeat and breathing become more frequent, sweating and dizziness appear, in some cases a panic attack develops. As a rule, such patients try in every possible way to avoid those situations that cause them a panic attack, which contributes to the consolidation of an anxiety disorder, changes their usual lifestyle and interferes with normal life.

nine0006 Generalized Anxiety Disorder - is manifested by a constant feeling of anxiety, tension and persistent anxiety about a variety of life events, the likelihood of which is extremely small.

In this case, anxiety is not limited to any specific external circumstances, so it is often difficult for the patient to outline the circle of situations that trigger panic.

Dominant symptoms : the most typical complaints are a feeling of constant nervousness, trembling, muscle tension, sweating, tachycardia, dizziness, discomfort in the epigastric region. Often the patient experiences fear for his loved ones, suffers from gloomy forebodings. For a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, the symptoms described must have been present for at least 6 months. nine0007

Social phobia - this anxiety disorder is based on the fear of being seen by others, as well as being in an awkward position, being ridiculed or humiliated, which leads to the formation of a reaction to avoid such situations. Often this disorder is combined with low self-esteem and fear of criticism. Fears can manifest themselves when eating in a public place, the need to maintain a conversation during a casual meeting with friends in the presence of strangers, visiting public places and group activities. nine0007

Dominant symptoms : hand tremor, nausea (fear of vomiting may be present), urge to urinate or defecate (or fear of such urge), flushing of the face. Sometimes the patient takes one of these side manifestations of anxiety for the underlying disease. Avoidance of frightening situations causes significant psycho-emotional stress, since the person himself realizes that his reaction is excessive and has no reasonable grounds. nine0007

Specific phobias are fears limited to narrowly specific situations, such as, for example, being in close proximity to animals of a certain biological species, being in the dark, at height, in a confined space. Specific phobias also include fear of air travel, fears of eating certain foods, visiting a doctor, medical procedures, and the sight of blood. When confronted with fearful stimuli or when thoughts about them arise, the person "triggers" anxiety and the symptoms described above are observed. nine0007

causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment

Sudden dizziness, palpitations, unreasonable fear and feeling that you are about to - and that's it, certain death. Thirty years ago, this disease was not taken too seriously and was considered far-fetched. And now the incidence of panic attacks is growing exponentially every year. Let's talk about how you can deal with them.

Website editor

Tags:

age nine0007

Diseases

Women Health

Doctor's advice

Psychological problems

A panic attack is a sudden attack of anxiety, a terrible fear that can end in a real tantrum.

It usually starts at moments of stress for the body. For example, when you ride the subway in the heat or find yourself in a stuffy crowd. Most often, it can be found in large cities, and it overcomes people with increased anxiety, as a rule, perfectionists. Alas, in most cases, panic attacks occur in young women between the ages of 20 and 30 years. nine0007

We talked to the doctor and found out the main points regarding this mysterious disease. What are panic attacks from a medical point of view, how to respond to an attack and how you can prevent their recurrence in the future.

How to understand that a panic attack has happened to you

Dmitry Solovyov

general practitioner, editor of the-challenger.ru portal

If we are talking about an illness, the duration of an attack can be from 5 to 30 minutes. Often girls ask specialists if a panic attack can last several hours. Unfortunately, yes, in rare cases it lasts up to several days. Just not every excitement that we experience for loved ones, before an important exam or report, is considered a panic. You will be able to distinguish an attack by a number of features and the nature of manifestations. nine0007

Panic attack symptoms

As the name implies, the main symptom of a panic attack in women is a sudden and seemingly unexplained attack of anxiety and fear. It is accompanied by unpleasant sensations: palpitations, a rush of cold sweat, trembling in the legs, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and so on. Symptoms can be very different, the main thing is that they should disappear without a trace in 5-20 minutes, along with a feeling of fear. But this is not always the case. nine0007

Diagnosis of a panic attack cannot be made on the basis of symptoms alone: one must make sure that the symptoms are not caused by some other disease (for example, heart disease). The fact is that a panic attack in itself usually does not cause any harm. The symptoms and signs of a panic attack in women are extremely unpleasant, but pass quite quickly.

