|
 Feeling
worried or nervous is a normal part of everyday life. Everyone frets
or feels anxious from time to time. Mild to moderate anxiety can be an
effective means of helping you focus your attention, energy, and
motivation. However, if anxiety is severe, you may have feelings of
helplessness, confusion, and extreme worry that are out of proportion
with the actual seriousness or likelihood of the feared event. Anxiety
that becomes overwhelming and interferes with daily life is not
normal. This type of anxiety may be a symptom of another problem, such
as depression.
Anxiety can cause physical and emotional symptoms. A specific
situation or fear can cause some or all of these symptoms for a short
time. When the situation passes, the symptoms usually go away.
Physical symptoms of anxiety include:
·
Trembling, twitching, or
shaking.
·
Feeling of fullness in the
throat or chest.
·
Breathlessness or rapid
heartbeat.
·
Lightheadedness or
dizziness.
·
Sweating or cold, clammy
hands.
·
Excessive startle reflex.
·
Muscle tension, aches, or
soreness (myalgias).
·
Fatigue.
·
Sleep problems, such as the
inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, early waking, or restless,
unsatisfying sleep.
Anxiety affects the part of
the brain that helps control creative expression and complex
communication. This makes it more difficult to express yourself
creatively or function effectively in relationships. Emotional
symptoms of anxiety include:
·
Restlessness, irritability,
or feeling on edge or keyed up.
·
Excessive worrying.
·
Fearing that something bad
is going to happen; sense of impending doom.
·
Inability to concentrate;
“blanking out.”
·
Constant feelings of
sadness.
Anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders occur when people have both physical and emotional
symptoms. Anxiety disorders interfere with personal relationships with
others and affect daily activities. Women are twice as likely as men
to have problems with anxiety disorders.
Many people, including children and teenagers, develop anxiety
disorders in which many of these symptoms occur when there is no
identifiable cause. Many people with an anxiety disorder say they have
felt nervous and anxious all their lives. This problem can occur at
any age. Children who have at least one parent with the diagnosis of
depression are more than twice as likely to have an anxiety disorder
than children with nondepressed parents.
Generalized anxiety disorders often occur with other problems, such as
depression, substance abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). An anxiety disorder also can be
caused by a physical problem, such as heart or lung disease. A
complete medical examination may be needed before an anxiety disorder
can be diagnosed.
Panic attacks
Panic attacks occur when a person has distinct periods of intense fear
and anxiety when there is no clear cause or danger. These symptoms
come on suddenly and without warning. Panic attacks are a common
anxiety-related disorder. Panic attacks can sometimes occur in
otherwise normal, healthy people and will usually last for several
minutes.
Physical symptoms that can occur during a panic attack include
feelings of choking or suffocating, chest pain, nausea, shaking,
sweating, pounding of the heart, and feeling dizzy or faint. Sometimes
these symptoms are so intense that the person fears he or she is
having a heart attack. Many of the symptoms of a panic attack can
occur with other illnesses, such as hyperthyroidism, coronary artery
disease, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A complete
medical examination may be needed before an anxiety disorder can be
diagnosed.
People who have repeated unexpected panic attacks and worry about the
attacks are said to have a panic disorder.
Phobias
Phobias are irrational, involuntary fears of specific places, objects,
activities, or situations. Most people deal with phobias by avoiding
the situation or object that causes them to feel panic (avoidance
behavior). Phobias are a common anxiety-related disorder.
A phobic disorder occurs when the avoidance behavior becomes so
extreme that it interferes with your ability to participate in your
daily activities. There are three main types of phobic disorders:
Fear of being alone or in public places where help might not be
available or escape is impossible (agoraphobia)
Fear of situations where the individual might be exposed to criticism
by others (social phobia)
Fear of specific things (specific phobia)
Review the Emergencies and Check Your Symptoms sections to determine
if and when you need to see a health professional.
Provided By: HealthWise
Author: Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC
Medical Review: William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine and Lisa S.
Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry |
