It’s a cruel twist of fate that worrying about your health can actually make you sick. The stress caused by health anxiety can affect your digestive and gut health, cause headaches, and even create inflammation in your lungs. In fact, researchers from the University of Bergen in Norway found that people with health anxiety doubled their risk of heart disease.
After analyzing the health data of more than 7,000 people, they found that 700 of those people had a higher risk of heart disease due to health anxiety. Surprisingly, even low levels of health anxiety increase your heart disease risk. When they controlled for other factors like smoking, lack of physical activity, alcohol consumption, and family history, they found that health anxiety alone was responsible.
Anxiety triggers a fight or flight response which increases our heart and breathing rate, causes muscle tension, and reduces blood flow to our organs. If this response persists over time, it can contribute to inflammation – the kind that can cause heart disease.
Unfortunately, that’s not the only risk anxiety poses to our health. Making frequent visits to the doctor’s office can lead you to be over-medicated, which is also harmful to our health. Take, for example, the statin-prescribing epidemic. Despite studies showing the dangerous side effects of statins, they are still being prescribed and even pushed as a preventative measure.
Statins can cause fatigue, blurred vision, muscle weakness, and even increase the risk of cancer. Just imagine how much anxiety these side effects could cause! Interestingly, the Nurse’s Health Study found that walking for just 10 minutes a day, 6 days a week can reduce the risk of heart attack just as effectively as cholesterol-lowering drugs.
The fact is, worrying about your health isn’t going to make you any healthier. So how can you prevent anxiety from sabotaging your health?
- Be proactive about your health: Eat well, exercise, and focus on reducing stress levels. In doing so, you will feel better, both physically and mentally, which will ultimately lead to having less to worry about.
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Avoid activities that increase anxiety: For example, watching too much television can elevate stress levels. Find activities that bring you joy, relaxation, and a sense of accomplishment instead.
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Try anxiety-relieving practices: Consider taking up meditation or yoga to help reduce overall anxiety, which will positively impact your health anxiety.
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Reason with yourself: When you catch yourself worrying about a new ache or pain, remind yourself that it’s not worth it. Focus instead on more productive and positive thoughts.
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Find a healthcare professional you trust: The more you trust your health practitioner, the more confident you’ll feel about their advice and your own well-being. Ask about drug-free options to improve your health when medication is suggested.
By incorporating these five steps into your life, you can alleviate health anxiety and foster a healthier lifestyle in the process. Remember, the best way to ensure a healthy life is to take good care of yourself, both physically and mentally.
