How Does Anxiety Affect Physical Health?

7 Health Issues
To look Out For
By SUZANNAH WEISS D ec 5, 2017

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

Any given physical issue can point toward a handful of underlying health problems. But one problem
with a huge variety of symptoms is anxiety. Many ailments that seem purely physical could actually
have this emotional root. The mind and body really are connected — after all, the mind is part of the
body.
"Nearly all my clients with anxiety complain of physical symptoms as well," therapist Amy McManus,
LMFT, tells Bustle. "Anxiety often results in a continuous feedback loop with symptoms, so it is
sometimes difficult to tell which one came first. Physical causes get inextricably intertwined with
emotional causes. You’re worried that your stomachache might turn into loud rumbling at your
meeting; you’re afraid that headache might keep you from focusing during that important
presentation; you’re concerned that your backache will make that plane flight excruciating, etc. Your
worry can make all those symptoms worse, so it’s impossible to know if there was originally a
physical reason without a medical checkup."

Of course, it's very impossible that any given physical problem does have a physical cause. But if
you're dealing with anxiety, that possibility should be explored, too. Here are some common health
problems that often stem from anxiety.

1. Insomnia
 Ashley Batz/Bustle

When we can't sleep at night, it's often because we're worrying — sometimes about the insomnia
itself. "We lie in bed thinking how tired we will be the next day, how bad for us it is to miss a good
night’s sleep. This, ironically, keeps us awake even longer," says McManus. "If you are having trouble
sleeping, see if addressing your anxiety about sleeping helps you. In fact, just resting quietly in bed,
even if you are unable to fall asleep, is very restorative for the body. The less you worry about how
much you are sleeping that night, the more restorative it will be, and, ironically, the more likely that you
will fall back asleep."

2. Breakouts
 Ashley Batz/Bustle

Anxiety makes your body produce hormones called androgens, Caitlin Hoff, Health & Safety
Investigator at ConsumerSafety.org, tells Bustle. These can cause acne on your face and back. One
sign your breakouts may stem from anxiety is that they pop up in extra stressful situations.

3. Sore Muscles
 Ashley Batz/Bustle

Anxiety can make you tense up, leading to muscle aching and fatigue, says Hoff. Next time you're
stressed, pay attention to what your body's doing. If you're clenching any muscles, this could be the
source of your pain.

4. Getting Sick

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Stress weakens your immune system, so if you're getting a sick a lot, that could be the culprit, says
Hoff. Taking on an overwhelming workload may pay off in the short term, but it could backfire in the
long run, because you'll have to take more sick days.

5. Constant Exhaustion

ALDECAstudio/Fotolia

Anxiety can contribute to exhaustion by contributing to insomnia, but it can also contribute even if you
easily fall asleep. You might be waking up at night without remembering, says Hoff, leading you to feel
less rested the next day.
6. Hypoglycemia

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

Anxiety can actually lower your blood sugar, mimicking symptoms of hypoglycemia, like shakiness,
fatigue, and irritability, psychologist R.Y. Langham, MS, PhD tells Bustle.

7. Digestive Problems

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Since it makes your nerves hyper-reactive, anxiety can interfere with digestion in several ways,
including constipation, diarrhea, and bloating. Some of the symptoms of anxiety can mirror symptoms
of irritable bowel syndrome or gastroenteritis, says Langham.

Before jumping to the conclusion that you have anxiety, see a doctor to investigate potential physical
issues. If your health problems can't be explained by those, mental causes are worth exploring.

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How Dry January Can Affect Anxiety, According To An

Expert
By JR THORPE Jan 3, 2020

PeopleImages/E+/Getty Images
After the mulled wine and eggnog-lashed parties of December, you might have opted to go sober for a
while to reset your system (or save some money, or any of the other myriad reasons people go dry in
January). Dry January can be a good way to reexamine your drinking habits for the year ahead, or just
to try something different for a while. But if you're planning on a month-long period of sobriety, an
expert tells Bustle it's worth noting that going sober can affect symptoms of anxiety, particularly if
you've been using alcohol to help you cope with anxious moments over the holiday season.

Going sober in January can have effects on many aspects of your life, including your mental health. "A
reduction in drinking is a worthy goal as it not only improves your sleep but can improve your overall
health and wellbeing," Dr. Joseph Volpicelli, M.D., a psychiatrist and sobriety expert, tells Bustle.

