Worth Living Ambassador Vanessa Serrao
My name is Vanessa Serrao and I am a 26 year old author, freelance writer, and preschool
supply teacher. I am a strong advocate for mental health and I am passionate about writing. I
enjoy writing about health and wellness, sports, mental health, and trending news. I also love
music and enjoy playing the guitar.
Four Health Concerns That Anxiety Can Cause
When it comes to having anxiety, well it is far from pleasant. From my own experience I can
tell you that it is very hard to cope with, but on a positive note it is possible to overcome.
What makes it so hard to deal with anxiety is that it comes with health concerns. Although
they are more on the minor side, it doesn’t mean they should be ignored. The brain has the
power to control the body and when the brain is experiencing anxiety, this affects the body in
a negative manner.
Here are four health concerns that come with having anxiety. Also, keep
in mind that everyone experiences different bodily health concerns when it comes to
anxiety, but these are the ones that with which I came into contact.
1.Acid Reflux
Acid reflux is a common stomach disorder that can be induced by stress and anxiety. For
me, each time I had bad anxiety that is when my acid reflux came on. So when my anxiety
went away, so did my acid reflux. Essentially, the only way that I cured my acid reflux was by
reducing my anxiety and stress. But there were some things I did and used in order to
relieve my symptoms of acid reflux. It was hard to treat fully until my symptoms of anxiety
were alleviated. You can take tums, gaviscon, drink aloe vera juice, celery juice, chew gum,
drink plenty of water, and drink herbal teas. None of these things is a cure but are ways to
reduce symptoms associated with acid reflux. In addition, taking probiotics is essential for a
leaky gut. For acid reflux, it is a very uncomfortable, bothersome and sometimes painful
ailment. It consists of heartburn and burning in the chest as well as throat and ears. It can
also cause stomach pain, your teeth hurting, bleeding gums and sores in your mouth. Since
acid is coming up from your stomach, this means that your diet has to be changed which
means foods that don’t contain acid in them. This meant my eliminating alcohol, anything
with tomatoes or tomato sauce, orange juice, chocolate, not having too much red meats,
onions, mushrooms, peppers, carbonated drinks and coffee. Even though some of these
foods are healthy, they shouldn’t be consumed since they contain acid and it will
make acid reflux worse.
2.Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that causes you to not sleep in the evening and where you are
left tired and drowsy during the day. In fact, you may find yourself sometimes falling asleep
during the day. I experience insomnia since my anxiety affected my sleep. I had racing
thoughts at night and since I always worried about not sleeping this kept me up at night. I
would continuously toss and turn and not be able to relax. Insomnia is a horrible thing to deal
with especially when you have anxiety. When you don’t get a good night’s rest, it affects your
whole day. Your mind isn’t sharp, therefore it is hard to function throughout the day. When
this continues to happen it leads to forgetfulness and a tired brain. It just drains you and
takes away your confidence. In addition, lack of sleep can lead to skin breakouts and dark
circles. Some things that helped me sleep at night were meditating, a hot bath, or herbal tea
before bed, not looking at the time when sleeping, and doing yoga. All these things are
beneficial in order to help you fall asleep better.
3.Weight Loss
Weight can become an issue and concern when you struggle with anxiety, depression or
other mental health disorders. Some people gain weight but many also lose weight. For me, I
lost weight and it was unhealthy. I lost about 30-40 pounds and it wasn’t me. I didn’t feel
healthy, sharp or confident. I just didn’t have an appetite when I would get up in the morning
running on barely any sleep. I could see it in my body. My chest look more flat and my face
longer. Losing weight this way was unhealthy, but it wasn’t my intention to lose weight. Also
with my acid reflux, I ate less, since after I ate it would trigger my heartburn to start. This was
bad as I wasn’t supposed to skip meals and I tried not to, but I definitely cut down on food.
The feeling of trying to eat and getting food down was unpleasant. Feeling like your throat is
closing and no food being able to go down unless it was yogurt or something soft.
4. Hormonal Imbalance
When you are experiencing anxiety and stress this puts your body into a whack and it
messes up your hormones. I experienced a hormonal imbalance as I was experiencing
hormonal acne as well as skipping a period or receiving my period late. When you are
experiencing anxiety, it affects your body in different ways, but a hormonal imbalance is quite
common when experiencing anxiety and stress. Hormonal acne occurs along the jawline and
it is painful and cystic. Breaking out in the same spots over and over again was never fun. I
tried to fix my hormonal imbalance by adding more fibre and iron into my diet and this did
help. Also, once I felt less anxious my hormones were more balanced again