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Health Anxiety in Older People - Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Health anxiety during old age can have serious effects and may interfere with daily activities. Read below to learn more about it.

Written byDr. Lakshmi Aravind

Medically reviewed byDr. Ramchandra Lamba

Published At July 4, 2023
Reviewed AtOctober 22, 2024

What Is Health Anxiety?

Anxiety or fear is a protective mechanism of humans that helps in sensing and avoiding danger. Health anxiety, also known as hypochondria, is a continuous obsessive worry about having a serious health condition. People who approach old age are the ones who experience health anxiety commonly. Due to extreme fear and assumptions, people with health anxiety often find it difficult to even execute their daily activities. They spend most of the time worrying about the disease they are having or the disease they might contract according to their imagination. Health anxiety is often related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Two types of health anxieties are;

  1. Somatic Symptom Disorder: It is a mental health condition where individuals concentrate too much on symptoms like pain or tiredness and may have abnormal thoughts, feelings, or behavior in response.

  2. Illness Anxiety Disorder: It is a type of health anxiety where individuals worry excessively about acquiring a serious infection or chronic health condition.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Health Anxiety?

Some of the common signs and symptoms of health anxiety are:

  • Worrying about their health all the time.

  • Getting scared or tensed about having a serious illness or getting one.

  • Excessive worry about a specific medical condition and always tensed about acquiring it.

  • Worrying that doctors may have missed the diagnosis or the lab tests show false negatives.

  • Continuously checking for any signs or symptoms.

  • Avoiding meeting people or going to places due to fear of getting infected.

  • Lack of interest in daily activities due to excessive stress.

  • Always talking about diseases and their serious effects.

  • Frequently taking appointments in clinics or hospitals to ensure there is no disease.

  • Constantly searching the internet about symptoms and diseases.

Who Is More Likely to Develop Health Anxiety?

The exact cause of health anxiety is unknown. However, various studies suggest the following types of people may develop health anxiety:

  • People who have family members who worry excessively about chronic diseases.

  • People who faced severe illness in their childhood.

  • People who lack the understanding of pain, sensation, and diseases. They might misinterpret even mild pain as a symptom of severe illness.

The following are the risk factors for health anxiety:

  • Experience major life stress or a tragedy.

  • History of child abuse.

  • Parents or other family members with severe illness.

  • History of experiencing major anxiety disorder or depression.

  • Overuse of the internet to know about diseases.

How Is Health Anxiety Diagnosed?

People with health anxiety are categorized under illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder. In most cases, health anxiety is diagnosed when the patient visits the doctor for other conditions they think they might be having. A doctor will take a detailed medical history by asking for signs and symptoms. Laboratory tests, imaging tests, and other tests will be conducted to rule out the disease the patient is suspicious of or any other diseases. The doctor will refer the patient to a psychiatrist when all the results come back negative.

The psychiatrist will do a thorough psychological evaluation and ask about family history, use of drugs or alcohol, stress periods, and symptoms of anxiety faced by patients. The patient will be asked to take a psychological self-assessment or questionnaire. After getting diagnosed with health anxiety, patients will be given counseling and advised to take the treatment.

What Is the Treatment for Health Anxiety in Older Adults?

The treatment of health anxiety will be started by a doctor only after ruling out any medical condition. Psychotherapy, like cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), is the most effective treatment for health anxiety.

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This therapy can help control thoughts and train the brain to overcome fears and panic attacks. Techniques in CBT include identifying negative thoughts, problem-solving, and self-monitoring.

  • Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy can help overcome thoughts and behaviors that occur due to anxiety. It works by exposing the patient to a stimulus they are scared of in a safe environment. Exposure therapy is very helpful in cases of panic attacks.

  • Stress Management Techniques: Practicing mindfulness, meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, etc., can help the patients to control their thoughts as well as relieve stress.

  • Medications: Doctors prescribe medications only if the psychotherapy techniques don’t show any improvement in the patients with health anxiety. Antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly used for health anxiety.

If the health anxiety goes out of hand or if the patient won’t seek treatment, it can lead to many problems such as:

  • Financial problems due to frequent hospital visits and medical bills.

  • Excessive worrying can frustrate family members, which can lead to relationship problems.

  • Difficult to concentrate at work and take leave frequently.

  • Difficult to manage daily activities and loss of interest in doing anything.

  • Health anxiety may end up in depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) if not treated.

How Can Older Adults Manage Health Anxiety?

There are many methods to help older people manage their health anxiety by themselves.

  • Keep a journal: The patient can note down whenever they are feeling symptoms, how often they ask others to check on them, and how frequently worries are coming in a day in their diary or journal.

  • Keep busy with other things. Tackling the mind by calling a friend or watching a comedy video when a negative thought comes is very useful.

  • Relaxing methods like yoga, guided meditation, mindfulness', visualizations, and music, can help relieve the stress that comes with health anxiety.

  • Regular exercise can prevent many diseases as well as help to sharpen the mind.