The main trouble is the fear that the attack will happen again. For example, after a panic attack on the subway, it can be very difficult for a person to go down to the subway again. This becomes a real problem. Such fear can be “self-fulfilling”: a person experiences stress, and under the influence of stress, a panic attack develops again. In severe cases, agoraphobia can form - a condition where almost any interaction with society causes bouts of fear and discomfort, and a person is forced to spend his life locked up. nine0007

What is a panic attack from the point of view of physiology

Consider, from the point of view of physiology, how a panic attack manifests itself. This is an unreasonably sharp response of the nervous system to an external stimulus, which in reality is not dangerous at all. All of her symptoms are part of the fight-or-flight defense mechanism that kicks in, say, when she encounters a bear in the woods. In these cases, indeed, there is reason for fear, and a frequent heartbeat makes it possible to run faster. However, for a reason that is not entirely clear, this mechanism sometimes works "without a bear", that is, for no apparent reason. nine0007

Panic attacks have similar symptoms to vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD), and treatment will also be identical. The latter is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, which is described only in the domestic literature. Abroad, such a diagnosis is not widely used: it does not say anything about the cause of the disease, characterizing only its mechanism.

If you read the comments of experts on the forums, there is no fundamental difference between VVD and panic attacks. Panic reflects an acute attack of VVD, or an attack becomes the most striking symptom of dystonia, so an equal sign is often put between them. nine0007

Causes of panic attacks

In order to start a certain mechanism in the body, some kind of danger must arise (imaginary, exaggerated by our perception), and the reaction to it will result in a panic attack. Adrenaline is released and the sympathetic nervous system is activated. Blood rushes to the internal organs, blood pressure rises, causing a feeling of suffocation.

This is how panic attacks manifest themselves after the coronavirus. As a result of the infection, there is a lack of oxygen in the body, damage to the vessels of the pulmonary circulation is often observed. Therefore, any increased load is accompanied by a lack of oxygen. nine0007

As a rule, the causes that lead to panic attacks are physical or mental uncomfortable conditions. This may be excessive stress during training, overwork at work, alcohol abuse. Often, severe conflict situations and chronic stress lead to seizures. When anxiety increases, panic attacks and bodily manifestations also increase. The heart beats strongly, it seems that the whole world is collapsing and this only makes it worse.

Constant or periodic neurosis and panic attacks make a person's life unbearable. In this state, it is difficult to work and coexist calmly with loved ones. The more a person is afraid to go out into the street, the less he experiences positive emotions, focusing on his own fears. If there were examples of this disease in the family, one should be especially attentive to attacks and not ignore them. nine0007

What to do if a panic attack has begun

At the moment when an attack occurs, there is no way to analyze the causes and reason rationally. But there are several ways that will tell you what to do with a panic attack.

Take a few breaths into any container. It can be a plastic cup or even a bag - just calmly breathe into it. So you can quickly stabilize your breathing and cope with panic.
Switch your attention to something external. For example, count the columns at a subway station or the buttons on a passer-by's jacket. Any concentration on foreign objects will help you both come to your senses and again feel connected to reality and cope with a panic attack.
Stay where you are, or better yet, sit down. During a panic attack, try to limit your movements, if possible, sit down and, as it were, “freeze”. This method, like the previous one, helps to focus on the world around you, and not on your unpleasant sensations. nine0008
Talk to someone. Yes, it may seem strange at first glance, but a random passer-by, to whom you turn for help, is able to help you simply by his attention. Communication with another person will give a feeling of security and distract from a panic attack.

5 tips for preventing panic attacks

Unfortunately, medicine does not know exactly why panic attacks occur. Therefore, advice on how to deal with panic attacks is more about lifestyle. Some moments you can change and control. Use the general recommendations, and they will help you avoid seizures in the future. nine0007

Do not lead a sedentary lifestyle. There is a scientific assumption that the occurrence of panic attacks is associated with a lack of endorphins that our body produces during physical exertion. Therefore, even light aerobic training and walking can make your life much easier.
Try not to be nervous. Yes, we know this recommendation sounds ridiculous. How can you do without stress when life is so difficult, and panic attacks are ready to appear on every occasion. But calmness and only calmness will save you from attacks and other ailments. nine0008
Do not drink coffee or cut down on it. Caffeine in large quantities causes a rapid heartbeat and can provoke a panic attack at the most unexpected moment.
Be careful with alcohol. According to experts, alcoholic beverages are the strongest pathogens that can cause unexpected body reactions and panic attacks. Do not get carried away with them and try to avoid strong drinks.
Be careful with medicines. Analyze if the panic attack is related to taking a new drug? Sometimes a panic attack can be triggered by drugs, so let the doctor analyze the situation. nine0008

How to treat panic attacks

We have already found out that a one-time attack is not particularly dangerous, but sometimes the fear of its repetition leads you into a vicious circle. If panic attacks began to happen often and you can no longer cope with it on your own, it is better to consult a doctor. Until the consequences become too severe.

In cases where a persistent panic disorder develops, special breathing techniques, psychotherapy and antidepressants are used. Of course, all this happens under the supervision of a specialist who knows better how to get rid of panic attacks.

Learn more