Hypochondria
Introduction
Most of us worry about our health from time to time, and some of us have to manage serious medical conditions. But for some people, health worries become overwhelming and a problem in itself.
Hypochondria (health anxiety) is excessive worrying about your health, to the point where it causes great distress and affects your everyday life.
Some people with health anxiety have a medical condition, which they worry about excessively. Others have medically unexplained symptoms , such as Chest pain or headaches , which they are concerned may be a sign of a serious illness, despite the doctor's reassurance.
Others may be permanently anxious abouttheir future health,worrying about things like:"What if I get cancer or heart disease ?"
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 5 Jan 2017
Introduction
Most of us worry about our health from time to time, and some of us have to manage serious medical conditions. But for some people, health worries become overwhelming and a problem in itself.
What causes health anxiety?
There are many reasons why someone worries too much about their health. You may be going through a particularly stressful period of your life. There may have been illness or death in your family, or
Types of health anxiety
People with health anxiety can fall into one of two extremes: Constantly seeking information and reassurance for example, obsessively researching illnesses from the internet, booking frequent GP a
Health anxiety can be a vicious circle
If you constantly check your body for signs of illness, such as a rash or bump, you will eventually find something. It often won't be anything serious it could be a natural body change, or you could b
Have I got health anxiety?
If you can answer"yes" to most of the following questions, it's likely that you are affected by health anxiety andmight benefit from talking to your GP. During the past six months: Have you been pr
How your GP can help
Once your GPhas established thatyou do suffer from health anxiety, and there is noserious underlying physical cause for any symptoms you might have, theyshould investigate whether you might have a pro
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