Conclusion

Health anxiety is common in old age due to fear of abandonment, excessive medical bills, or even death. People with a history of serious medical issues or a family member with a chronic condition may have an enhanced fear of acquiring the disease. To a certain extent being anxious about health can be beneficial as it may help in early diagnosis and treating it at the earliest. But if it reaches the level where the patient starts having imaginations and excessive worries regarding a condition, then it can cause complications. However, with the help of psychotherapies and self-coping mechanisms, health anxiety is a treatable condition.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is often regarded as the most effective therapy for health anxiety. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a goal-oriented, goal-oriented type of psychotherapy that focuses on recognizing and altering maladaptive thinking patterns and behaviors, when it comes to health anxiety, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) assists people in confronting and eventually overcoming their concerns, challenging illogical ideas about their health, and creating healthy coping strategies.

Health anxiety is quite curable, even if it may not be "cured" in the conventional sense. People are capable of learning how to control their anxiety and have happy, meaningful lives with the help of suitable therapies, such as counseling and occasionally medication. It is critical to get expert assistance to address the underlying issues and create coping mechanisms.

Although there are many potential underlying reasons for health anxiety, frequent ones include stressful life events, personality qualities, anxiety in the family history, past medical trauma, and excessive exposure to health-related material.

Certain personality features (such as high anxiety or neuroticism), a family history of anxiety disorders, a history of major diseases, women (who are frequently more susceptible), and those exposed to significant life stresses can all put an individual at risk for health anxiety.

Seeking professional assistance, participating in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to address illogical thoughts, utilizing mindfulness and relaxation practices, progressively facing fears through exposure therapy, restricting information seeking, upholding a healthy lifestyle, and establishing a strong support network are all necessary to break the cycle of health anxiety.

The phrases hypochondria and health anxiety are sometimes used interchangeably to describe excessive concern about one's health. Though there is not much of a difference between the two, "health anxiety" is a more modern and less stigmatizing name for what was once known as "hypochondria".

It is not accepted that anxiety disorders, such as hypochondria, fall within the category of OCD. Both conditions entail anxiety, but OCD is typified by unwelcome, intrusive thoughts (called obsessions) and repetitive actions or ideas (called compulsions). In contrast, health anxiety is mostly focused on excessive anxieties associated with being sick or well.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) does classify health anxiety, commonly referred to as disease anxiety disorder, as an anxiety disorder. It is typified by excessive and ongoing concern that one may have a major medical disease, even in the absence of strong medical proof to back the idea. Similar to other anxiety disorders, it can have a major negative effect on a person's everyday life and general well-being.

Yes, people with sickness anxiety disorder, also known as hypochondria, sometimes have actual health symptoms. Because of the strong link between the mind and body, increased stress or anxiety brought on by the worry that one may get very ill can show up as a variety of physical ailments, including headaches, tense muscles, and gastrointestinal issues.

It is often known that the mind affects the body, and psychological variables can affect how symptoms are perceived. Somatization is the term for this condition, in which physical symptoms are used to communicate mental tension or anxiety. It has less to do with purposely tricking oneself into believing that one is experiencing symptoms than it does with the psychological influence on bodily perception and feeling.

Seniors must carefully examine several aspects when selecting an anxiety medication, including current medical problems, possible drug interactions, and general health. Because of their generally favorable side effects, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as escitalopram and sertraline, are frequently regarded as safer pharmaceuticals for older people. They are linked to a decreased likelihood of specific adverse effects, such as anticholinergic effects, which might pose greater challenges for elderly people. However, individual reactions to medicine might differ, so seniors should speak with their healthcare professionals for tailored advice based on their unique medical requirements. Regular monitoring is necessary to evaluate the efficiency of the treatment and handle any possible adverse effects.

Anxiety symptoms may be lessened with the aid of several natural therapies. Among them are:


- Meditation and Mindfulness: Techniques focusing on the here and now can lessen anxiety.


- Frequent Exercise: Research has shown that exercise can lower anxiety and increase mood.


- Sufficient Sleep: Getting enough sleep is important since getting too little sleep might make anxiety worse.


- Herbal Supplements: Although there is conflicting scientific data, some patients report comfort from using herbs like lavender, chamomile, or valerian root.


- Balanced Diet: A balanced diet that includes foods high in nutrients and enough water promotes general health.

Brexanolone is a novel drug that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has authorized. However, it is crucial to remember that anxiety medication should only ever be administered by a licensed medical practitioner and used as directed by them. Incorporating non-pharmacological therapies like counseling and lifestyle modifications into an all-encompassing treatment regimen is also crucial.

Yes, actual physical symptoms are frequently experienced by those with sickness anxiety disorder, sometimes known as hypochondriacs. Even if they are not directly connected to a serious medical issue, these symptoms are genuine and can be upsetting for the individual. Usually, the symptoms are an expression of the tension and anxiety brought on by the worry that you may have a serious illness. People exhibiting these symptoms must get expert assistance to receive the appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

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Dr. Ramchandra Lamba from iCliniq
Dr. Ramchandra Lamba

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