Why does anxiety make your chest feel heavy?

Anxiety is a condition affecting mental health and makes the day difficult for the victim. In this condition, you may experience fear, panic, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and nervousness.

However, one of the most triggering issues with anxiety is causing chest tightness which results in chest pain. Indeed, among all other symptoms you may face during stress, chest tightening is a frightening, alarming health condition associated with stroke and heart attacks.

Besides, chest tightness that comes with frequent anxiety attacks may cause cardiac conditions, alongside causing severe distress. Such conditions to health are so daunting to individuals who are unaware or know little regarding the impacts of anxiety and stress in their lives.

So, what causes chest tightness or chest feeling heavy? You may know or be aware that chest tightness results from anxiety, but what comes along with this tightness? Common causes of chest tightness or pain include;

1. Heartburn or Bloating or Gas

Stress and anxiety have diverse impacts on the human body, particularly digestion, by causing pressure on the gut and changing digestion patterns. Such impacts may cause bloating and, to some individuals, can cause chest pressure. This pressure normally causes victims to complain about chest tightness or pain.

If the typical digestive pattern is altered, you may experience heartburn or gas, putting much stress on the lower esophagus. These irritating moments increase due to much-formed stomach acid, an impact that damps around the lower chest. In other words, it’s just a misinterpretation, not chest tightness or pain, all because of the abnormal digestive pattern.

2. Hyperventilation

Anxiety may cause increased heart rate, which is subjective to rapid breathing; this condition is called hyperventilation.

This condition causes the body to experience shallower or short breaths, meaning the body will have difficulties in maintaining carbon dioxide levels in the blood required for the right ventilation. Due to problems in breathing, there will be a squeezing sensation near or around the heart caused by hyperventilation, causing chest tightness.

3. Straining of muscle

As anxiety causes short breaths, increased heart rates, or difficulties breathing, organs around the chest tend to strain. Indeed, although not for all victims of anxiety, shortness of breath affects the chest wall and experience sensation from straining in breathing.

All these effects are dubbed to the general musculoskeletal, leading to chest discomfort and feeling heavy or tight.

How do you get rid of heavy chest anxiety?

So, Why does anxiety make your chest feel heavy? Chest tightness is more than causing panic; but is even a condition that may cause a negative impact on the general health. You will probably try figuring out the causes whenever you encounter this issue. Finding the potential causes of the chest being heavy under anxiety is understanding what causes chest tightness, which probably is anxiety.

Do a warm-up or stretch muscles if you decide to do strenuous activities. In other words, if you are handling or carrying too heavy items, be curious to work on muscle strains.

If the chest tightness is coming out at the same period or after you experience gas, heartburn, or bloating, try to work out to reduce these effects. These health complements are a result of interfered digestive patterns; therefore, you can consider taking enough water or antacid to smoothen digestion metabolism. Eating much little or reducing the amount of spicy meals you eat can help curb heartburn. You can also find an activity to so that will make you stand for half an hour after eating to speed up the digestion process. Spicy foods that can cause gas or heartburn include citrus fruits, alcohol, tomatoes, caffeinated or coffee beverages, chocolate, and peppermint; you should avoid such gas-inducing foods.

If the chest pain or tightness is been caused by breathing difficulties, try to control the breath. Overbreathing increases CO2 intake, which is more dangerous and causes chest muscles to strain, causing pain.

Why does anxiety cause chest heaviness?

Anxiety causes you to have increased breath or issues with heartburn which results in muscle straining on the chest. Also, heart rate increases during stressful moments, leading to heartbeats growing stronger. In general, the muscles around the chest will experience muscle tension which results in pain.

What does anxiety feel like in the chest?

While the feeling of anxiety in the chest can vary from one person to another or even from day to day, anxiety-related or panic attack chest pain feels like a sharp and stabbing feeling that hits suddenly. Besides that, the individuals might already feel anxious and stressed before the chest pains kick in. This chest pain can be described as

persistent chest aching

A sharp shooting pain

Chest tightness or tension

Numbness, will, or burning ache

Stabbing pressure

Does anxiety feel like a weight on your chest?

Anxiety is a mental health condition that can cause a person to be worried, tense, and apprehensive. The condition can make one experience several physical conditions alongside physical conditions. These symptoms are not the same in all people as different people can experience different symptoms differently.

In addition, the symptoms can be different for the same individual based on the day. The condition presents itself in various ways, which makes it difficult to detect and understand them. Anxiety-related chest pain feels different for every person; some might experience the symptom gradually, while for other individuals, the symptoms could be abrupt and unexpected. However, experiencing anxiety can lead to a heavy feeling in the chest, hence a feeling of weight.

Conclusion

Various conditions can cause chest tightness, but the most common cause is anxiety. The tightness of the chest comes with other symptoms similar to a heart attack. Therefore identifying anxiety as the cause of chest pain provides a better Basis for treating your condition. The condition makes the chest feel heavy because of Straining of muscle, hyperventilation and bloating.

Sources

https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/chest-tightness#:~:text=Hyperventilation%3A%20This%20is%20one%20of,response%20to%20a%20stressful%20situation.

https://www.healthline.com/health/tight-chest

https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/anxiety-chest-pain

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319496#:~:text=Chest%20pain%20due%20to%20anxiety%20or%20panic%20attacks%20can%20usually,dizziness