Interoception and Physical Health

Abstract

In this chapter, we will consider the relationship between physical health and interoceptive processing. We will focus on the specific physiological conditions of cardiorespiratory disease, chronic pain, and metabolic disease, as well as the potential role of both nutrition and physical activity in interoception. In general, it appears that many chronic physiological diseases are related to disruptions in interoceptive processing. However, the notable comorbidity with psychiatric conditions (such as anxiety, depression, and panic disorder) means that care must be taken when interpreting interoceptive findings in physiological diseases, with a future focus on understanding the unique and combined contributions of physiological and psychological influences on interoception. Furthermore, the relationship between interoception and some physical health indices needs to be examined in more detail, including longitudinally to identify causality.