Can anxiety cause chest pain?

A frequent sign of anxiety and panic attacks is chest pain. Many claim that it was the standout aspect of their worst incidents. If someone starts to worry that they are having a heart attack, it can also make their anxiousness worse.

1. How can stress lead to chest pain?

Chest pain can be a symptom of anxiety and panic episodes. Despite the fact that anxiety attacks can be less severe, these attacks are comparable. A person’s anxiety episodes typically have a connection to a particular trigger in their life, whereas a panic attack can occur for no apparent reason.

Stress hormones cause the symptoms in both situations, which set off the body’s fight-or-flight reaction. Other signs like breathing problems are also brough

t on by this. Although the precise cause of anxiety disorders is unknown, researchers believe that a mix of biological, genetic, and environmental factors are probably responsible.

2. What does it feel like to have chest discomfort from anxiety?

Even when a person is inactive, chest pain brought on by anxiety or panic attacks can typically feel like a sharp, stabbing sensation that begins abruptly. However, they might already be experiencing worry or anxiety when the chest pain starts.

Anxiety or panic attacks frequently have additional signs like:

Dizziness

Faintness 

Breathing difficulties trembling temperature shifts 

A sense of being powerless in the circumstance

Sweating and numbness in the limbs and feet

Experiencing discomfort in the ribcage

Pounding in the heart

Attacks that start out rapidly are more likely to involve chest pain. According to research from 2019, about 28.5% of individuals experiencing a panic attack also have chest pain.

3. What are the different causes of chest discomfort brought on by anxiety?

Chest pain brought on by panic attacks can have cardiac or non-cardiac causes, depending on the contributing variables. The term “coronary spasm” or “ischemia” refers to a reduced blood supply to the heart, which is what causes chest discomfort of cardiac origin. The esophagus, the musculoskeletal system, or other organs unrelated to the heart could be the cause of chest discomfort that is not cardiac in origin.

Some causes of anxiety-related chest discomfort include:

3.1 Non-cardiac causes

the musculoskeletal system or esophagus could be the source of the discomfort. It might also be brought on by episodes of rapid or fast breathing known as hyperventilation, which can tighten or create a spasm in the intercostal muscles of the chest wall. In addition to causing esophageal dysmotility, anxiety can also result in esophageal spasms, which are one of the causes of chest discomfort.

3.2 Cardiac causes

The direct impact of mechanisms related to anxiety on the heart may also be the cause of cardiac pain caused by anxiety. Autonomic stimulation and the effects of hyperventilation episodes may both contribute to the discomfort. When these variables come together, the muscular wall of the coronary arteries that supply heart muscle may contract. (coronary artery spasm).

3.3 Tiny-vessel ischemia

Due to sympathetic overactivity, anxiety may also cause the heart’s tiny blood vessels to contract. Chest pain and an increase in microvascular tone can result from panic attacks and the stress-related or hyperventilation events that go along with them.

4. What can be done to lessen anxiety-related chest pain?

Anxiety-related chest pain is a disease that can be managed. However, if one experiences chest discomfort, it is crucial to get medical attention. In order to determine the precise reason of chest pain, a proper diagnosis is necessary. Based on the patient’s medical history and results of different physical exams, the doctor will determine the cause of chest pain.

Chest discomfort brought on by anxiety may be treated with pharmaceutical and psychotherapeutic treatments. Two classes of medications are used to manage panic attacks: benzodiazepines and selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRIs). These medications are used to treat panic attacks that happen frequently and are very successful. Benzodiazepines are typically avoided in patients who abuse booze or other drugs, though.

Chest pain brought on by anxiety has responded well to a variety of psychotherapy methods, particularly talking therapies and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Following a proper diagnosis, the following dietary changes and home remedies can be applied to alleviate chest pain:

4.1 Body and psyche can both be calmed by deep breathing

This method can restore the heart rhythm to normal. To relieve chest discomfort, first inhale for 10 seconds, hold your breath for one second, and then exhale again for 10 seconds.

4.2 Methods for relaxing the mind Simple actions

such as focusing on enjoyable objects or locations, can help to reduce worry. It might result in a gradual sense of relief from panic disorder symptoms like chest pain. The patient should be aware that anxiety-related chest pain is not life-threatening and that optimism and relaxation can help to ease the pain.

4.3 Keeping one’s overall health

in check can help you avoid experiencing panic attack symptoms like chest pain again. This can be done by engaging in regular exercise, managing stress with the right techniques and coping mechanisms, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy diet. Eliminating caffeine, smoking, and drinking is also crucial because these vices can make anxiety worse.

4.4 Exercise

One of the best ways to relieve anxiety is to get up and move around; regular exercise is also a wonderful way to manage generalized anxiety. Exercise has numerous benefits, including the ability to reduce muscle tension, raise serotonin levels, and serve as a welcome diversion from racing thoughts.

4.5 Don’t smoke, drink too much, or use coffee

While it may seem as though consuming caffeine, booze, or cigarettes will lessen your anxiety, studies have shown that all three can actually exacerbate it.

If you don’t want to completely give up any of them, keep track of what you ate or drank before you started to feel anxious so you can figure out which might be harming you and adjust your intake appropriately.

4.6 Sleep

Even though it may be the last thing on your thoughts during a panic or anxiety attack, getting enough sleep is crucial for controlling your anxiety. Lack of sleep has been associated with other illnesses like depression and worry. For optimal wellness and healthy functioning, adults should strive for seven to nine hours of sleep per night.