Health
The Physical Toll of Anxiety – How It Affects Your Body and Mind
Everyone experiences anxiety occasionally, but chronic and persistent stress can affect your health in many ways. Anxiety can impact your nervous, cardiovascular, digestive and immune systems.
Some physical effects of anxiety include chest pain, headaches, sweating and more. These symptoms are caused by the body’s stress response to a threatening situation and can have severe consequences for your health.
Chest Pain
Several causes can bring on chest discomfort. Some are critical and potentially fatal, while others are not harmful but call for testing and care.
Often, chest pain is associated with heart problems like angina or heart attacks. These health issues can cause blood to slam into the chest, creating sharp, stabbing pains that may spread to other body parts.
Many people who experience this type of pain think it’s a sign of a heart attack and go to the emergency room for help.
But several people with these chest pains also have anxiety disorders or other mental health conditions.
This is why you must talk with your doctor if you have chest pain related to anxiety or another mental health issue. Your doctor will ask questions about where your chest pain is, what makes it better or worse, and how long it lasts. They’ll also do a physical exam to see if you have other symptoms.
Headaches
Headaches are the most common type of pain, with more than half of the population experiencing them at some point. They can vary significantly in pain type, severity, location and frequency.
The pain you feel during a headache is caused by specific nerves in blood vessels and head muscles sending signals to your brain. It isn’t clear how these signals are turned on in the first place, but they are most often triggered by illness and stress.
Doctors can diagnose headaches by doing a complete medical history, physical examination and neurological tests. They could suggest a neurologist or another expert to you.
Some people get headaches due to changes in hormone levels during their periods, pregnancy and menopause. The hormones from birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy can also trigger them.
If you have headaches that last longer than three days or are severe, you need to see a doctor. They can help you identify your headache triggers and prescribe medication. They can also help you learn ways to prevent future attacks so you don’t need to take painkillers.
Sweating
Sweating is regulated by the hypothalamus in your brain, as well as a series of nerves and ducts that stretch from head to toe. It is one of the physical symptoms of anxiety. The hypothalamus uses a combination of stimuli from hormones, environmental signals and circadian rhythms to send out the optimal sweat signal. Sweat is a natural bodily function that helps regulate your temperature. It’s also one of the most effective ways to keep your body hydrated, which is essential for nearly every organ’s health and well-being.
The amount of sweat your body produces depends on various factors, including your fitness level and age. Generally speaking, you will sweat more the more active you are.
For the most part, however, the best way to control your sweating is by making some lifestyle adjustments. For example, try to exercise regularly and drink plenty of water.
Digestive Issues
Everyone experiences digestive issues from time to time, such as stomachache, diarrhea or constipation. They can be unpleasant but usually resolve quickly. But, you must contact a doctor and be checked out if you frequently encounter these symptoms.
The gastrointestinal (GI) system is one of the body’s most intricate and extensive systems, stretching from your mouth to your rectum. It helps your body absorb essential nutrients and rid the body of waste.
Your GI system is also in direct communication with the brain. It sends signals to your mind through neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.
Stress and anxiety can also affect your digestive system. For example, if you’re feeling anxious or depressed, your stomach might be upset, triggering heartburn or abdominal pain.
Fortunately, researchers are learning more about how the gut and the brain interact. And they’re finding ways to improve the physical toll of depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions that impact digestion.
Insomnia
Sleep deprivation is a common side effect of anxiety. While one night of poor sleep isn’t cause for concern, it can become a repetitive cycle that takes its toll over time.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Getting good sleep is essential, as studies show it helps improve mental performance and memory.
Make an appointment with your doctor to discover the cause of your insomnia and how to cure it if it doesn’t go away on its own. Your sleeping patterns and general living habits will be discussed with the doctor to determine whether they may contribute to the problem.
Along with doing standard screening exams for any health issues that could be causing your sleeplessness, the doctor will also listen to your heart and lungs.
The main emotional reasons for sleeplessness are stress, worry, and sadness. Nonetheless, everyday routines, sleeping patterns, and physical health are all important.
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Discover the benefits of hyaluronic acid for acne.
In most acne scars there is a loss of skin volume ( atrophy ), which gives the area where they form a depressed or “engraved” appearance.
This atrophy is the product of a lack of hyaluronic acid and collagen in the dermis, the intermediate part of the skin, responsible for giving the turgidity, volume, and elasticity of healthy skin.
