Does anxiety affect immune system?

[lucy_21]

Does the anxiety make you more likely to get ill easily? Because I seem to be always getting flu/cold type things and when it goes a few days later another one comes bk. And it also makes all the anxiety symptoms worse likke the constant lightheadedness is worse when i am ill too.
Any advice on this. thanks.
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[Rach29]

Hi i think anxiety runs you down a lot depending how severe your anxiety is so yes i would say you would be more prone to getting things and when your not well anxiety can make your symptoms worse try vitamins and plenty of fruit and veg x

[Darrenb74]

Hello lucy. I'm not sure if it does or not. Because we're always told it doesn't affect us physically so not sure. But as rach as said vitamins especially B vitamins suppose to be good for anxiety and fruit and veg is obviously good for us anyway.

Darren :)

[lucy_21]

I do have a really healthy diet and i take a multi vit everyday :-s so i dnt no wot to do really. thank tho. xxxxx

[xvolatileheart]

It absolutely does, and my GP confirmed this. Anxiety is basically sucking up your body's energy, so less resources are going towards keeping your body healthy. This is why you may also feel more tired. When I'm anxious, I notice I get really sleepy and generally less well.

[lucy_21]

thanks. Is there any advice you can say for helping this apart from eating healthy, vitamins ect coz i already do this. i am super healthy so it seems but i sure dont feel it. just woke up with a cheasty cough today.
And do you find that all your anxiety symptoms are worse wen you feel ill becuse i sure do. The lightheadness (which is the absolute worst) is really bad today and i dont know how to tackle it because i am just trying to acsept and float with it like i always do but it hasnt help yet. :-s
sorry for my moaning!! thanks for the help.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[anthrokid]

Hey honey,

I study psychology and health, and I can tell you that anxiety definitely has an effect on the immune system. I'll try and explain the cycle for you the best I can.

When we are anxious, our body goes into over drive. So what happens is that our immune system and nervous system are on alert constantly because we are always worried, so they are activated due to a sense of danger. This then uses a LOT of energy, which makes us both physically and mentally exhausted. And being exhausted has an impact of how effectively our immune system can work. So the more we stress, the more the immune system has to work and the more it tries to fight of threats that aren't really there. This, in turn, makes it very tired and weaker, so that even though it is always being used and is always active, it doesn't work as well as it could. This is why people with anxiety generally get a lot of colds/flus/stomach bugs.

It is nothing serious to worry about, just means that we are more likely to pick up the little bugs and have them that little bit longer to everyone else.

I hope that made sense.

[lucy_21]

thx for the replies.
i have felt even worse today with the lightheadedness. they say exercise is good for anxiety yet when ever i go for a walk i just feel the same lightheaded/unbalanced feelings and have done for over a year now.
i know that it is anxiety yet it isnt improving. also i dont know what really caused it in the first place, do u have to know for it to go coz i dnt think i knosw or will know.
i can deal with being ill, i hate it but i can deal with it. wot i cnt deal with is this lightheadedness/unbalancedness. no matter how much i am acepting and floating with it. it aint reducing. i wud give anything for it to go. hoe come it is there wen im not even thinking of it. and how do i know my subconcious is thinking of it and how can i get t too not think of it?:-s i just want to be normal!
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[xvolatileheart]

I can relate so much. Don't know how to help my anxiety, since I don't really know the cause, therefore it won't go away. :wacko: I feel lightheaded all the time lately, which I've read could just be from the bad breathing patterns we develop with constant anxiety. It's so hard to change though! When I focus on my breathing, I get more anxious and lightheaded.