Anxiety can be helpful to the body or it can be a sign of a much more serious issue---anxiety disorder. Anxiety is the body's natural way of defending itself against fear or imminent danger. The body's brain has a defense mechanism called the fight or flight response. This response transforms the body into prime defense mode. Blood races to all of the major organs to exhibit survival. This can be due to high serotonin levels in the brain or from a frightening situation. This response triggers a series of uncomfortable symptoms.
Dizziness
A debilitating symptom of severe anxiety is a feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness. This could be due to an increased blood flow to the brain, increased respiration or the fear of the attack itself. According to panic-and-anxiety-attacks.com, many people with anxiety disorder are concerned or have a fear that they may pass out or black out, make a scene in public or not wake back up. In the case of a true anxiety attack, the blood and oxygen flow to the brain is increased due to the pumping of adrenaline throughout the body triggering the attack. When someone gets dizzy and passes out from an underlying medical condition they generally have an interruption of oxygen or lack of blood flow temporarily reaching the brain, a much different case as opposed to an episode of severe anxiety.
Heart Palpitations
When someone feels a sense of anxiety approaching one of the body's first responses to stress may be an increase in heart rate. This increase can cause the heart to race, pound or feel like it is skipping beats. This is a scary situation and can often have a spiraling effect---leading to other symptoms. According to anxieties.com, the heart palpitations felt during extreme anxiety is a normal reaction to severe stress. Heart palpitations will not lead to a heart attack or cause cardiac damage. They are a part of he body's natural way of dealing with stress when faced with extreme anxiety.
Tunnel Vision
Tunnel vision is a discomforting and uneasy symptom of an anxiety attack. This happens with the body is in full fight or flight mode. The increased blood flow to the major organs---including the brain have caused the vision to focus clearly on fleeing the situation. The tunnel vision is where the peripheral vision is lost or blurry, the pupils dilate and only straight forward vision appears. This is a temporary symptom and can be eliminated by fleeing a stressful situation or using breathing or relaxation techniques.
Chest Pain or Tightness
A scary symptom with an anxiety attack is a situation of chest pain or tightness. This is a normal process of the body responding to internal or external stress or stimuli. Chest pain may even radiate down the left side of the arm or the jaw. A person experiencing an anxiety attack may also feel tightness or constriction within their chest---causing shortness of breath. While only a medical doctor can distinguish between anxiety symptoms and a heart attack---an initial checkup with a medical professional is strongly advised to initially rule out heart conditions.
Nausea
Nausea is a common symptom of anxiety. Nausea can be brought on by all of the other anxiety symptoms, the fear of an anxiety attack returning or generalized fear or stress. Nausea can lead to sweating and rapid heartbeat which may cause other symptoms to spiral out of control. Nausea can be combated by taking a gentle antacid medication such as antacid tablets.
