Anxiety Can Cause Chest Pain Making It Harder To Breathe

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anxiety chest pain
Source: Medical News Today

Feeling nervous for the short term can be observed. These are normal reactions that you will face daily. However, many people suffer from anxiety regularly. As a result, anxiety can cause chest pain regularly. 

Feeling worried is one very common physical reaction. Chest pain, in many cases, is a symptom of anxiety. Sometimes it may be confused to be the symptom of something else. A panic attack is a heightened reaction which if not controlled, can bear negative results. 

anxiety chest pain
Source: Wikipedia

If you have been getting anxious a lot lately, you need to monitor if you’re getting regular chest pain. You may want to decide if it is chest pain, anxiety, or covid. 

What are the symptoms when anxiety can cause chest pain? 

Chest pain may not always be a symptom of anxiety. Similarly, it may not always be the cause of a heart attack. Chest pain can be very uncomfortable. It is for this reason that you need to visit a doctor if you experience this regularly. 

Anxiety chest pain can be very comfortable. It may feel as if there is a stabbing sensation. When you become anxious, you may suddenly get chest pain even when you’re sleeping. Chest pain due to anxiety will last for ten minutes. However, chest pain due to other reasons can last for more than an hour. 

The common symptoms when anxiety can cause chest pain include the following:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Laziness
  • Heart palpitations
  • Chest pain
  • Numbness
  • Trembling

Chest pain is commonly observed. However, these symptoms will come quickly. Chest pain is considered to be one of the many symptoms of anxiety. If you’re wondering whether it is chest pain, anxiety, or covid, you need to understand the symptoms. 

Can stress cause chest pain? 

Yes. 

Stress can often lead to anxiety, thereby leading to a massive pain in the chest. Chest pain due to anxiety will vary from person to person. Many people tend to suffer from anxiety regularly. The pain, in many cases, will feel as if it is unexpected. 

Is the chest pain due to anxiety or cardiovascular conditions? 

Many people have a tough time deciding if chest pain is due to anxiety or cardiovascular diseases. While these may have similarities, you need to know that there is a wide range of differences. 

Chest pain due to anxiety will start mostly when you’re resting. However, chest pain due to a heart attack or any cardiovascular disease will begin when you’re active. The chest pain due to a heart attack will affect the chest and all other body parts. Therefore, you are likely to suffer from pain around your jaws, arms, and shoulders. 

anxiety chest pain
Source: Cleveland

Unlike chest pain due to a heart attack, the anxiety chest pain will only affect your chest. The chest pain is likely to last for only ten minutes. Nonetheless, chest pain due to a heart attack will start slowly and eventually keep growing. After a certain point of time, it will gradually grow and sometimes fade as well. 

Comparatively, the anxiety chest pain will be slow and sharp. Many people suggest that chest pain due to anxiety will make you feel a heavy pressure on your heart. Furthermore, women are more likely to suffer from chest pain due to anxiety than men. 

What are the causes of anxiety chest pain?

If you are anxious, you are likely to suffer from physical reactions too. Shortness of breath can be extremely harmful. If you become anxious, your body and mind will immediately reflect the responses. Apart from physical, you are likely to experience psychological changes in your body too. 

Stress response will either be emotional or psychological. Depending on the situation, you may either become upset or aggressive. This type of response is known as fight or flight response. In stressful situations, your body will prepare to fight against them. 

Once the fight and flight response triggers, the body will eventually recover. Nonetheless, if your body starts experiencing it frequently, there are fewer chances that you will recover from it. It will also lead to muscle tension. The tension will also lead to slight stinging pain in your chest. 

The heart rate will increase in stressful conditions. The heartbeat will also increase. As a result, you are likely to suffer from unusual pain. 

Can I treat chest pain anxiety? 

While you can’t control your anxiety, you can follow steps to improve your condition. Therapies and medicines can be of great help to take control of anxiety. Nonetheless, it is advisable to bring small lifestyle changes as well. 

anxiety chest pain
Source: Medicine Net

Some of the common techniques that can help to treat chest pain anxiety include the following:

Mind-calming technique

Diverting your attention can be the key way to prevent anxiety. It will help to move your center of attention slowly. As a result, you will be able to get over anxiety in no time. Although the condition is non-threatening, it cannot be very pleasant. 

Deep breathing

Deep breathing is one of the easiest ways to calm your mind. Deep breathing will also help to normalize the heart rate. This technique is very easy. While you may not be able to master it in the first go, you can keep trying. This will contribute towards treating chest pain. 

Maintaining general health

Adopting a healthy lifestyle will prove to be helpful. It would help if you considered exercising and managing stress. Different coping strategies can contribute to improving the condition. You should consider cutting down on smoking and caffeine that are the key causes for anxiety. 

Have a relaxation app

Many people accept that relaxation apps can help them treat their condition. The different smartphone apps will allow you to reduce stress in no time. Furthermore, you can also start using meditation apps to calm your mind. The best part about these apps is that many of them are free. As a result, you can find different ways to cure your condition. 

Final Thoughts

Anxiety can cause chest pain, and no one can deny it. However, taking control of the situation will play an important role in improving it. Once you identify your main cause of anxiety, you can work on improving it. However, you can also adopt coping techniques to stay healthy. 

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