16. It may affect your heart health
Researchers today are trying to establish whether there is a link between anxiety and poor heart health. They think that the hormones released by your body when you are anxious might hold a clue. When you are in a stressful situation, adrenaline and cortisol are released by the adrenal glands, situated just above your kidneys. These hormones are both critical for survival in life-threatening situations, but when they are being released too often due to perceived threats, they have a dark side.
If these hormones are continually being produced due to ongoing anxiety, hormonal dis-regulation can occur. This can lead to increased inflammation and buildup of plaque in arteries. The presence of too much cortisol in the system can lead to weight gain which in turn can trigger diabetes, both conditions being risk factors for heart disease.
A panic attack and a heart attack share similar symptoms. You may end up in the emergency room fearing you have a heart attack. Your blood may be tested for specific heart muscle enzymes to establish if you have a heart attack. If none are found, your symptoms were most likely caused by a panic attack.
One of the most dangerous side effects of the constant release of stress hormones is what this does to the major organs of the body. Adrenaline and cortisol have been tied to abnormal heart rhythms and even to conditions related to the blood vessels and structure of the heart. If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, your body reacts in ways that can put a strain on your heart. If you already have heart disease, this can raise the risk of having a heart attack.