Not all anxiety symptoms are well known. If you live with anxiety, you might experience one of these physical symptoms and not realize it’s rooted in anxiety.
Chest pain
A racing heart is a familiar symptom of anxiety, but chronic anxiety can also cause chest pain or the sensation of a heart “flutter.”
An increased heart rate and muscle tension are both part of your body’s fight, flight, or freeze response, but they can cause pain if anxiety is chronic.
This symptom can be especially distressing because it can mimic the onset of a heart attack, often causing even more anxiety. Researchers estimate that almost 50% of people who come to the ER with low-risk chest pain (that is, pain not related to a heart attack) experienced higher than usual levels of anxiety.
