Anxiety Chest Pain: What To Do

Curious about anxiety chest pain and what to do to treat it? Learn what to do about anxiety chest pain symptoms and put yourself back in control. Many people suffering from anxiety disorders or panic attacks experience the symptom of chest pain and tightness. While chest pain is likely anxiety related, you should first visit your physician to rule out other health conditions such as heart attack or other cardiac disease that can cause this symptom. Once that has been done, you can then focus on relieving your anxiety chest pain.

1. Recognize anxiety chest pain symptoms. During extremely stressful periods, you may unconsciously tighten other muscles, such as those in the shoulders and neck, increasing the tense feeling in the chest. You may also feel angry, irritable and find it difficult to concentrate.
2. Determine the cause of your anxiety. There are several medical reasons for anxiety which should be ruled out by your physician. Anxiety disorders which may be affecting you include phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks or post-traumatic stress disorder. Acute anxiety can be caused by life circumstances such as divorce, death or other major changes or loss, including positive ones such as new job. Consider the cause of your anxiety chest pain in order to seek effective treatment.
3. Treat your anxiety chest pain. Treatment will depend on the underlying conditions. Medical reasons for anxiety should be treated by your physician on an individual basis. If your anxiety stems from life events, consider counseling and the use of stress management self-help skills. Counseling and self-help groups will also be useful in cases of anxiety chest pains due to anxiety disorders. However, in these cases antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications will also likely play a role in treatment.
4. Regardless of the reasons behind your anxiety chest pain, learn stress management to deal effectively with your issues. Effective ways to manage stress include talking with others, incorporating healthy eating and fitness plans into your daily routine, practicing deep breathing and other relaxation exercises and learning to recognize and accept your feelings.

Resouces:

University of Alaska, Anchorage