Published on 08 August 2022

How to Relieve Chest Tightness From Anxiety

Diagnosis and Treatment how-to-relieve-chest-tightness-from
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Panic condition is a shared cognitive disorder that occurs in four in 100 people. Duplicated attacks of Tension associated with constant apprehension or behavioral transformations may lead to signs like chest pain which is present in about 21% to 71% of panic episodes. About 19% - 26% of patients in crisis clinic units who have chest aches have panic conditions.

The chest pain due to Stress suggests that such patients unnecessarily undergo tests like cardiac; however, the actual cause remains undiagnosed in many instances.

What Causes Chest Tightness?

Multiple issues can cause tightness in the chest. There is nothing to ignore in the problem of chest tightness because Any severe disease can cause it and affect your health on different levels. Never neglect the issue of chest tightness, rush to the physician if necessary, and be frankly open about any symptoms you feel are relevant to the problem. The reasons for the pain or tightness in the chest can include the following types of signs.

  • Infection
  • Injury
  • Anxiety
  • Cardiovascular conditions
  • Lung conditions
  • Digestive problems

Anxiety

Chest tightness is one of the symptoms of anxiety. According to some reports, about 40 million adults in the United States have anxiety that can cause chest pain, and Others may co-occur.

  • Breathing rapidly
  • Difficulty breathing
  • pounding heart
  • Dizziness  
  • Tightening and aching muscles
  • Nervousness 

GERD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, usually called GERD, occurs when abdomen acid traverses back up from the abdomen to the esophagus, the tube bordering your jaws and stomach. The following are some signs of GERD.

  • A sizzling feeling in the chest
  • Difficulty in consuming
  • Chest Discomfort
  • The sense of a lumpy throat

Muscle strain

Muscle tension is a typical reason for tightness in the compartment. In particular, testing the intercostal muscles can cause various symptoms like pain, tenderness, difficulty breathing, and swelling.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection that causes in your lungs. Mainly, the lungs are filled with tiny air sacs that help oxygen get into the blood. If there is any problem occurs in this process, then you may experience chest tightness and other symptoms, including:

  • Confusion, especially if you're older than 65
  • Cough 
  • Fatigue 
  • Sweating, fever, chills
  • Lower than average body temperature
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea and diarrhea

What Are The Symptoms Of Chest Pain:

Before chest pain starts, you may go through the following symptoms. So, it would be easy to know beforehand that you may suffer chest pain. These Symptoms may differ from person to person, so if you have any of these symptoms, kindly contact the physician first.

  • Pain in the chest area that feels like stabbing or shooting.
  • Dull but continuous pain
  • Pressure and Tension near the chest area 
  • Senses of burning near the heart.
  • Cannot feel numbness in some areas of the body
  • Twitching and spasms on the whole body.
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sweating

Various Reasons For Chest Pain Caused By Anxiety?

Different elements that donate to the cause of chest pain induced by panic episodes are classified into cardiac or noncardiac causes. (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine) Following are some of the different causes of chest pain from anxiety-

Noncardiac reasons:

The pain can arise in the musculoskeletal system or esophagus & It can also occur due to hyperventilation.

Cardiac reasons:

This Cardiac pain caused due to anxiety and the direct action of anxiety-linked mechanisms on the heart. This combination of factors is the reason why chest pain performs the contraction of the coronary arteries' muscular wall, supplying the heart muscle (coronary artery spasm).

Small-vessel ischemia:

It's a condition where the walls of the small arteries in the heart don't work properly, which lowers the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. This may cause chest pain. Anxiety may even result in compaction of the little containers of the heart due to sympathetic overactivity. 

How Is Anxiety-based Chest Pain Differentiated From A Heart Attack?

A heart attack occurs in 8,05,000 individuals in the U.S. every year. Only 2–4% of people with chest pain who arrive to visit a physician obtain proper heart pain relief. However, chest pain can be threatening, as it is always potentially due to a heart attack. It is essential to understand that Chest pain, anxiety, and pain are similar. There are also some important discrepancies.

A heart seizure has an independent reason due to a backup in a person's coronary artery, and compartment pain from a Dread or panic attack often develops when an individual is at rest.

Chest pain occurs from anxiety which may feel more intense than the pain caused during a heart attack, which people often describe as heavy pressure or squeezing. Many people think that panic attacks and heart attacks are the same but differ.

How To Reduce Chest Pain Caused by Anxiety?

You must go straight to its origin to stop anxiety and chest pain. The following are ways to manage your anxiety with simple yet essential steps to avoid chest tightness or pain problems.

Deep breathing

You can find several different types of breathing exercises on social media. Some simple and effective workouts are: Put one hand on the belly and the other on the chest. This may enhance your Mindfulness. The practice of deep breathing can help you by reducing the extra load of your thoughts and coping with anxiety to get instant relief from chest tightness. 

Meditation

Meditation and relaxation exercises (like journaling, counting, and visualizing) can be practical tools for calming the brain and slowing anxious thoughts.

Meditation is an Ayurvedic practice that has been existing for thousands of years. In today's modern world, even a few minutes of meditation can help restore inner peace and wipe away Stress. Many websites (including YouTube) offer free guided meditations, and no equipment is needed.

Decrease the intake amount of caffeine, alcohol, and smoking

To reduce the chances of getting anxiety-based chest pain, try to quit all cigarettes, caffeine, and alcohol. Yes, it is tough, but atleast you need to stop or limit the amount of one thing among this. 

You may think that it gives you pleasure or help against anxiety, but the reality is that it makes the person's mood worst. Start these healthy changes in your life as fast as possible. Always remember a new beginning has some challenges, and without doing that, it can't be a beginning.

Exercise

Getting up early and exercising is one of the best ways to decrease anxiety. Even it is the best way to keep generalized anxiety in check. It can be a welcome distraction from racing thoughts, reducing muscle tension, and increase serotonin and other anti-anxiety neurochemicals. 

Sleep

Sleep can be the least important thing on your mind during an Anxiety or panic attack; getting enough sleep is essential for keeping your anxiety in check. 

Bottom line from Practical Anxiety Solution

Chest pain can occur together with Anxiety and Panic attacks. Individuals who acquire such seizures repeatedly may have an Anxiety disorder. These disorders are curable, but obtaining a diagnosis from a physician is necessary to get the most suitable treatment.

There are high chances of getting the fear of Anxiety attacks again and again because there is a possibility that if the main root of the problem is not found and not treated by a professional therapist on time, it may never go back. So, kindly get your physician's advice if you have experienced some of the abovementioned symptoms.