Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. However, excessive anxiety can lead to an anxiety attack. The symptoms of excessive anxiety are similar to those of a heart attack. You may feel shortness of breath, pain in your chest, dizziness, racing heartbeat, nausea or sweating. If you live in Sugar Land, Texas, and are experience these symptoms, it is important to seek Sugar Land emergency treatment as soon as possible.
The medical professionals at a Sugar Land emergency clinic can sort out symptoms and conduct appropriate tests to determine if you are suffering from anxiety or having a heart attack. For either condition, medical treatment can ease symptoms, help you learn how to live a healthy lifestyle and suggest ways to reduce stress.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is the body’s way of dealing with a perceived threat or fear. If you worry constantly, are apprehensive or fearful in normal daily situations, you may have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety can affect your work, social life, health and personal interactions. Common symptoms include:
- Rapid breathing
- Difficulty sleeping
- Sweating
- Increased heart rate
- Feeling of impending doom or danger
- Nervousness or tension
- Nausea or other digestive system problems
More than 40 million people in the U.S. suffer from excessive anxiety. However, fewer than 37 percent seek medical treatment. People with anxiety disorders are more likely to suffer from depression or have other health problems and disorders that affect normal life.
Anxiety is treatable. The first step is recognizing that you have a problem and seeking help. After evaluating your overall health and symptoms, your doctor may recommend counseling, exercise, medication, relaxation techniques or cognitive behavioral therapy. Addressing the problem reduces the likelihood of having to seek Sugar Land emergency treatment for health problems that can worsen with excessive stress.
When to Seek Medical Attention
If you experience the symptoms discussed above, seek Sugar Land emergency care immediately. The symptoms of heart attacks in women often resemble anxiety attacks. Medical evaluation is the only way to determine whether you are having a heart attack. For both men and women, it is important to have appropriate tests as soon as possible to diagnose the problem.
Our Sugar Land emergency facility is staffed with board-certified doctors who treat emergencies ranging from allergies to heart failure. In contrast to many Sugar Land hospital emergency rooms where waiting can be hours, we usually see patients within five minutes of arrival. St. Michael’s Emergency Room’s diagnostic lab operates 24 hours a day.
If you feel excessive anxiety, have thoughts of suicide or think you may be having a heart attack, come to St. Michael’s Emergency Room immediately. For more information, feel free to call us at 281.980.4357. Many patients preregister with our Sugar Land emergency clinic to make sure personal information is already on file in the instance that you need care.