Physical Symptoms - The Anxieties Site

Everyone experiences the symptoms of anxiety from time to time, caused by any number of things -- changes in our lifestyle, undue stress, tension. These symptoms often reflect a normal response to problems arising in our daily lives. In some cases, however, they may be the symptoms of a psychological or physical illness. The diagnosis of a serious medical problem is not always a simple process.

Because these symptoms are so difficult to assess, both patients and professionals can misdiagnose significant physical or emotional problems. Studies in recent years reveal that a number of physical disorders coexist in patients who have a psychological disorder, and some physical problem may cause 5 to 40 percent of psychological illnesses. In the majority of these cases the health professional fails to make the physical diagnosis.

Nowhere is this confusion more evident and diagnosis more difficult than with panic attacks. If the symptoms of panic are present, there are three possible diagnoses:

Through a comprehensive evaluation, your physician can determine which, if any, of these physical problems is associated with your symptoms. In most cases, curing the physical illness or adjusting medication will eliminate the symptoms. In some disorders, the symptoms remain as part of a minor disturbance, and you must learn to cope with them.

When a person suffers from anxiety attacks, one of the greatest obstacles to recovery can be the fear that these attacks are the indication of a major physical illness. And in some rare cases that is true. But predominantly, when a person continually worries about physical illness, that kind of worry intensifies or even produces panic attacks. In other words, the less you worry, the healthier you will become. For that reason, I strongly recommend that you adopt the following guidelines if you are experiencing anxiety attacks:

The most destructive thing you can do when faced with panic attacks is to steadfastly believe that your symptoms mean that you have a serious physical illness, despite continued professional reassurance to the contrary. That is why it is essential that you work with a physician whom you can trust until he or she reaches a diagnosis. No matter how many consultations with other professionals you need, allow one professional to have primary charge of your case and receive all reports. Do not continually jump from doctor to doctor. If you remain fearfully convinced that you have a physical ailment, even when there is a consensus to the contrary among the professionals who have evaluated you, then you can be certain of one thing: your fear is directly contributing to your panic episodes. In Part II you will learn how to control that fear and thereby take control of your symptoms.

Many physiological disorders produce panic-like symptoms. You will find them listed below.

Physiological Disorders with Panic-like Symptoms

Cardiovascular

Angina pectoris

Myocardial infarction (recovery from)

Arrhythmia

Postural orthostatic hypotension

Coronary artery disease

Pulmonary edema

Heart attack

Pulmonary embolism

Heart failure

Stroke

Hypertension

Tachycardia

Mitral valve prolapse

Transient ischemic attack

Mitral stenosis

Respiratory

Asthma

Emphysema

Bronchitis Hypoxia

Collagen disease Pulmonary fibrosis

Endocrine/hormonal

Carcinoid tumor

Pheochromocytoma

Hyperthyroidism

Premenstrual syndrome

Hypoglycemia

Pregnancy

Neurological/muscular

Compression neuropathies

Myasthenia gravis

GuillainBarr syndrome

Temporal lobe epilepsy

Aural

Benign positional vertigo

Meniere's disease

Labyrinthitis

Otitis media

Mastoiditis

Hematic

Anemia

Iron deficiency anemia

B12 anemia

Sickle cell anemia

Folic acid anemia

Drug related

Alcohol use or withdrawal

Side effects of many medications

Illicit drug use

Stimulant use

Medication withdrawal

Miscellaneous

Caffeinism

Head injury

Anxieties Site

Step 1: Check out all physical symptoms

Physical disorders with panic-like symptoms