Tips for Understanding Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety attacks and panic disorders affect an estimated 2.4 million Americans according to WebMD.com, and women are more likely to experience them than men. An anxiety attack can be described as an elevated sense of unease and a sudden acute episode of feeling overwhelmed and panicky. Anxiety attacks can occur on a regular basis, or randomly in people of all ages. Here are some ways to recognize anxiety symptoms:

1. Difficulty speaking and concentrating. The person experiencing an anxiety attack or extreme anxiety typically has difficulty getting focused and speaking properly. They may stumble upon their words, stutter, and feel like they can't get their thoughts under control.

2. Chest pains or tightness. Someone who has a tendency of having anxiety attacks usually stops breathing properly. This can cause severe chest pains or tightness, difficulty swallowing, and from limited oxygen intake.

3. Excessive energy. People who are "always on the go" may not realize they are experiencing anxiety symptoms. They may feel like they can't relax or will experience long periods of restlessness or agitation. This is a common anxiety symptom that many people overlook.

4. Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. Most people who are about to have a full-blown anxiety attack will start to breathe in a shallow manner, limiting their oxygen intake. This can cause numbness in the hands and feet, especially if they are sitting in a constricted position.

5. Heart palpitations. Sufferers may also experience heart palpitations due to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Sufferers often compare the feeling to having a heart attack.

6. Extreme cravings for sugar and sweets. For those who experience anxiety symptoms on a regular basis, eating high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods serves the purpose of calming them down. This can become a problem if too much food is eaten at one sitting, and can end up making the person feel worse. Food can only numb anxiety symptoms temporarily; as soon as the "high" wears off, the anxiety attack or anxiety problems will return, and may get worse.

7. Constant exhaustion. Anxiety attacks produce constant stress on the mind and nervous system and this may take its toll on the body. Sufferers are often described as sluggish, irritable, and lethargic since they get little break from stress.

Each anxiety attack suffer may experience a different set and intensity of symptoms. But in all cases, it is extremely helpful to understand the condition by first identifying the symptoms one experiences.

Anxiety usually affects all facets of a person's life. However, anxiety attacks can be treated with one or a combination of these options: behavioral therapy, lifestyle change, nutritional supplements and pharmaceutical drugs.