For the longest time, women’s health symptoms have been dismissed rather than explored. Unfortunately, anxiety is one of those symptoms that isn’t looked into on a deeper level. This is not to say that women don’t suffer from anxiety, because yes, they definitely do. But sometimes anxiety-like symptoms are your body’s way of waving a flag to say hey, something is going on here.
So the question is, is it anxiety? Or is it something else? Here’s where anxiety-like symptoms can present themselves in other women’s health issues.
Perimenopause
Perimenopause alters both the brain and the nervous system via our hormones which means you may begin to experience anxiety-like symptoms that you may have never had in the past. Trouble sleeping? Feeling more stressed than usual? Periods acting up? You could be entering perimenopause rather than suffering with anxiety itself.
Iron Deficiency
Being low in iron can trigger multiple different reactions in the body such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, mood changes, restlessness and fatigue. Iron is crucial for brain function and oxygen support and so often some of these symptoms can be mistaken for anxiety.
Blood Sugar Dysregulation
Low blood sugar levels can literally cause a panic attack. As your blood sugars dip, your cortisol levels rise which leaves you feeling more stressed and overwhelmed than usual. Add a coffee in the mix instead of a balanced meal or snack and it can be just enough to tip you over the edge. If this occurs frequently, it may appear as though you are dealing with anxiety, when in fact, it’s your blood sugars that need addressing.
Nervous System Dysregulation
Much like blood sugar levels, having a dysregulated nervous system can make you feel quite anxious. Ongoing stress, anxiety and overwhelm can show up in those whose nervous systems are out of whack. This can also tie into blood sugar dysregulation as cortisol and blood sugars work together.
So how do you work out if you have anxiety or if you have something else going on? Look at your symptoms as a whole rather than individually. More often than not, you are not just experiencing anxious-like emotions, identify what else is happening in your body and see if there is a correlation. Work with a practitioner to get to your root cause as further investigation is required to find said root cause.
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