Can anxiety cause facial numbness? (+How to cope)

This article will discuss if anxiety can lead you to experience facial numbness. It will show why this happens, and the best ways to cope with it.

Can anxiety cause facial numbness? 

Yes, anxiety can cause you to experience facial numbness. But not only that, when you are anxious, it is also possible that you feel tingling in your face, as well as many other physical symptoms. 

And even though experiencing facial numbness can make people scared that they are experiencing a more serious condition, such as a stroke, or even some injury to their head, it is important to calm yourself down, and keep in mind that it is mostly related to anxiety.

That is because tingling or numbness can be a sign of more severe conditions. But they are also common signs of panic attacks, for example. But let’s understand more about why anxiety can lead you to experience facial numbness.

Why does anxiety cause facial numbness? 

When you are anxious your body is affected in many ways. And all of it will likely be affected by the condition. The first thing that will happen, as you are anxious, is that your body will feel stressed, and the fight or flight response.

That activates many systems in your body to prepare you to deal with a dangerous situation, be it real, or not. One of the systems that will be affected by the fight or flight response is your circulatory system.

Something called vasoconstriction will happen to your veins. This means that your blood vessels will become more narrow, making it harder for the blood to flow through your body. As the blood flow decreases, it will lead to tingling, and numbness in areas of your body.

When someone is anxious, it is most common to feel numbness in the extremities of their body, such as hands, and feet. But that can happen in many other areas of the body, such as the face, or even the head. The intensity of this can vary from one person to the next, as well as the duration of it.

And even though it normally isn’t something you should worry about, there are some cases in which it may be important for you to look for a doctor. Because facial numbness can also be a common sign of stroke, it is important to know the difference between the two.

So you should consider going to an emergency room if you realize that the facial numbness happened before the anxiety, and is located on just one side of your face. You should also consider a sign of something more serious if you can’t raise both arms, or if you have difficulty speaking, walking, or seeing.

If you get confused or lose your consciousness, it is also necessary to get help, or if you have a sudden headache, can only see from one eye, if your face drops, or your smile looks different. But if you haven’t experienced any of these signs, it is likely a panic attack. 

But even though they may not be a health hazard, you should still get in touch with a doctor if you realize that the panic attacks have become too frequent, or are making it difficult for you to do things you need to do.

You should also inform them if your numbness goes on for longer than the panic attack if you realize that your anxiety is not getting better with lifestyle changes, or that your treatment or medication is not working.

But if you have just begun to experience facial numbness because of anxiety, know that some things can be done. So let’s discuss them now.

How can I cope with the facial numbness that is caused by anxiety? 

If you are experiencing facial numbness related to a panic attack, know that you should be looking for ways to cope in two manners. One of them is focused on dealing with the panic attack in itself, and the other is connected to how you should cope with your anxiety, so you can reduce your chances of developing panic attacks.

First, as you are going through a panic attack, don’t try to suppress it. Let it through. This doesn’t mean being okay with having a panic attack, but chances are that, if you try to control it, it will only get worse. 

Try to breathe, and if possible have people close to you that bring you safety. If not, try to keep in mind that this panic attack will pass, as others have before. This will likely help you to center yourself a little, and not succumb to the panic attack.

Aside from that, there are ways for you to cope with anxiety in your everyday life. The first way should be by looking for professional treatment. It can be a therapist, with whom you will discuss your feelings and emotions, and may even learn the triggers, and roots of your anxiety.

But in some cases, it may also be a psychiatrist. This doctor that specializes in mental health may be one to prescribe you drugs, if it is necessary, to manage your anxiety symptoms. 

And it is not only professional help that can be an important tool in dealing with anxiety. Having a healthy lifestyle, in which you manage your ingestion of stimulants, such as caffeine, and sugar can make you feel better. Exercising is also known for being a great way to reduce your stress levels.

You can also start to practice meditation, or breathing exercises, since those may help you more in the present, and your breathing, than the anxiety, and worry in your mind. Externalizing your feelings, be it with friends, or by writing can also be important when you have an anxiety disorder.

This will often give you a sense of relief, but it may also help you get a different perspective on what you are going through. By managing your anxiety, you may experience fewer panic attacks, which will ultimately lead you to not go through those sensations of facial numbness so often.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Can anxiety cause facial numbness? 

What is the 3 3 3 rule for anxiety?

The 3 3 3 rule for anxiety is a form of exercise that will help you calm yourself as you begin to feel anxious. It can be done by everyone, at any time when you feel anxiety is taking a toll on you. So when you feel anxiety is crippling, the first thing you should do is take a deep breath and try to name three things you hear around you.

After that, you should name three things you see around you, and finally, three of your body parts. By doing that you will be able to focus more on yourself, and on the present than on the thoughts, and concerns that your anxiety is bringing you.

What are the most common symptoms of anxiety?

Anxiety can affect a person physically, and emotionally. In physical terms, it can make the person’s heart beat faster, as well as their breathing. It can cause the person to shake, sweat, feel weak, and even fatigued.

It will also affect the person’s sleeping patterns, leading them to develop insomnia. It can also affect your gastrointestinal system. Aside from that, on the emotional side, anxiety can make you tenser and it makes you feel like you are unable to relax. 

A person with anxiety might be worried all the time, and get a feeling of impending doom, which will make them afraid. They may have a harder time focusing on other matters that are not the ones they are worried about. And because anxiety can be so uncomfortable, they can begin to avoid being in places that trigger it.

Does anxiety have a cure? 

No, there is no cure for anxiety. That is because anxiety has a genetic factor to it that won’t be changed even if the person goes through treatment. But it is possible that a person gets the proper treatment for anxiety, and learns to deal with the trigger of it more positively.

When that is the case, the person must stick to the care, and attention they are giving their mental health. It is only through this that they will be able to prevent a relapse in the future.

What causes anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal feeling in a person’s life. It is what will alert us that we are faced with a dangerous situation. But to some people anxiety can be so intense that it makes it impossible for them to cope on their own. When that is the case, it can happen for multiple reasons.

Anxiety can happen when a person is dealing with a medical condition. So when a person is dealing with an illness, how it will change their life, and even affect their sense of mortality, they can become anxious. The condition can also be a reaction to a traumatic experience or appear when someone is under a huge load of stress.

Some people may develop anxiety easier because they have personality traits that make them more susceptible to anxiety. But it can also happen as a consequence of other mental health issues such as depression. 

Finally, it seems that there is a genetic factor to anxiety, and it may also happen to people who abuse the use of alcohol, or even drugs.

What are types of anxiety?

There are many types of anxiety disorders, and those will usually differ in what triggers each person’s anxiety in each of them. For example, there is a social anxiety disorder. 

This form of anxiety leads the person to feel anxious whenever they see themselves in a social gathering. That happens because they are worried about how they will behave, or even how people will perceive them.

Yet another form of anxiety is a generalized anxiety disorder. This type makes the person anxious even with the daily activities. There is also a panic disorder that can make a person develop panic attacks, which are characterized by sudden, and intense symptoms of anxiety that the person is unable to control.

Aside from those, there is separation anxiety that commonly happens to children, because they are afraid that they will be left by their loved ones. There are also types of phobias, in which the person is afraid of some particular situation, like being afraid of heights.

Conclusion 

This article showed the connection between anxiety and facial numbness. It showed how it happens, and the best ways for you to cope with facial numbness that is related to anxiety.

If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write them in the section below.

References

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/facial-numbness-and-anxiety

https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/face