Feeling Queasy About Anxiety? Here's the Lowdown
experiencing nausea due to anxiety? Follow these tips to alleviate symptoms.
Navigating anxiety can be a mind-boggling experience, as it's not just about psychological effects like nervousness or stress. Anxiety might also give you physical symptoms, such as a racing heart or clammy hands - and nausea is no exception.
So, What's the Deal with Anxiety and Nausea?
In a nutshell, anxiety and nausea have a close connection. If your stomach twists up whenever you're feeling particularly anxious, you're not the only one. Anxiety is your body's way of reacting to fear or danger, real or perceived, and it's linked to gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and indigestion.
But Why Does This Happen?
Not every anxious person will feel nauseous, but when they do, it's not all in their head. Studies suggest that anxiety disorders are a common cause of nausea. This is due to the body's flight-or-fight response. During anxiety, the brain releases neurotransmitters to protect you from the perceived threat. Interestingly, there's a strong connection between your gut and your brain. These neurotransmitters, produced in your gut, can affect brain function. Some neurotransmitters can mess with the balance of gut bacteria, leading to symptoms like nausea.
Is Anxietyrelated Irritable Bowel Syndrome a Thing?
Yeah, it is. Anxiety has been associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In a study with 124 IBS patients, about 38% of them also experienced anxiety. In another study involving over 1,000 college students, researchers found a strong link between feelings of anxiety and IBS.
IBS symptoms can include nausea, as well as:
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Excess gas
Could My Nausea be a Side Effect of Anxiety Medication?
Possible! Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a popular treatment for anxiety disorders. Some research suggests that nausea can be a common side effect of these pills. This might be because an increase in serotonin in your blood can stimulate the part of your brain that controls nausea.
Tips to Beat Anxiety Nausea
Experiencing a little nausea with occasional anxiety might not be a big deal, but persistent and intense nausea plus anxiety can significantly affect your life. Here are some tips to help keep these feelings at bay:
- Sweet Dreams: Aim for 8 hours of deep sleep per night. Research shows that deep sleep acts as a natural anxiety reliever.
- Steer Clear of the Starbucks: Caffeine can trigger anxiety and make symptoms, like nausea, even worse. Consider removing caffeine from your diet if you regularly feel anxiety nausea.
- Sweat It Out: Regular physical exercise can help release tension and calm your mind, minimizing nausea when you're feeling anxious.
Treating Anxiety Nausea
When anxiety nausea starts interfering with your daily life, it's time to think about treatment options. Treating anxiety nausea often involves treating anxiety:
Professional Tidbits:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): In CBT, therapists help patients learn coping skills to manage pain related to anxiety.
- Medication: A doctor or psychiatrist can prescribe anti-anxiety drugs or antidepressants to alleviate anxiety and related symptoms.
Home Solutions:
- Distract Yourself: Focusing on your nausea will only intensify it. Try doing something else to take your mind off it.
- Give Musical Therapy a Spin: Research indicates that musical therapy might help ease anxiety-related nausea. This can involve singing, making music, playing an instrument, or simply listening to your favorite tunes.
- Try the BRAT Diet: In times of nausea, stick to a simple diet consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Avoid spicy, greasy, or fried foods that could worsen your stomach trouble.
- Stay Hydrated: Drinking water is linked to a reduced risk of anxiety, and taking small sips of water when nauseated may help.
- Relax and Breathe: Deep breathing exercises can help prevent or calm feelings of nausea.
- Ginger Time: Ginger might help prevent or relieve feelings of nausea without worsening your anxiety. Keep ginger tea handy for quick relief.
Is It Anxiety? Find Out the Diff!
Yes, anxiety nausea is real. But sometimes that nauseous feeling isn't related to anxiety. To figure it out, pay close attention to your feelings and ask yourself a few questions:
- Are you anxious about something? Did you feel anxious before the nausea hit? If so, it's probably connected. If not, it may not be.
- Did you eat something that disagreed with your stomach? Consider what you last ate or drank.
- Do you often feel nauseous due to anxiety? If so, you might be experiencing a lot of anxiety without realizing it, and the nausea is your body's way of letting you know.
If you're unclear whether your nausea is related to anxiety, try calming down by doing some deep breathing exercises, yoga, or meditation. If this eases your nausea, your symptom was likely related to anxiety. If it doesn't go away, gets worse, or you feel other physical symptoms of illness, it may be due to something else.
- Probably, anxiety disorders can cause nausea due to the body's fight-or-flight response, releasing neurotransmitters that affect gut function and potentially leading to symptoms like nausea.
- Regularly, anxiety nausea can be managed by avoiding caffeine, engaging in regular exercise, aiming for 8 hours of sleep per night, and adopting relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises.
- Differentiating anxiety-related nausea from other causes may require considering factors like whether anxiety precedes the nausea, the frequency of nausea occurrence, and potential dietary triggers.
- If anxiety nausea starts interfering with daily life, treatment options may involve cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, or home remedies like ginger, staying hydrated, and practicing distraction techniques.
