5 Common Physical Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety symptoms in Melville often involve physical, or “somatic,” symptoms that occur along with emotional feelings of worry and fear. People with anxiety disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder, can experience somatic anxiety symptoms of varying types and severity, ranging from stomach upset to full-scale panic attacks that sometimes feel like a heart attack. Physical anxiety symptoms in Melville can generally be reduced by treating the anxiety disorder with medication, psychotherapy, or neurofeedback therapy. Five of the most common physical anxiety symptoms are muscle tension, gastrointestional problems, difficulty sleeping, shaking or trembling, and full-scale panic attacks.

#1: Muscle Tension

Muscle tension is a common symptom of anxiety in Melville, often affecting the shoulders, back, jaw, and neck muscles. This can cause strain and soreness that can lead to discomfort. Bruxism, or tooth grinding and jaw clenching, is another of the anxiety symptoms resulting from tension, and can cause damage to the teeth and gums over time. The best way to eliminate muscle tension anxiety symptoms is to address the emotional component of the anxiety disorders, although for the muscle tension specifically, relaxation therapy and biofeedback therapy are often helpful.

#2: Digestive Problems and Gastrointestinal Discomfort

Gastrointestinal problems are common anxiety symptoms in Melville. Many people with anxiety disorders become nauseous, experience stomach cramping, or have other GI symptoms when they are worried or afraid. The stomach is sensitive to emotion, as is reflected in colloquialisms like “having a gut feeling” or a “gut-wrenching experience”. Research indicates that gastrointestinal anxiety symptoms may be due to activity involving the vagus nerve, a major cranial nerve that connects the stomach and brain.

#3: Difficulty Sleeping

Anxiety symptoms in Melville are very likely to cause sleeping problems, usually in the form of insomnia. People with anxiety disorders often find themselves tossing and turning at night, thinking about things that worry them. The emotional state of anxiety is a state of arousal that is not compatible with restfulness, and makes it difficult to “wind down” in order to get to sleep. Relaxation techniques and breathing exercises are often helpful for sleep-related anxiety symptoms, which can also be treated with neurofeedback therapy in many cases.

#4: Shaking and Trembling

People with anxiety disorders in Melville sometimes experience shaking or trembling as anxiety symptoms during times of acute worry or fear. Although these effects are most likely to occur in the context of a panic attack, they can also occur on their own.

#5: Full-Scale Panic Attacks

A panic attack is a set of physiological responses that occur in response to acute terror, often in the context of anxiety disorders. Not everyone with anxiety symptoms experiences panic attacks, although they can occur sometimes in Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and other anxiety conditions. Panic attacks are the defining feature of a subtype of anxiety disorder called Panic Disorder. Panic attacks sometimes cause the person to feel like they are having a heart attack or another medically serious episode, although they are not physically dangerous. Anxiety symptoms typical of panic attacks in Melville include:

·         Overwhelming feelings of fear and terror

·         A feeling that one might be dying or that death is near

·         Rapid heart rate

·         Nausea

·         Dizziness or faintness

·         Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet

·         Hot or cold flashes

·         Feeling of shortness of breath

·         Chest discomfort

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ANXIETY IN MELVILLE

Sleep State Misperception: When Insomnia Isn’t Really Insomnia

Many people in New York and elsewhere suffer from insomnia, the inability to fall asleep and to stay asleep that can severely affect the person’s ability to function during the day. However, there are some cases where a person may be convinced that they have insomnia, even though in reality the duration and quality of their sleep is absolutely fine. This is called sleep state misperception or paradoxical insomnia, and is recognized by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as a legitimate sleep-related disorder. Although people with sleep state misperception are sleeping just fine, the idea that they are losing sleep can cause considerable anxiety and stress.

Signs and Symptoms

People with sleep state misperception underestimate the time they spend sleeping, and are often mistakenly under the impression that they were awake at times when they had actually been asleep. They often report to their healthcare providers that they are not sleeping much at all, requesting treatment for insomnia. However, when they are given a polysomnograph test—a clinical test incorporating EEG, EMG, and other measurements to evaluate for sleep disorders—it is revealed that there is nothing wrong with the quality or duration of their sleep. Although they sometimes do report excessive daytime sleepiness, which is typical of insomnia, evidence suggests that this effect is more likely to be “in their heads” or due to a cause other than lack of sleep.

