Health Anxiety – Symptoms and Causes of the Condition

Health anxiety is a persistent and unreasonable fear of having an illness. It used to be known as hypochondria, and is now also known as illness anxiety. This disorder is characterized by an individual’s fear of anticipating actual symptoms of illness. This anxiety can lead to unnecessary worry and strain in everyday life.

People with health anxiety are constantly worrying that they might suffer from a severe illness that will end their lives prematurely. This type of worry often interferes with work or school and can cause the person suffering from it to avoid social activities. It can also prevent people from enjoying their leisure time and may prevent them from exercising. This type of extreme fear can interfere with leading a normal life and can even cause physical symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, or stomach cramps.

Health anxiety can actually interfere with one’s ability to make informed decisions regarding health issues. This can cause people to delay getting routine check-ups and screenings for a serious illness and could lead to misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose a serious illness at all. A health anxiety sufferer will often refuse to take medications prescribed for them if they believe that the doctor will be ignoring symptoms of a serious illness. A serious illness is supposed to bring about serious symptoms, and ignoring these symptoms does not constitute an excuse to avoid medical treatment.

One of the most harmful effects caused by health anxiety is its ability to cause physical symptoms. The constant worry that it will lead to severe medical conditions causes many health anxiety sufferers to experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness, chest pain, and other physical symptoms. These symptoms are often mistaken for ordinary stomach pains, and individuals become unnecessarily worried about when they might have a heart attack, stroke, or some other serious medical condition that could end their life. Some people worry so much that they develop phobias or extreme fear about certain physical conditions such as heart attacks, diabetes, or cancer. They develop these intense fears, sometimes for years, that it becomes impossible for them to leave their homes, work, or participate in many activities because they are afraid of losing their ability to physically handle themselves.

The physical sensation or phobia is usually only temporary, but if it continues for longer than a few weeks, it could lead to severe illness or even death. A person experiencing health anxiety may develop symptoms such as extreme fatigue, insomnia, muscle pain, headaches, stomach pain, or other physical sensations whenever they think about having another panic attack. It is not uncommon for people suffering from a phobia of having a heart attack to actually have a heart attack while in the process of preparing for another attack.

Health anxiety can also lead to self-destructive behavior. People suffering from a phobia of a serious illness may begin to check up on their health regularly, thinking that the worry is causing them physical sensations. In actuality, the increased physical sensations are happening in their mind. Health anxiety often leads to unhealthy weight gain, and self-destructive behaviors such as overeating or suicide. If you find yourself obsessing over something and beginning to check up on your health, you should seek medical advice before you do anything else.

There is one theory that some people who suffer from a persistent anxiety disorder begin to feel like they must check up on themselves all the time. That theory states that this theory could lead to some people checking into a clinic for a mental health evaluation. Other people believe that some people who have anxiety disorders begin to feel like they must check themselves into a hospital in order to alleviate their symptoms. Whether you believe that some people who suffer from anxiety begin to check themselves into a mental hospital or not, you need to take steps to make sure that you are treating your condition properly. If you choose not to seek treatment, the condition could become worse.

Regardless, of what you believe, if you experience any of these symptoms you should seek medical attention immediately. Although many people think that checking into a mental health center would be too expensive, there are actually many centers available that offer low or no cost services. If you know you are suffering from an anxiety disorder, you should also contact the local medical professionals for more information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of the illness. When you receive the proper medical attention you will feel much better and your symptoms will subside.