10 physical conditions that could be causing your anxiety
General Anxiety Disorder is a common mental health condition that's typified by anxious feelings taking over, making it difficult to get on with ordinary life. Treatment is usually talking therapy, sometimes combined with medication.
NHS Choices lists numerous anxiety symptoms, including feelings of dread, sweating, shortness of breath, panic attacks, fatigue, irritability and trouble concentrating. But though anxiety is a medical condition in its own right, there can sometimes be a physical reason for your symptoms – and treating it can bring the anxious feelings to an end.
So if you think you have a problem with anxiety, it's important not to self-diagnose. Instead, head to your GP to have any other causes ruled out first.
According to a group of doctors writing in the journal Psychiatric Times, there are six key systems in the body that can cause these anxiety-type symptoms. They are cardiorespiratory (heart and lung), neurological (brain), metabolic (body temperature and vital functions), chronic illness, digestive and endocrine (hormonal). Here's a closer look at what these include:
1. Haywire hormones
Adrenal dysfunction happens when the adrenal glands, which produce our hormones, go wrong. When they produce the wrong amount of one or more of our hormones, it can cause fatigue, disorientation, increased heart rate and trouble concentrating – all typical anxiety symptoms.
2. Overactive thyroid
Similarly, your thyroid malfunctioning can have major effects. Symptoms for an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) described by the NHS match anxiety symptoms closely – a raised heart rate, which increases your breathing, causes you to sweat more and raises your body temperature – all of which can feel very much like a panic attack.
3. Diabetes
Sugar rushes and dips associated with badly-managed diabetes can cause panic-like symptoms, such as dizziness, breathlessness, sweating, chest pain and trembling. If you are diabetic, speak to your doctor about managing your condition and pay attention to how you feel at different times of day, for example before and after eating.
4. Heart disease, heart failure and heart attack
One of the biggest groups identified in the paper was heart and lung issues, but as anxiety symptoms include an increased heart and breathing rate - it's not a surprising crossover. Pulmonary oedema (fluid build-up in the lungs) and pulmonary embolism (a blockage in the blood vessels of the lungs) are also linked to these symptoms.
What's reassuring though, is that if you're young and healthy, these serious conditions are highly unlikely. These conditions can be easily ruled out with a full medical assessment.
5. Sleep apnoea
Slightly more common, especially if you're overweight or have other medical conditions. Sleep apnoea is when you stop breathing for a few seconds while sleeping, which an starve your body and brain of oxygen. This can cause you to wake up feeling breathless, or with your heart racing.
6. Asthma
If you've never had asthma you may associate the breathlessness with anxiety rather than adult-onset asthma, which can be treated with medication and inhalers.
7. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and digestive issues
Anxiety UK explains that anxiety and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) often go hand in hand and it can be difficult to separate which is the root cause. If it's the IBS that's causing anxiety and not the other way round, getting a handle on the physical symptoms can alleviate the mental ones.
Other anxiety symptoms such as fatigue and a dry mouth can instead be caused by stomach ulcers and dyspepsia (excess stomach acid), and tend to resolve entirely when these are treated.
8. Drugs and withdrawal
Mental health charity Mind explains that 'a number of drugs – both prescription and recreational – can cause anxiety-like symptoms'.
As well as illegal drugs such as cocaine, speed and ecstasy, it adds that alcohol and nicotine, as well as prescription medicine including some painkillers and antidepressants are all potential anxiety-inducing substances.
All drugs have a different effect on every individual, so it's hard to know how you'll react. If you have any concerns that medicine you've been prescribed has increased your anxiety, you should speak to your GP. And if you take recreational drugs, try to be aware of how they affect you, because if they're negatively affecting your mental health, it's not worth it.
Depending on the drugs or medicines you're taking, stopping cold turkey might make things worse, though, as physical withdrawal symptoms can closely mimic those of anxiety. Speak to your doctor about reducing your dose or referring you to a drug treatment centre. Frank has more information on support services you can refer yourself to.
9. Chronic illnesses
Anxiety symptoms are a long list, and many long term illnesses have symptoms that cross over. They can also change over time and with treatment, so when you feel differently, it can be alarming.
Inflammatory illnesses such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and others such as Huntington's, MS and seizure disorders can all present anxiety-type symptoms. So it's up to you and your specialist to pay attention to your body and work out what is the illness and what is not. Managing long term illness is difficult and worrying, so it's also not unusual for patients to develop anxiety as a condition on top, but appropriate treatment, therapy and support can help you get back to an even keel.
10. Serious brain conditions
If your symptoms are neurological, such as a brain tumour or head trauma, it's likely you'll already be aware of it due to other symptoms.
But less extreme problems – vertigo, concussion and migraine – can also cause symptoms linked to anxiety such as dizziness, headaches and disorientation, so make sure you let your doctor know as these could indicate something more serious.
Like all medical symptoms, anxiety is your body telling you something's wrong. Your doctor will consider any other symptoms you might have and your medical history to determine if you're at risk of one of these physical conditions, or if your anxiety symptoms are just that – anxiety. Either way, treatment is available and can make a huge difference to your quality of life, so make sure you seek help.
