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
Dr. Joette Giovinco's health reports
Dr. Joette Giovinco is the only reporter on Bay Area television with an M.D. after her name. Watch her recent stories here....
>>More
Dr. Jo: Diabetes trials
Not only is it life threatening, treating diabetes is a major headache for sufferers who have to prick themselves multiple time...
>>More
Pa. Court: Nurse Can Be Fired For Sex With Patient
A hospital had the right to fire a male nurse for having consensual sex with a patient two days after she underwent heart surge...
>>More
CDC: Average ER Waiting Time Nears 1 Hour
The average time that hospital emergency rooms patients wait to see a doctor has grown from about 38 minutes to almost an hour ...
>>More
Dr. Jo: Kids and fiber
Think fiber and you typically think of foods for us grownups. But packing fiber-filled meals for your kids could help turn the...
>>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.