MEDI2022 Lecture Notes - Physical Examination, Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor, Xerostomia
6 Nov 2013
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Document Summary
Anxiety serves as an adaptive mechanism to warn about an external threat by activating the sympathetic nervous system. It becomes pathological when: fear is greatly out of proportion to the risk/severity of threat, response continues beyond existence of threat or becomes generalized to other similar or dissimilar situations, social or occupational functioning is impaired. Types: generalized anxiety disorder: constant worrying, panic disorders: discrete episodes of severe anxiety with somatic symptoms, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, reactions to stress. Post traumatic stress disorder: anxiety sx following an event outside normal human experience. Genetics: up to 20% of patients" first degree relatives are affected. Physiological: over activity of sns with adrenaline and noradrenaline. Acth and cortisol are also : disordered activity of the limbic system of the brain involving gaba (anxiolytic drugs enhance gaba, 5-ht and na is release is . Events and stress may precipitate e. g. marital difficulties. Git sx: dry mouth, nausea, anorexia, dysphagia, diarrhea.