Sleep State Misperception, Anxiety, and Stress

Even when polysomnographic studies indicate that they’re actually fine, a person with sleep state misperception may remain convinced that there is something wrong with their sleeping patterns. Often this causes considerable anxiety and stress. Sometimes doctors will prescribe the patient a sleep medication anyway, such as Lunesta or Ambien, but this can be dangerous because these drugs can be habit-forming and can also cause unwanted side effects. Chronic sleep state misperception is associated with increased risk of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, which are often exacerbated by stress over the fact that doctors “can’t figure out what’s wrong” with the patient.

How Can Sleep State Misperception Be Treated?

Since people with sleep state misperception are not actually having trouble sleeping, treatment should theoretically differ from the typical treatments for actual insomnia. Some psychologists suggest that a major component of treatment for paradoxical insomnia should be cognitive restructuring. A person with sleep state misperception is not “malingering,”, or deliberately lying to deceive healthcare professionals; they are legitimately concerned that they are suffering from insomnia, and are generally surprised when sleep studies indicate that they are not. Although they are sleeping, some evidence also suggests that over arousal could be compromising the depth and quality of their sleep, contributing to the misperception that they have only slept for a few hours. Sleep state misperception may be best treated with cognitive behavioral approaches, including addressing underlying anxiety or depression that may contribute to the person’s worries about possible insomnia. Although research has yet to be conducted into using neurofeedback therapy for sleep state misperception, this may theoretically prove a fruitful field of research.

Identifying Anxiety Disorders

There are several kinds of recognized panic disorders and suffers across the nation, especially in largely populated areas where life is fast paced. There are a range of anxiety treatment options for residents of the Port Washington, NY area – one being BrainCore’s revolutionary neurofeedback therapy. It’s important to understand the different signs and symptoms so you know when it’s a matter that needs to be addressed by a doctor. The following is a list of the different disorders and the treatments available.

Types of Panic Disorders

Anxiety is really a natural human emotion and feeling anxiety every now and then when dealing with challenges at home or the office is totally normal. However, when a person experiences a panic disorder, their lives are completely disrupted. The attacks can be constant and overwhelming. It’s important that those that suffer with a panic disorder find a treatment that works for his or her specific disorder. Back to life Chiropractic in Port Washington offers a natural treatment option for panic disorders including the following:

·         Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - Individuals with this Obsessive-compulsive disorder have repeated and undesirable ideas, feelings, actions, or obsessions which make them feel driven to do certain rituals or do things in a certain manner.

·         Panic Attacks - Individuals with this problem have sudden feelings of terror and fear that occur with virtually no warning. Physical signs and symptoms include heart palpitations, trouble breathing, sweating, chest discomfort, and also the sense of cardiac arrest.

·         Fears (Phobias) - Phobic individuals have a persistent and irrational anxiety about a particular object or situation. The amount of fear is generally disproportionate towards the situation, and frequently interferes with the person leading an ordinary existence.

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms of panic disorders vary with respect to the type of disorder. Here are a few key items to watch for:

·         Excessive worrying or anxious ideas

·         Trouble falling, or remaining, asleep

·         Overwhelming self-awareness

·         Irrational fears

·         Near-constant muscle tension

·         Stress attacks

Just because you show one of these symptoms, doesn't always mean you are having a panic attack. If you think that you might have a panic disorder, consult your physician.

Treatments

There are several treatments available for panic disorders; however, not every treatment works for everyone. You need to discuss the different remedies with your physician in order to insure you find a method that works for you. The different treatments available are:

·         Medication - Drugs such as MAO inhibitors and anxiety medications are generally recommended for panic disorders; however, they also carry a risk of dependence and unwanted side effects.

·         Psychiatric therapy - This type of therapy involves working with a mental health professional who will help the individual develop methods to cope with their disorder.

