Search is Powered by Google
Follow us on:
Follow our health news on Twitter
Follow Our News on Facebook
Personalization
login | register
Mental Health News

What Is Claustrophobia?

rate icon Featured Article
Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry;  Depression;  Bipolar
Article Date: 03 Feb 2006 - 16:00 PDT

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions


Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:3 and a half stars

3.46 (92 votes)

Health Professional:3 and a half stars

3.36 (55 votes)

Article Opinions: 2 posts

Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder in which someone has an intense and irrational fear of confined or enclosed spaces. A person who suffers from claustrophobia may break into a panic when inside a lift (elevator), a bus, an aeroplane, a room with lots of people or any confined space.

What are the symptoms?

These symptoms may be relevant to many types of phobias (irrational fears):

-- Sweating
-- Accelerated heart rate
-- Hyperventilation, or 'over-breathing'
-- Shaking
-- Light-headedness
-- Nausea
-- Fainting
-- Fear of actual harm or illness.

A person with claustrophobia may:

-- When entering a room, start checking for where the exits are. Position himself/herself near the exits. Feel very uneasy when all the doors are shut.

-- Avoid driving or entering a car during times of day when traffic is most likely to be congested.

-- Opt for using the stairs rather than the lift (elevator). The reason being fear, rather than the extra exercise.

-- Stand near the door at a crowded party - even if it is a large and spacious room.

-- Panic when a door is closed and he/she is inside (more severe).

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today




Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Hemophilia Opioid Induced Constipation Pneumococcal Disease ADHD Anxiety Asthma Atrial Fibrillation Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles

Ophthalmology Urology
About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

add medical news today to your facebook
medical news gadget

Haiti Appeal

Haiti Appeal Image
The severe earthquake that struck Haiti has inflicted damage and devastation on a massive scale. Please donate to the Doctors Without Borders Haiti Appeal.

PLEASE DONATE HERE


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
Targacept Presents Data From Highly Successful Phase 2b Trial Of TC-5214 As Augmentation Treatment For Major Depressive Disorder
16 Oct 2009
Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as NNR Therapeutics™, today announced the presentation of data from its recently completed Phase 2b...


Stress and Sports image Stress and Sports

Many people turn to sports to unwind, but the pressure of competition can turn otherwise relaxing pursuits into sources of stress (and affect your game, too). Our panel of experts will discuss what you can do to make sure your sports life helps, rather than hurts, your state of mind...

Seasonal Depression image Seasonal Depression

Every winter, when the days get shorter, people with seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD, experience depression. Learn how light can help chase away the winter blues...

View more videos...