In today’s fast-paced life, anxiety disorder has become a common psychological obstacle. Many people think that anxiety disorder only affects emotions, but traditional Chinese medicine tells us that its harm is far more than that; it can also cause serious damage to our heart, head, and stomach.
1. Impact of Anxiety on the Heart
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Wang Shilong, emotional discomfort and excessive anxiety can lead to poor circulation of Qi and blood, causing malnourishment of the heart’s pulse. Being in a state of anxiety for a long time continuously increases the burden on the heart. For example, anxiety may trigger a faster heartbeat, irregular heart rhythm, and even increase the risk of heart disease.
Research indicates that patients with anxiety disorders are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and coronary heart disease. Some anxiety disorder patients may experience chest tightness, difficulty breathing, and feel as if an invisible hand is tightly gripping their heart during an attack.
2. Harm of Anxiety on the Head
Anxiety often comes with tension and unease, leading to tight muscles in the head and excessive nerve excitement. Traditional Chinese medicine states that the brain is the sea of marrow; excessive anxiety can damage the marrow and affect the blood supply to the head.
Common symptoms include headaches, dizziness, and tinnitus. Many anxiety disorder patients often complain of a heavy head, difficulty concentrating, sluggish thinking, greatly affecting their daily work and study.
3. Damage of Anxiety on the Stomach
In traditional Chinese medicine theory, “worry injures the spleen”. Emotional anxiety can affect the spleen’s digestive function, leading to indigestion, bloating, stomach pain, loss of appetite, and other issues.
Prolonged anxiety may trigger stomach ulcers, gastritis, and other stomach diseases. For example, some individuals facing significant stress or anxiety may experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
So, faced with these harms of anxiety disorder on our bodies, how should we deal with them? Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Wang Shilong offers some helpful suggestions:
Regulate emotions: Calm your mind through meditation, yoga, tai chi, etc., to alleviate anxiety.
Dietary adjustments: Consume foods that nourish the heart and calm the mind and promote spleen and stomach health, such as lily bulbs, lotus seeds, Chinese yam, etc.
Chinese medicine adjustments: Choose appropriate Chinese herbs based on individual constitution and condition for adjustment.
In conclusion, anxiety disorder is not just an emotional annoyance; it can cause serious damage to various organs in our bodies. We must take anxiety disorders seriously and promptly take effective measures for intervention and treatment to restore our physical and mental health back on track.