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

Tips on getting a good night's sleep

Having trouble sleeping? Try our simple tips... >> More
Newsletter
 

Local Health News
inSpot in Florida
In Florida, there's an easy way to tell your sex partners you have a sexually transmitted disease (STD)....
>>More
Kawasaki Disease: What you should know
Dr. Catherine Lamprecht, the Nemour Infectious Disease Division Chief, talked about the Kawasaki Disease, the same disease John...
>>More
STD eCards
There is a new way to let a person know if they have an STD. Mirna Chamorro with the Orange County Health Department discussed ...
>>More
Nursing Industry Desperate To Find New Hires
Please, please accept a high-paying job with us. In fact, just swing by for an interview and we'll give you a chance to win cas...
>>More
Cover Florida Health Care
There's a new state-wide program designed to give you affordable healthcare. Alexis Brito shows us how it works and tells us wh...
>>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 - 2009 MediResource Inc.