Methods of treatment
There are different methods to treat atrophic scars, which we could classify into two different groups according to their speed of action:
· Immediate effect. They are called fillers, biocompatible substances that can be injected into the skin to give volume to areas that have lost it.
Among them, those of hyaluronic acid, polylactic acid, or calcium hydroxyapatite stand out among others. Its turgid effect is immediate, filling cavities, furrows, and atrophic areas of the skin with very natural results. The duration of these materials is limited, so periodically (every 6 – 18 months ) it is common to practice a new session.
· Delayed effect. It implies that they promote the synthesis of collagen and ground substance of the dermis. It is worth mentioning the fractional lasers (ablative or non-ablative) and the intermediate and deep peels.
The main advantage of these methods is that their effect is permanent once the optimal point of improvement has been reached, which is not immediate but after practicing several sessions of the procedure.
Hyaluronic acid is indicated in the treatment of atrophic, depressed, and ice-pick acne scars. There are different densities of hyaluronic acid, designed to treat different forms of atrophy or loss of volume.
For the treatment of moderate or ice pick acne scars, it is useful to use low and intermediate densities; and to recover a large volume in especially atrophic areas, it is possible to use higher densities to cover the maximum repertoire of defects.
The main advantages of using hyaluronic acid lie in its immediate action, its durability, its biocompatibility, and its minimal allergenic potential. This molecule can fill in atrophic scars, providing optimal volume immediately and in the short term, promoting collagen synthesis in the long run.
In this way, the irregularity on the surface of the skin is substantially reduced after the application of hyaluronic acid, improving the overall appearance of the skin in the treated area.
Another positive aspect of using hyaluronic acid is that it usually only requires a single application session. Likewise, fillers are one of the best tolerated aesthetic procedures since they have a minimal rate of adverse effects and the pain caused is minimal if a precise technique is followed. Slight erythema (redness) that lasts 2-4 hours after the procedure is common and can be reduced with the application of cold compresses.
According to studies published by Halachmi et al, the satisfaction rate and results in patients with atrophic acne scars and ice pick treated with hyaluronic acid are excellent.
The only limiting aspect of hyaluronic acid fillers is their duration. This molecule is naturally degraded in the skin, its effect persisting for 6-18 months depending on the density of hyaluronic acid used and the indication for which it has been applied.
Specifically, for acne scars, the duration of hyaluronic acid is the maximum possible, since it is retained within the fibrosis that partitions the scars. It should be remembered that, in the long term, this molecule favors the synthesis of collagen, so that the perceptible effect is progressively more durable as different sessions are carried out.
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
What is the main indication of hyaluronic acid in acne scars?
Its main effect is to fill in depressed scars and regularize the appearance of the skin surface.
When is the effect of hyaluronic acid noticeable?
The effect of hyaluronic acid is immediate and noticeable at the end of its application. Over a week or so, the hyaluronic acid settles in the applied area and the surface where it has been applied progressively becomes even more regular.
How is hyaluronic acid applied?
The procedure is performed in the Dermatology consultation through microinjections applied under the scars to be treated. An anesthetic cream is usually used before the session and it is very tolerable, with minimal discomfort.
How many hyaluronic acid sessions are needed to treat facial acne scars?
In general, if they are not very deep or extensive, one is enough.
How is the face after doing the filling session?
The corrective effect of hyaluronic acid is immediate. At the end of the session, most atrophic and depressed scars have recovered all or part of their lost volume. Immediately after the session, it is usual to see some redness in the treated areas and slight swelling, which usually lasts between 2-4 hours.
It is possible, although infrequent, that during the procedure a minimal punctual hematoma may appear in an injection area, which will disappear spontaneously over a week or so.
Is it a painful procedure?
Filling with hyaluronic acid after application of anesthetic cream is one of the most well-tolerated and appreciated aesthetic procedures, with an excellent satisfaction rate for the patient.
Can fillers be combined with other acne scar treatments?
Yes. They can be used concomitantly with ablative/non-ablative peels or lasers, or even botulinum toxin if desired. It is recommended, yes, to carry them out in different sessions.
Is the effect of hyaluronic acid definitive?
No. Although with each session there is a certain accumulation of the effect due to the collagen synthesis promoted by hyaluronic acid, it is advisable to perform a filler every 6-18 months depending on the indication and the area to be treated.
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