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Anxiety can be a symptom of a medical illness and may be the first symptom.

Anxiety is a relatively common side effect of many medications.

If your anxiety is new for you, seeing a physician early on is important.

Anxiety is a response to potential danger. Sometimes, we experience anxiety when there is no danger. In that case, if the anxiety causes significant distress or impairs functioning, it may be from an anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder. Anxiety disorders "are the most prevalent mental disorders" (Bandelow, 2015).

Anxiety can also be a symptom of a general medical disorder or a side effect of medication. In those cases, a primary care doctor or a psychiatrist should be consulted.

Anxiety as a Symptom of a Medical Illness: A Real Case

(Details have been modified to protect the identity of the patient.)

A patient in my family medicine office came to see me for severe anxiety. She told me that it came "out of the blue" a few weeks ago. She felt like "jumping out of her skin." She had trouble sleeping, her hands were trembling, and she was sweating despite the office air conditioning. She no longer tolerated going outdoors into the heat.

She said she had no reason to be anxious. Nothing bad was happening in her life. She had great friends, enjoyed her job, and had no financial problems.

On physical exam, I noticed a fine tremor in her hands. Her knee reflexes were overactive. Her thyroid gland on the front of her neck felt enlarged, tender, and free of lumps. Her heart rate and blood pressure........

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