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In some cases, anxiety signs and symptoms are the first indicators of a medical illness. If your doctor suspects your anxiety may have a medical cause, he or she may order tests to look for signs of a problem. Having an anxiety disorder does more than make you worry. It can also lead to, or worsen, other mental and physical conditions, such as:.

There's no way to predict for certain what will cause someone to develop an anxiety disorder, but you can take steps to reduce the impact of symptoms if you're anxious:. Anxiety disorders care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Anxiety disorders. Arlington, Va. Accessed Feb. Explore the NIMH grant application process, including how to write your grant, how to submit your grant, and how the review process works.

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You might worry about things like health, money, or family problems. But people with generalized anxiety disorder GAD feel extremely worried or feel nervous about these and other things—even when there is little or no reason to worry about them. People with GAD find it difficult to control their anxiety and stay focused on daily tasks. The good news is that GAD is treatable. Call your doctor to talk about your symptoms so that you can feel better. GAD develops slowly. It often starts during the teen years or young adulthood.

People with GAD may:. Both children and adults with GAD may experience physical symptoms that make it hard to function and that interfere with daily life. Symptoms may get better or worse at different times, and they are often worse during times of stress, such as with a physical illness, during exams at school, or during a family or relationship conflict.

Researchers have found that several parts of the brain, as well as biological processes, play a key role in fear and anxiety.

Movement — Go for a walk, jump up and down, or gently stretch. Dancing, drumming, and running can be especially effective. Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment.

It relieves tension, reduces stress hormones, boosts feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins, and physically changes the brain in ways that make it less anxiety-prone and more resilient. For maximum relief of GAD, try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days.

Exercise that engages both your arms and legs—such as walking, running, swimming, or dancing—are particularly good choices. For even greater benefits, try adding mindfulness element to your workouts. Mindfulness is a powerful anxiety fighter—and an easy technique to incorporate into your exercise program. Rather than spacing out or focusing on your thoughts during a workout, focus on how your body feels as you move.

Try to notice the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the rhythm of your breathing, or the feeling of the wind on your skin. The core symptom of GAD is chronic worrying. But, in fact, worrying is self-generated.

The trigger comes from the outside, but your internal running dialogue keeps it going. You run over the feared situation in your mind and think about all the ways you might deal with it.

But more often than not, worrying is unproductive—sapping your mental and emotional energy without resulting in any concrete problem-solving strategies or actions. This may involve challenging irrational worrisome thoughts, learning how to stop worrying , and learning to accept uncertainty in your life.

Anxiety is more than just a feeling. Your heart pounds, you breathe faster, your muscles tense up, and you feel light-headed. Your heart rate slows down, you breathe slower and more deeply, your muscles relax, and your blood pressure stabilizes. Deep breathing. This hyperventilation causes symptoms such as dizziness, breathlessness, lightheadedness, and tingly hands and feet.

These physical symptoms are frightening, leading to further anxiety and panic. But by breathing deeply from the diaphragm, you can reverse these symptoms and calm yourself down. The technique involves systematically tensing and then releasing different muscle groups in your body.

As your body relaxes, your mind will follow. Research shows that mindfulness meditation can actually change your brain. With regular practice, meditation boosts activity on the left side of the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for feelings of serenity and joy. A healthy, balanced lifestyle plays a big role in keeping the symptoms of GAD at bay. In addition to regular exercise and relaxation, try adopting these other lifestyle habits to tackle chronic anxiety and worry:.

Get enough sleep. Anxiety and worry can cause insomnia , as anyone whose racing thoughts have kept them up at night can attest. But lack of sleep can also contribute to anxiety. Improve your sleep at night by changing any daytime habits or bedtime routines that can contribute to sleeplessness.

Limit caffeine. Stop drinking or at least cut back on caffeinated beverages, including soda, coffee, and tea. Caffeine is a stimulant that can trigger all kinds of jittery physiological effects that look and feel a lot like anxiety—from pounding heart and trembling hands to agitation and restlessness.

Caffeine can also make GAD symptoms worse, cause insomnia, and even trigger panic attacks. Avoid alcohol and nicotine. Having a few drinks may temporarily help you feel less anxious, but alcohol actually makes anxiety symptoms worse as it wears off.

While it may seem like cigarettes are calming, nicotine is actually a powerful stimulant that leads to higher, not lower, levels of anxiety. Eat right. Going too long without eating leads to low blood sugar—which can make you feel anxious and irritable—so start the day right with breakfast and continue with regular meals. Eat plenty of fruits, and vegetables, which stabilize blood sugar and boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter with calming effects.

Social anxiety tends to develop early in life. In fact, the average age of people with a social anxiety disorder is 13, while around 90 percent of people diagnosed with social anxiety disorder receive their diagnosis by age People with social anxiety may appear extremely shy and quiet in groups or when meeting new people. While they may not appear distressed on the outside, they may feel extreme fear and anxiety.

Extreme fears about specific things — such as spiders, enclosed spaces, or heights — could be a sign of a phobia. A phobia is an extreme anxiety or fear about a specific object or situation. The feeling is severe enough that it interferes with your ability to function normally.

Some common phobias include:. Agoraphobia is another phobia that involves fears of at least two of the following:. Around These phobias tend to develop in childhood or the teenage years. If you feel anxious on most days and experience one or more of the symptoms listed above for at least 6 months, it may be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

Licensed psychologists and psychiatrists can treat anxiety disorders through a variety of methods. Treatment often includes cognitive behavioral therapy , anti-anxiety medications, or some of the natural therapies listed above.

Working with a professional can help you manage your anxiety and reduce your symptoms as quickly and safely as possible. One of the most common symptoms is excessive and intrusive worrying that disrupts daily functioning. Other signs include:.

Recurring panic attacks may indicate panic disorder, fearing and avoiding social situations could point to social anxiety disorder, and extreme phobias could be a sign of specific phobia disorders. Regardless of which type of anxiety you may have, you can use many natural solutions to help relieve it while working with a licensed healthcare professional. Read this article in Spanish. Is anxiety genetic? Yes and no.

Learn more about pantophobia, a condition that describes a fear of everything, including its symptoms, how it's diagnosed, and how it can be treated.