Physical Symptoms

• Tightness of the chest, perspiration, difficulty breathing and headache are all symptoms of anxiety.
  
  

Stimulus

• One function of anxiety is to help us cope with danger. For example, learning by stimulus could mean experiencing the pain associated with touching a hot pan. That's learned anxiety, and it's helpful to our bodies.
  
  

Avoidance

• The vast majority of people learn to avoid stimuli that creates anxiety, but taken too far, extreme avoidance can lead to phobias.
  
  

Pain

• The intensity of stimuli has been shown to increase the amount of pain felt. According to The Mayo Clinic, "... [A] minor sensation that would barely register as pain, such as a dentist's probe, can actually produce exaggerated pain for a child who's never been to the dentist and who's heard horror stories about what it's like. Fear and anxiety often increase the intensity of the pain experience."
  
  

Intensity

• Messages from your brain can actually send messages that increase your perception of pain. Your ability to tolerate pain has much to do with your emotional state.