·         Cognitive- Behavior Therapy - This type of therapy concentrates on teaching the individual to acknowledge their disorder and to learn to alter thoughts and behaviors in order to eventually stop themselves before they have a panic attack.

Neurofeedback Therapy - This helps to retrain brainwave designs using an EEG machine. Neurofeedback therapy has no side effects and is completely non-invasive.

·         Nutritional Habits and Changes In Lifestyle – Changing certain dietary behaviors, such as staying away from caffeine and alcohol, eating organic meals, and keeping an ordinary sleep schedule can considerably improve panic disorders. Being aware of your body and staying away from unnecessary demanding situations can assist in combating these disorders.

If you are a resident of the Port Washington area and you feel that you may be suffering from a panic disorder, contact your local BrainCore clinic. You can call us: 516-944-4469 or visit our website http://braincoreny.com/

What is Bruxism?

“Bruxism” is the medical term for excessive tooth grinding or jaw clenching. Bruxism is a relatively common problem in Melville, with a nationwide prevalence rate of around 8-31% of the general population. Bruxism can occur either during sleep, or while the person is awake. Often bruxism occurs largely unconsciously, but although the person may not realize that they’re grinding or clenching their jaw, it can cause jaw problems and dental problems. The underlying causes of bruxism are variable, and not yet entirely understood; it is thought that bruxism during sleep occurs for different reasons than bruxism while awake. 

Sleep Bruxism versus Awake Bruxism 

Bruxism in Melville is often divided into two main subtypes: sleep bruxism and awake bruxism. These two types are thought to have different causes, with sleep bruxism generally classified as a sleep disorder. Sleep bruxism occurs at night while the person is asleep, and generally involves both jaw clenching and tooth grinding movements. The pain is often worst in the morning. It occurs equally in both males and females, and there is some evidence that this trait is heritable. Awake bruxism occurs for different reasons than sleep bruxism, and is more likely to be associated with psychological stress. Awake bruxism is more likely to involve clenching than grinding, although both can occur, and it tends to worsen over the course of the day. Awake bruxism is more common than sleep bruxism overall, although it is more likely to occur in females than in males. 

Symptoms of Bruxism 

Many people with bruxism in Melville are unaware of the problem until symptoms of bruxism, including jaw pain and dental problems, become apparent. Some of the common symptoms of bruxism, including both the nocturnal and waking varieties, include:

·         Excessive tooth wear, often flattening of the biting surface and notches around the “neck” of the teeth at the gumline.

·         Tooth fractures

·         Hypersensitive teeth; this effect is caused when dentin and enamel become worn away

·         Inflammation of the periodontal ligament, the tissue connecting the teeth and gums; this causes soreness and can cause the teeth to become loosened over time

·         Increase in the size of the jaw muscles as a result of the clenching

·         Pain and fatigue in the jaw muscles

·         Pain or tenderness in the temporomandibular joints

·         Headaches, often localized at the temples

  

Treatments for Bruxism in Melville 

Treatments for bruxism in Melville generally depend on whether the bruxism occurs during sleep or during wakefulness. Awake bruxism often has psychosocial underpinnings, such as stress or an anxiety disorder. Addressing these issues with psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or neurofeedback therapy can reduce the bruxism by alleviating the stress that causes it. Neurofeedback therapy, a form of biofeedback using EEG measurements of brainwave activity, is a safe and noninvasive treatment for anxiety available in Melville through BrainCore New York. Bruxism during sleep appears to be associated with neurotransmitter abnormalities. For sleep bruxism, researchers have investigated drugs including clonazepam, a benzodiazepine; levodopa, a dopaminergic drug usually used to treat Parkinson’s disease; clonidine, a sympatholytic usually used for ADHD and hypertension; L-typtophan, a serotonin precursor molecule; and several others. None of the research into pharmaceuticals for sleep bruxism has yet produced enough evidence to prove that it is a safe or effective treatment, however. Symptoms secondary to the bruxism, often involving tooth wear, are generally addressed by dentists and orthodontists in Melville. 

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: MELVILLE, NY