Dr. Susan J. Werner, MD

Anxiety is a generic name given to a variety of conditions characterized by unusual amounts of fear and worry, especially unrealistic fears and tension. People who suffer from anxiety often are aware that their fears are irrational, but that knowledge does not make the feeling of being scared and anxious go away. To qualify as anxiety, symptoms must last for 6 months or more and interfere with the way a person lives their daily life. Some cases may be mild, where, for example, a person simply avoids certain situations. Other cases can be severe enough to be disabling.

Some of the specific conditions covered under the general label of anxiety include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Phobias
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Social phobia
• Panic disorder

Asthma is a chronic lung disease where the tissue and airways of the lungs become extremely sensitive to certain substances. When these substances are breathed in, the lungs become inflamed. The muscles around the airways tighten and squeeze the lungs, and passages within the lungs swell and tighten. The airways themselves produce mucus, which further clogs the tightened, swollen airways. A person having an asthma attack finds it very difficult to breathe, and a severe attack can even be fatal.

Asthma affects people of all ages, but people with asthma are most often diagnosed as children. Symptoms can include wheezing, a tight feeling in the chest, shortness of breath, and coughing. Some people have mild symptoms all the time, and some people have no symptoms at all, but everyone with asthma is susceptible to occasional severe attacks or flare-ups of symptoms when they are exposed to triggers. Triggers vary widely but can include:

• Allergens (dust mites, pet fur, mold, pollen, grass)
• Irritants (smoke, pollution, dust, chemicals)
• Viral infections
• Physical activity, especially outdoors
• Certain medications or chemicals in foods (aspirin, sulfites)

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is one of the most common disorders diagnosed in children. It is characterized by hyperactivity and difficulty maintaining focus or paying attention. ADHD may last into adulthood for some patients. Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with this condition than girls, although medical experts are unsure why this is. ADHD symptoms include:

• Forgetfulness in home, school, and work activities
• Inability to sustain focus for longer periods of time
• Frequent distraction by other stimuli
• Tendency to fidget and squirm
• Excessive talk and movements

There are three main types of ADHD:

• Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive types show symptoms such as constant fidgeting, talking non-stop, touching everything, having trouble sitting still and waiting their turn, and interrupting others.
• Predominantly inattentive types are easily distracted or bored. They may wander off during tasks, forget instructions, daydream, or appear not to be listening. This type sometimes goes undiagnosed as children with it are not hyperactive and may have few behavioral issues.
• Combined types show symptoms from both categories. This type is the most common type of ADHD.