6 ways anxiety can harm your body

Anxiety is a difficult condition to deal with and there are many harmful effects of anxiety that you might not even be aware of. Here are some of the ways that anxiety could be taking a toll on your physical health.

Stress and anxiety can influence the activity of the heart, which has an impact on all of your other organs as well.

• Sudden bouts of anxiety can increase the pumping action of the heart while causing arteries to constrict, which restricts blood flow to the heart.
• There are also links between anxiety and high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease over time.

For some people, constant anxiety and stress can cause a huge spike in blood pressure, which puts them at a greatly increased risk of having a stroke.

A direct link between anxiety and cancer hasn't been proven, but stress reduction techniques have shown to be helpful in surviving cancer.

• These techniques, such as acupuncture, meditation, yoga and building a strong support network, can be helpful in improving the quality of life of cancer patients.

Anxiety can disrupt the digestive system and cause problems with bowel movements, cramping and bloating.

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome is closely related to stress and anxiety, as are peptic ulcers and flare-ups of other stomach problems like Crohn's disease.

Sometimes, the way that people choose to deal with stress ends up being harmful to their health.

• Choosing to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or use drugs in order to calm the symptoms of anxiety can have very dangerous effects.
• It's important to find a stress management routine that takes a holistic approach to your health and incorporates elements of exercise, meditation, healthy eating and therapy.

Anxiety can interfere with your nighttime routine by leaving you unable to sleep or disrupting your sleep throughout the night.

• Sleep is essential for our bodies to restore themselves and to keep us healthy, so this can become extremely physically detrimental over time.

Dealing with anxiety can be difficult, but there are measures you can take to minimize its harmful effects on your health. Your doctor or health coach can help you find some healthy coping mechanisms in order to improve your quality of life while dealing with anxiety.