The relationship between alcohol and anxiety is a two-way street: one can directly affect the other and
vice versa. People with anxiety are more likely to drink higher quantities of alcohol, according to 2017
research published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Alcohol can be a coping
mechanism for people with anxiety, particularly those who experience anxious feelings around social
events; the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) notes that there's a distinct link
between social anxiety disorder and a tendency to drink. Alcohol can temporarily calm anxiety
symptoms by making you feel more carefree and releasing endorphins and dopamine, which can raise
your mood. This means that going without alcohol for a while may increase anxiety symptoms for a
brief period.
Sobriety can affect anxiety in other ways, though, and not all of them mean an increase in symptoms.
For one, going sober can reduce the risk of a post-drinking spike in anxiety known as "hangxiety." A
study published in 2019 in Personality & Individual Differences found that shy people are much more
likely than others to experience a rush of anxiety after a night of drinking, as they worry about their
behavior from the night before. Not drinking for the month will mean you can't use a glass of wine as a
security blanket in social situations, but it can also reduce the anxiety of the morning after.

ShotPrime/Moment/Getty Images

Another aspect of sobriety that can affect symptoms of anxiety, according to experts, is sleep. Sleep
quality decreases when you drink, though you might think it helps you drop off. "Even a little bit of
alcohol can have an impact on your sleep quality," Dr. Volpicelli tells Bustle. "Alcohol can sedate
people, so they fall asleep faster, but research shows that alcohol lowers restorative sleep quality and
interferes with your REM cycle." The result is a less refreshed brain, lower attention, and a host of
other cognitive issues that last beyond the day after a night out. And this can have big consequences
for anxiety.

The less restful your sleep, the more anxious you feel. The ADAA notes that lower sleep quality is
strongly tied to increased anxiety symptoms. A 2018 study published in Frontiers of Psychiatry
suggests it might be something to do with the amygdala, the brain's center for fear processing, which
might increase anxiety when it's not properly rested.

The good news is that not drinking can increase sleep quality, and reduce anxiety symptoms as a
result. "People participating in Dry January may notice that their quality of sleep improves after a few
days," Dr. Volpicelli tells Bustle. As your brain revels in its new, less disjointed sleep, your anxiety
symptoms may begin to decrease.

If you're participating in Dry January and have experienced anxiety in the past, you may experience
changes in anxiety symptoms over the course of the month — from an initial spike as you first stop
using alcohol, to a gradual decrease as your sleep improves. If you have an anxiety disorder, it's a
good idea to monitor your month of sobriety with a therapist or your doctor. That way, you can make
sure that you're getting the appropriate support to get through any rough patches and end the month
positively.

If you or someone you know is seeking help for substance use, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at
1-800-662-HELP(4357).

Studies cited:

Gorka, S. M., & Phan, K. L. (2017). Impact of anxiety symptoms and problematic alcohol use on error-
related brain activity. International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International
Organization of Psychophysiology, 118, 32–39. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.05.011

Klumpp, H., Hosseini, B., & Phan, K. L. (2018). Self-Reported Sleep Quality Modulates Amygdala
Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Anxiety and Depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, 220.
doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00220

Markarian, S. A., Pickett, S. M., Deveson, D. F., & Kanona, B. B. (2013). A model of BIS/BAS sensitivity,
emotion regulation difficulties, and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in relation to sleep
quality. Psychiatry Research, 210(1), 281–286. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.06.004

Marsh, B., Carlyle, M., Carter, E., Hughes, P., Mcgahey, S., Lawn, W., … Morgan, C. J. (2019). Shyness,
alcohol use disorders and ‘hangxiety’: A naturalistic study of social drinkers. Personality and Individual
Differences, 139, 13–18. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.10.034

Mccaul, M. E., Hutton, H. E., Stephens, M. A. C., Xu, X., & Wand, G. S. (2017). Anxiety, Anxiety Sensitivity,
and Perceived Stress as Predictors of Recent Drinking, Alcohol Craving, and Social Stress Response in
Heavy Drinkers. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 41(4), 836–845. doi:
10.1111/acer.13350

Okun, M. L., Mancuso, R. A., Hobel, C. J., Schetter, C. D., & Coussons-Read, M. (2018). Poor sleep quality
increases symptoms of depression and anxiety in postpartum women. Journal of Behavioral
Medicine, 41(5), 703–710. doi: 10.1007/s10865-018-9950-7

Expert:

Dr. Joseph Volpicelli M.D., psychiatrist and sobriety expert