COVID-19 and Breathing Problems

COVID-19 and breathing problems: Anxiety and Worry Cause Breathlessness. Don’t Worry If You are COVID-19 Positive for this REASON, says Dr Vikram Sharma

It is normal for a human being to worry from time to time – and then get to normal activities as usual. However, clinging on the worries for long – perhaps for a few days and even for weeks can literally take a toll on your health and affect the way you normally work. If worry comes in the way of your normal work, then it may cause havoc in your body and affects nervous system, muscles, breathing, heart, blood sugar, stomach, immune system, intestines, sexual health and your skin. Read the detailed article below:

Nervous System

Worrying too much and thinking excessively can lead to anxiety – which may over time lead to anxiety disorder. Your nervous system is a complex network comprising brain, spinal cord and neurons that help in better communication, coordination and functioning of different parts of the body. However, excessive worry can trigger the release of stress hormones that make an individual in fight and flight mood by increasing breathing, alertness, heart rate and blood pressure.  The release of stress hormones prompts more blood flow to arms and legs and cause increase in blood sugar levels. Therefore, constant worry over a period of time may lead to heart disease, diabetes, muscles issues and affects the other systems of the body.

Breathing

COVID-19 and Breathing Problems: Many people nowadays are becoming extremely anxious and worrisome owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their worry is taking a toll on their health and disturbing their breathing pattern. They are getting into a vicious cycle of worry, panic and disturbed breathing – which is aggravating their existing symptoms. Therefore, stop worrying and just focus on developing immunity against infections. Remember! Your positive approach in tackling problems and unforeseen circumstances helps in improving your immune system and immunity.

The person who is in worry or tense mood tends to breathe either deeply or shallowly – mostly shallow breathing is the norm for an anxious person. Shallow breathing causes hosts of symptoms associated with anxiety including weakness, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, chest pains, dizziness, body pains, strange sensations all over the body, trouble thinking and concentrating, feeling faint, etc. The symptoms may get aggravated if the individual has already had lung disease, breathing problems, COVID-19 infection or asthma.

Muscles

Worrying too much can make your muscles weak owing to the side effects of excess stress hormones. When you worry too much even over pretty small things, then the muscles in the head and neck get repeatedly strained and tense up – the process gradually leads to tension headaches and then to migraines. The better bet would be to indulge yourself in some useful relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation and yoga.

Heart

General anxiety, social anxiety and panic attacks can lead to some serious problems in the long-run if anxiety disorder persists in an individual over a period of time. Stress hormones make the heart beat faster and harder – if this happens repeatedly, unhealthy cholesterol accumulates in the blood vessels; they get inflamed and lead to coronary heart disease – which may lead to heart attack – and if the arteries carrying blood to the brain get clogged, then brain stroke may occur. Therefore, whenever any worrisome thought pops up in your mind – which could be as small as a nagging issue, it can affect your heart and brain. Small concerns, nagging concerns could become big and bigger enough to cause havoc in the body.

Blood Sugar

Worry, anxiety, panic attacks, depression and any other severe mental issue can make you physically debilitating and weak. Another effect of stress hormone in the body is the release of excess sugar in the body. If the body doesn’t use this fuel immediately, it may accumulate and make you gain weight and thus increases your risk of diabetes. If the blood sugar levels stay too high for too long, then they may lead to diabetes, which again increases the risk of kidney, heart and nerve diseases.

To sum it up – how much worry is too much?

Worrying for some time and getting too normal is alright – but worrying persistently and relentlessly and always getting into worrisome mood even under the pretext of some issue or the other is really not good.

COVID-19 and Breathing Problems: If you are in a constant state of worry owing to the present pandemic – then it might be linked to an anxiety disorder; therefore, you must talk to your talk as counseling, drug therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy may help.