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Everyone feels anxious now and then. It’s a normal emotion. Many people feel nervous when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or making an important decision.

Anxiety disorders are different, though. They can cause such distress that it interferes with your ability to lead a normal life.

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What Are the Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders?

It depends on the type of anxiety disorder, but general symptoms include:

• Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness

• Problems sleeping

• Cold or sweaty hands or feet

• Shortness of breath

• Heart palpitations

• Not being able to be still and calm

• Dry mouth

• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet

• Nausea

• Muscle tension

• Dizziness

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What Are the Causes of Anxiety Disorders?

The exact cause of anxiety disorders is unknown, but anxiety disorders -- like other forms of mental illness -- are not the result of personalweakness, a character flaw, or poor upbringing. As scientists continue their research on mental illness, it is becoming clear that many of these disorders are caused by a combination of factors, including changes in the brain and environmental stress.

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Like other brain illnesses, anxiety disorders may be caused by problems in the functioning of braincircuits that regulate fear and other emotions. Studies have shown that severe or long-lasting stress can change the way nerve cells within these circuits transmit information from one region of the brain to another. Other studies have shown that people with certain anxiety disorders have changes in certainbrain structures that control memories linked with strong emotions. In addition, studies have shown that anxiety disorders can run in families, which means that they can at least partly be inherited from one or both parents, similar to the genetic risk for heart disease orcancer. Moreover, certain environmental factors -- such as a trauma or significant event -- may trigger an anxiety disorder in people who have an inherited susceptibility to developing the disorder.

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Source: WebMD