Medical Problem or Health Anxiety

For many people their health is a constant source of worry. There fixated on every little ache and nagging pain. Their fixation often relentless driving them to unnecessary anxiety and extra costly treatments. However, in there defense; its really hard for us to know how seriously to take those little symptoms that just wont go away. After all if you think about it, a sharp pain in your chest could mean anything from a heart attack to an attack of heartburn. That brown spot on your skin could be developing skin cancer or an age spot. No one wants to have a developing medical problem that; had they sought help earlier on, could be cured. It's extremely hard for a doctor to diagnose someone as hypochondriac. Because for every 10 times they receive reports of symptoms which aren't important, there are more symptoms that are. But often don't get reported so the problem is missed.

Being nervous about your health is normal. But the fact is there are also people who take it to the extreme. Those are the ones who doctors classify as hypochondriac, when your nervousness about your health isn't realistic when compared with the actual status of your health. These people rush to there physicians office with any little ache, pain or twinge. Those who suffer from health anxiety often have very specific; although dysfunctional beliefs about there health. There beliefs are that to be healthy you should have absolutely no symptoms, which isn't realistic. The human body is noisy and the more we fixate ourselves on it the noisier it becomes. octors aren't suggesting that we ignore warning signs and symptoms our bodies may give us about an impending problem.But only that we use discretion when reporting them.

Sometimes patients are so in tune with there bodies they know when something isn't right and if that is the case with you, then it is highly recommended that you always seek medical attention immediately. The right amount of consciousness toward your body and any symptoms you may be exhibiting helps you in caring for your body. Doctors do say its hard to tell patients when they should and shouldn't seek medical attention for a problem. Some common guidelines they tell people to follow would be to stay in tune with any illness that may be going around in your community. If you are exhibiting some of these same symptoms then logic would tell you, you've caught the same bug floating around the neighborhood. However, if the symptoms worsen, or happen to be very painful and don't let up, as in gastrointestinal problems; seek medical attention immediately.

The bottom line is to listen to your body and the way you feel, usually you will know if you need medical attention or if it is just a problem that's going to pass. And remember, if you are having unexplained symptoms that just won't let up; and you're getting no where fast with your physician, you can always seek a second or even third opinion. To determine if you suffer from health anxiety ask yourself these questions,

1. Do other people comment to you about how much you talk about your health problems?

2. Do you become terrified that you have every new illness you hear about on the news?

3. Do you spend more than an hour a day checking your body for signs of a problem?

4. Do you buy tons of self- diagnostic kits, even if they aren't recommended by your doctor?

5. If your doctor gives you a clean bill of health do you worry they might have missed something? If you have any of these symptoms you may suffer from health anxiety and could possibly benefit from some counseling.

To find out about health anxiety and seeking medical treatment visit www.womanarticles.net/html/hypochondria.net, www.remedylife.com or www.mentalanxiety.com