Anxiety

Individuals who suffer with hypochondria may experience several of the most common symptoms of the condition including:
-Excessive worry or concern about having aparticular disease or condition
-Health research that is obsessive
-Switching doctors often or “doctor shopping”
-Checking vital signs often, such as blood pressure, temperature, and pulse
-Seeking numerous medical consultations or exams
-Emotional distress
-Avoiding situation that may make one feel anxious, such as hospitals
-Frequently checking one’s body for sores or lumps
-Worrying that minor symptoms mean you have a major illness
-Being frustrated with medical care or doctors
-An inability to be reassured despite good medical exams
-Strained social relationships
-Believing one has a disease or condition after he or she hears aor reads about it.

Hypochondria affects approximately 1-5% of the population, and affects men and women about equally, according to Mayo Clinic.

Although the cause of hypochondria is not currently known, certain factors seem to put some individuals at higher risk for developing the condition, including:
-Having a major illness in childhood
-Feeling vulnerable to disease or illness
-Death of a loved one
-A rigid belief that being in good health means not having any symptoms or sensations at all
-Knowing someone with a serious disease
-Having close family members who suffer from hypochondria
-Having an anxiety disorder

Hypochondria typically occurs in early adulthood, but its onset ca occur at any age, according to Mayo Clinic.

If you think you or someone you love has hypochondria, please seek professional help from a mental health professional.

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Sourcea:

American Psychological Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (IV-TR). (2000). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Mayo Clinic: Hypochondria