Diseases/Conditions
Email Bookmark Feedback
In this factsheet:

Agoraphobia

Social Phobia

The Facts

Agoraphobia, meaning "fear of the marketplace" in Greek, is a type of anxiety disorder. It's a condition where a person feels intensely anxious about being trapped in certain situations from which they can't easily escape. The result is a feeling of panic. Movie theaters, long lineups in banks or stores, and buses or subways are examples of places feared by people with agoraphobia. They often end up avoiding these situations or only going with someone with whom they feel "safe." In extreme cases, they may end up housebound, terrified to go anywhere in public. Agoraphobia affects 3.8% of women and 1.8% of men in any given six-month period.

Causes

In many cases, agoraphobia develops after a person has experienced a panic attack (panic disorder). This involves feelings of intense, overwhelming terror along with physical symptoms such as sweating, dizziness, a pounding heart, and shortness of breath. Although panic attacks are unpredictable, the person learns to avoid the situation that seemed to trigger the episode for fear of having another one. Others may just feel uncomfortable in agoraphobic situations without ever having had, or going on to have, panic attacks. A few will go on to develop full-blown panic disorder. Agoraphobia is more common than panic disorder, which only affects about 1% of the population.

Next Page
Author: MediResource Clinical Team
Reviewer: MediResource Clinical Team
Sources
Print
Rate this article:

We recommend the following articles

Helping your body beat stress

Learn how to de-stress when you need it most... >> More
Newsletter
 

Local Health News
Troubled Teens Inserting Objects under Skin, Doctors Warn
Health officials warn about a growing trend among teenagers called "self embedding."Doctors say more and more children are in...
>>More
Measles Deaths Drop Worldwide, Report Estimates
Measles deaths worldwide declined dramatically to about 200,000 a year, continuing a successful trend, global health authoritie...
>>More
Study Raps Web Sites Touting Stem Cell Therapies
Consumers should be wary of Web sites from clinics that offer stem cell treatments, says a study that found a lack of firm medi...
>>More
Report: Young Doctors Still Too Tired For Safety
Doctors-in-training are still too exhausted, says a new report that calls on hospitals to let them have a nap. Regulations that...
>>More
Patient Photos Aid Docs Reading Faceless CT Scans
Imagine sitting in a dark room all day, evaluating CT scans and other medical images on a computer screen but never actually se...
>>More

  Advertisement

The contents of this health site are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition.

Site Map | Additional Information | Editorial Policy | Contact Us | About Us


Health On the Net Foundation
Health On the
Net Foundation

© 1996 - 2008 MediResource Inc.