Three Physical Effects of Anxiety

Stress and anxiety plague many of us in the course of our modern routines.

It's really a shame because anxiety has such a wide range of effects on those who suffer from it. Anxiety and depression are silent epidemics in America, and many of us struggle with the negative feelings and other effects that come with these conditions.

But therapy can help.

Here are some actual physical effects of anxiety that can be troubling those who suffer from untreated stress and anxiety in their lives.

High Blood Pressure

Millions of Americans suffer from hypertension, or as it's known colloquially, high blood pressure. Some of this can have to do with poor diet and lack of exercise. Smoking also promotes higher blood pressure – not to mention other health risks. 

But in many cases, stress and anxiety contribute to higher blood pressure, and so people are getting medicated for what's really an underlying condition.

Treat your anxiety at the root, and you may see your blood pressure go down. That’s a very important health result – because hypertension shows up in insurance underwriting and in medical records. It’s a key metric for health and longevity and getting it right can prolong your life. 

High Heart Rate

Along with hypertension, a high heart rate is seen as a warning sign of other problems. One of those is anxiety because unnaturally high stress and anxiety do tend to raise the heart rate. Again, it can be hard to unravel what’s causing this symptom, but when patients see a therapist and better understand the intersection of mental and physical health, they are often able to make more progress. 

Sleep issues

Those who are suffering from anxiety and stress in their lives often encounter sleep issues. Sometimes these can be misdiagnosed as sleep apnea or other conditions. Waking up at night may be a sign that the mind is being troubled by chronic anxiety.

At Joe Langheim’s therapy office, we work to treat each patient according to his or her life experience and unique needs. Our modern methods bring a holistic approach to our patients’ concerns and what drives their stress or anxiety on a regular basis. Come in and talk to Joe Langheim about some of the best practices in the field that can help alleviate your particular issues. We understand how to set forward on that path to better mental and physical health. As an established provider in the Kirkwood, MO area, we take care to bring our various modalities to the forefront to help our patients to thrive.