Tightness in Chest with Anxiety

Anxiety is something that affects all of us at one time or another in our life. While one person may only experience anxiety on certain events, others may have anxiety on an almost regular basis. Individuals that experience anxiety regularly or experience severe anxiety are said to have anxiety attacks. People who suffer from severe attacks generally experience tightness in the chest with the anxiety symptoms they feel.

Anxiety attacks often come with several symptoms, many which are characteristic of other health problems. Because of this, many people go to the doctor or hospital because they are afraid they have something else wrong. One symptom that is very common with sufferers as well as other health problems is tightness in the chest with anxiety. Your body will often cause muscular tension, which may manifest itself in chest tightness. When the muscles in the diaphragm and abdomen begin to tense up, the individual will often begin to feel tightness in their chest, which may also cause them to have difficulty breathing.

Although the paring of tightness of the chest and anxiety can be painful and very uncomfortable, it is a very common symptom of anxiety attacks. The unfortunate thing about this tightness is that the more pain the person feels, the more anxious they become which only increases the discomfort in their chest. The pain may be a dull pain or may be very sharp and may be on the side or front of the chest. In some cases, the pain and tightness will spread to the neck or shoulders and even to the back of the head. The discomfort can feel almost like you’re having a heart attack so make sure you are in otherwise good health and that it is actually anxiety you’re experiencing.

One of the best things to remember when you’re feeling anxious or feel an anxiety attack approaching is to try to relax. While this may be difficult, the more relaxed you are, the quicker the tightness will disappear. Deep breathing exercises are often very good methods for relaxing and reducing stress and tension. Using a pattern of slow deep breathing will do a lot towards relaxing you. You may want to try exhaling slowly, then inhaling slowing and holding your breath for 10 seconds. Exhale and hold that breath for 10 seconds, making sure to breathe through your nose, keeping your mouth closed. Repeat this exercise for up to 3 minutes or more. You’ll find yourself slowly relaxing until the tightness in the chest releases and your anxiety begins to subside.

Leading a healthy life can also help to eliminate panic and anxiety attacks. Living healthy includes getting a good night’s rest and eating healthy. A good diet consists of lots of fruits and vegetables each and every day. Learning to breathe deeply and relax regularly can really help your body to calm down so you’ll feel less anxiety as well as less experiences of tightness in the chest.