Health Anxiety – Why You May Be Worried If You Have Normal Body Sensations

Health anxiety disorder, also known as hypochondria or medically termed asemotionally ill anxiety, is incessant worrying about being sick or might become seriously ill, often without any apparent medical reason. You might have no other physical symptoms associated with it. Or, you might think that even minor body sensations or other natural body symptoms are indications of advanced illness, although a thorough physical examination does not show a serious ailment. Often the doctor’s response to health anxiety is to prescribe strong and expensive prescription medicines which can be sometimes highly ineffective. Health anxiety can be a distressing and debilitating condition.

It’s important to get early, professional diagnosis if your loved one is suffering from health anxiety. A number of health anxiety symptoms include constant worry about being sick, extreme fatigue, nausea, palpitations, sweating, insomnia, muscle tension and muscle pain, headaches, irritability, dizziness, loss of appetite or weight and a constant urge to escape from reality. It is important that loved ones try to give reassurance and comfort when these symptoms occur. Once they realise that this is due to a mental health problem and not a physical one, they are better placed to deal with it.

Medical professionals will usually ask about symptoms of health anxiety and other illness. They will be conducting a physical examination and obtaining blood, urine or saliva samples to help in their diagnosis. Psychological tests are also available for more precise tests. If the cause is a psychological disorder, treatment will be individualised and medicinal treatment only required where needed. If the cause is a physical illness such as heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s disease or diabetes, treatment will also be individualised and symptomatic treatment would be different.

Health anxiety disorder is also known as somatic symptoms. The term somatic means relating to the body. This includes experiencing pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising or impaired function of limbs or the entire body. This can be very serious, as even minor interruptions of normal daily activities can lead to major discomfort. A serious condition may require hospitalisation and in some cases, life support may also be necessary.

One of the other main distinctions between health anxiety disorders and the physical illnesses mentioned above is that the problems caused by hypochondria cannot be related to a physical illness. Hypochondria is the belief that one is suffering from a physical illness when, in fact, they are not. People with this type of illness anxiety disorder worry unnecessarily about health and illness and cannot be properly diagnosed. This can then progress into worrying about having a serious disease like cancer or diabetes and how to prevent these from occurring or worsening.

The physical symptoms experienced during an anxiety attack are often misinterpreted as a more serious condition, leading to further worry and fear. You could experience such things as chest pains, nausea, dizziness, sweating and even a feeling of impending death. These symptoms can feel very frightening, and many people become fearful enough that they think they may have a severe illness. Such a state of mind can then trigger another anxiety symptom or disorder.

The sensation of being ill, disabled or dying can all be linked back to a negative thought process and the fear of judgement by others. Anxiety symptoms can progress into full-blown panic attacks if left untreated. This is also the reason why so many sufferers find it difficult to talk about their anxiety with others. They feel there is nowhere safe to turn and that if only they could speak out their fears they would find support.

Fortunately, there is a great deal of support available for those who suffer from anxiety and similar mental health disorders. There are several options open to you, including therapy and medication. You will probably be advised to try the natural methods first, since they tend to be the most successful. Many medical professionals are now advising their patients to try and get reassurance from medical professionals in order to minimize the negative impact that their symptoms have on their life and quality of living.