Anxiety physical examination

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Vindhya BellamKonda, M.B.B.S [2]

The diagnosis of anxiety is mostly clinical, based on a thorough history and physical exam. Some of the physical exam findings in anxiety are tremor, tachycardia, twitches, sweating, restlessness.

• The following are the some of the physical examination findings associated with anxiety disorders:^[1]

^[2]

• The patient appears panicky, restless, anxious

• Dry mouth

• Cold, sweaty, tingling of hands and feet

• Shortness of breath

• Tachycardia, palpitations

• Tense muscles

• Dizziness

Complete mental status examination should be obtained for each patient with anxiety symptoms, assessing appearance, behavior, ability to cooperate with the exam, level of activity, speech, mood and affect, thought processes and content, insight, and judgment. Patients are generally oriented times 3 and cooperative. Mood may be normal or depressed. Affect is often preserved. Psychotic symptoms are not typical of uncomplicated anxiety disorders. Suicidal ideation should be assessed by asking about passive thoughts of death, desires to be dead, thoughts of harming self, or plans or acts to harm self. Homicidal ideation is uncommon. Cognition is typically intact with no impairment in memory, language, or speech. Insight and judgment are typically intact.