Caffeine, which can stay active in the body for up to six hours, has specific effects on anxiety levels and feelings of anxiousness. These effects may be surprising, especially if you don't think of caffeine as anything more than a part of your daily coffee routine. However, understanding the effects of caffeine can help you manage symptoms of anxiety and overall levels of anxiety.
Root Cause
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. As a result, it can trigger feelings and sensations throughout the body, including anxiety. The KidsHealth website notes that high levels of caffeine consumption can be a cause of anxiety. Since caffeine affects everyone differently and its effects can depend on everything from your size to your overall level of caffeine tolerance, monitoring consumption levels can have a dramatic effect on sensations of anxiety.
Aggravating Symptoms
According to Drugs.com, caffeine may aggravate some symptoms of anxiety. Common side effects of caffeine include many of the same sensations and physiological effects as true anxiety. Drugs.com notes that these can include racing or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath or hyperventilation, numbness and tingling in the hands or feet, and feelings of tightness in the chest and airway. As a result of these side effects of caffeine, you may feel that you are more anxious than is truly the case, and any existing effects of anxiety that match these side effects will be aggravated. As chest tightness and difficulty breathing can be serious, it is important to be able to separate these symptoms from symptoms of anxiety.
Heightened Awareness of Anxiety
Caffeine can cause heightened sensations and awareness of anxiety, bringing low-level symptoms into focus. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, this is caused by the way that caffeine stimulates the overall central nervous system and its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Trigger in Predisposed Individuals
According to Drugs.com, caffeine can serve as a trigger for panic and anxiety attacks in some individuals. People who are already diagnosed with panic disorder or anxiety disorder may struggle with caffeine side effects. Working with a doctor to monitor caffeine consumption may help mitigate side effects.
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