Anxiety: Symptoms, causes and treatment

Anxiety is the most common disorder and everyone of us experience it at some stage of life. Well! Occasional occurrence of anxiety is considered to be a normal part of life. However, people suffering from anxiety disorder often experience intense, imprudent and persistent worry and fear even for the normal everyday situations.  

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a mental health condition, characterized by the feelings of excessive worry, fear, nervousness and apprehension. The feelings are so strong that it may interfere with an individual’s normal life activity. Anxiety may also generate panic attacks where a person may reach a peak of fear and terror within minutes, and may find it difficult to control these feelings. 

 

Are there any specific types of anxiety disorders?

Anxiety disorders can be of various types and may include generalized anxiety disorder, Social anxiety disorder, Phobias specifically related to certain things or person, and fear of separation. Some people can experience more than one type of anxiety disorder, while others may experience only one. Anxiety may also result due to medications which need proper medical anxiety treatment in Delhi. 

 

What are the symptoms of anxiety disorder?

A person suffering from anxiety disorder may experience one or more of the following symptoms frequently:

• Feelings of nervousness,or restlessness 
• Tensed about little things
• Increased heart rate which may result due to panic attacks, or feeling impending danger.
• Hyperventilation which may cause short, heavy and shallow breathing.
• Perspiration
• Trembling or shaking
• Feeling fatigued or tired
• Lack of concentration and inability to focus on things
• Insomnia and related problems
• Gastrointestinal malfunction which may cause diarrhea and constipation
• Difficulty controlling intense feelings
• Having the urge to runaway from the things that trigger anxiety

 

Causes

The etiology or causes behind the anxiety disorders is still unknown and has been found to result due to various events like traumatic injury or genetics or due to lifestyle habits.Below mentioned are few causes that may result in an anxiety disorder.

1. Medical conditions causing anxiety:
   Anxiety may result due to an underlying health condition which can be controlled through medications. In such cases, your doctor may also recommend you take tests in order to look for various signs and symptoms. Some of the medical conditions that can lead to anxiety may include:
   • Cardiovascular disorders
   • Hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia
   • Thyroid related problems like hypo or hyperthyroidism.
   • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory disorder like Asthma.
   • Withdrawal from certain medications like anti-anxiety drugs may also trigger anxiety.
   • Misuse or withdrawal of medications.
   • Pain which is chronic.
   • Gastrointestinal disorder like IBS.
   • Tumor growth can also trigger anxiety by the release of fight-or-flight hormones.
2. Genetics:
   Evidence based studies have shown that anxiety can result if any of your blood relatives is also suffering from the same disorder such as a parent or sibling.
   
3. Inability to avoid certain things:
   Inability to control certain emotions like negative thinking, frustration, overthinking and feeling upset on little things may trigger anxiety and related symptoms.
4. Stress:
   Stress is the major contributor of anxiety, and the daily life activities like work stress, traffic jams, and financial concern can cause anxiety.
   

Treatment:

Anxiety treatment in Gurgaon involves psychotherapy and medication. A psychologist can help you cope up with your anxiety disorder with the aid of various tools. Anti-anxiety medications include treating a person with antidepressant drugs and sedatives. These drugs work on a molecular pathway to help balance the chemicals of brain, and prevent frequent episodes of anxiety, and ward off the most severe symptoms of the disorder

 

Prevention

Anxiety can be prevented by avoiding or ignoring places or feelings that trigger them. Anxiety symptoms tend to develop during childhood or teen years and continue to increase in adulthood. It’s difficult to understand the predictors of anxiety, however, you can take steps to reduce the impact of symptoms causing anxiety. Some of these symptoms include:

• Checking with your doctor at an early stage: Getting medical help at an early stage may help prevent the adversity of anxiety disorder.
• Remaining physically active. Keeping yourself physically active can help you feel good about yourself. Enjoy activities like social interaction and going to places, and caring relationships that can help lessen your worries.
• Alcohol and drug abuse can worsen anxiety.  Alcohol abuse causes addiction, and quitting these substances can trigger anxiety and make you anxious.
• Try getting enough sleep– Sleeping keeps you fresh and removes toxins from your brain. Also, try doing meditation,breathing exercise to keep your mind calm and healthy.
• Reduce intake of caffeine: Caffeine is a CNS stimulant and can trigger anxiety, so try limiting its intake.

All the above mentioned tips can help prevent anxiety, but if the condition is not controlled, it’s better to undergo anxiety treatment from a top psychiatrist in Delhi  or any other area.