Anxiety Tests

While everyone feels a certain amount of anxiety and stress throughout their lifetime, in some individuals anxiety can become a chronic condition which is very disheartening and disruptive to their everyday life. This condition is known as an anxiety disorder in which there are several different types that include panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, general anxiety disorders, and post traumatic stress disorders.

When it comes to making a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, there are no laboratory tests that can definitively determine whether or not an individual has this disorder, however, a proper diagnosis can be made through a professional medical evaluation.

Medical Evaluation for an Anxiety Disorder

When a physician suspects that a patient may have an anxiety disorder, they will first begin an evaluation by reviewing their medical history and performing a physical exam. The patient's vital signs will be taken with special attention being paid to the blood pressure, pulse, and rate of respiration.

The physician will then typically ask a series of questions related to the symptoms of anxiety such as how the patient is affected mentally as well as physically and what circumstances or situations they think may be causing them. The patient will also be asked about other medications they are taking as sometimes certain medications can cause symptoms of anxiety.

The physician will also want to rule out any underlying causes such as medication or other medical conditions which could also be causing the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Laboratory testing may be done which includes a "CBC" or "complete blood count", "ECG" or "electrocardiogram", thyroid test, adrenal levels, and other specialized tests the physician feels are necessary. If all other medical conditions are ruled out then the physician may make a referral to a mental health professional.

Specialized Blood Testing may soon be Available for Detecting an Anxiety Disorder

Research that has been done recently showed a promising breakthrough in finding a specific diagnostic test for anxiety disorders. A Research team found that when testing the blood of patients with anxiety disorders that the levels of the enzymes "AChE", "BChE" and "PON" were abnormal in ninety percent of these cases.

While this test is not yet available commercially, a pharmaceutical patent was obtained for this blood test in February of 2009. This may also provide the clues needed to find better forms of treatment for this disorder.

Other research is also being done on blood testing which could detect the specific condition of a panic disorder. Researchers have found that there is a commonality among certain genes which are present in the blood of individuals with a panic disorder.

There are literally thousands of people who visit emergency rooms on an annual basis and undergo heart testing due to the symptoms of an anxiety or panic disorder which can also mimic that of heart attack, therefore, having these blood tests would be extremely beneficial in these situations as well as others when it comes to making the proper diagnosis of these disorders.