arousal, anxiety: what is this, causes, symptoms, diagnostics, treatment, prevention

Agitation; Restlessness

Arousal is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal.. An excited person may feel excited, excited, tense, confused or irritable.

Arousal symptoms

Arousal may come on suddenly or over time. This may take several minutes., weeks or even months. Pain, stress and fever can increase arousal.

Arousal in and of itself may not be a sign of a health problem.. But if other symptoms appear, it could be a sign of illness.

Arousal with altered perception (altered consciousness) may be a sign of delirium (delirium). Delirium has a medical cause and should be checked by a doctor immediately.

Reasons for arousal

Reasons for excitement, a lot of excitement. Some of them:

• Alcohol intoxication or withdrawal
• Allergic reaction
• caffeine intoxication
• Certain heart conditions, light, liver or kidney problems
• Drug intoxication or withdrawal (such as cocaine, marijuana, hallucinogens, phencyclidine or opioids)
• Hospitalization (older people often have delirium in the hospital)
• Hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism)
• Infection (especially in the elderly)
• nicotine withdrawal
• Poisoning (eg, carbon monoxide poisoning)
• Some medications, including theophylline, amphetamines and steroids
• Trauma
• Vitamin B6 deficiency

Arousal can occur with disorders of the brain and mental health, such as:

• Dementia (eg, Alzheimer's disease )
• Depression
• Mania
• Schizophrenia

Home care for arousal

The most important way to deal with arousal is to find and eliminate the cause.. Arousal can lead to an increased risk of suicide and other forms of violence.

After removing the cause, agitation can be reduced by the following measures:

• Calm environment
• Enough light during the day and darkness at night
• Medicines, such as benzodiazepines and, in some cases, neuroleptics.
• long sleep

DO NOT restrain a physically aroused person, if possible. This usually makes the problem worse.. Use restrictions only if, if a person is at risk of harming themselves or others, and there is no other way to control the behavior.

When to contact a healthcare professional if you are agitated

Consult your doctor, to inform, that excitement:

• Lasts a long time
• Runs very hard
• Occurs with thoughts or actions about harming yourself or others
• Happens to others, unexplained symptoms

You can also call the emergency number or go to the hospital emergency department.

If someone you know tried to commit suicide, call the hospital or local emergency number immediately. DO NOT leave the person alone, even after, how did you call for help.

What to Expect When Visiting the Doctor When You're Excited

The doctor will take a medical history and conduct a physical examination. To better understand the causes of arousal, the doctor may ask some questions.

Tests may include:

• Blood tests (such as a blood test, infection screening, thyroid tests or vitamin levels)
• CT scan of the head or MRI of the head
• Lumbar puncture (spinnomozgovaya puncture)
• Urine (for infection screening, drug screening)
• Key vital signs (temperature, pulse , respiration rate, blood pressure)

Treatment depends on the cause of the arousal.

Used literature and sources

American Psychiatric Association website. Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. In: American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013:87-122.

Inouye SK. Delirium in the older patient. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 25.

Prager LM, Ivkovic A. Emergency psychiatry. In: Stern TA, Fava M, Wilens TE, Rosenbaum JF, eds. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 88.