One common scenario I see in practice is patients coming back with the same concern, even after they’ve been reassured that everything is normal.
A typical example might sound like this:
“My blood pressure is high. I’ve checked it several times today and it keeps going up. I’m worried something is seriously wrong. I was here yesterday and told everything was fine, but it feels different today. I’m worried something has been missed.”
After a while, you start to notice a pattern. The same worries come up again and again, often with normal examinations and results.
This pattern is referred to as health anxiety.
Research suggests that between 2% and 13% of adults experience significant health anxiety, and rates appear to have increased in recent times (Kikas et al., 2024). When left untreated, health anxiety can become chronic and disrupt one’s daily life. For this reason, seeking help early becomes important.
In this article, I’ll go through what health anxiety is, why it happens, how to recognize it, and what kind of help is available.
What Is Health Anxiety?
Health anxiety is the excessive or persistent fear of having or developing a serious condition despite normal examinations and investigations (French & Hameed, 2023). People with this condition often misinterpret harmless physical symptoms like a new rash or heartburn as having a serious illness such as skin cancer or a heart attack. In some cases, they might have this worry even in the absence of symptoms.
Everyone worries about their health from time to time. And that isn’t a bad thing. Concerns about health are helpful so we can seek medical care on time and prevent complications where necessary.
However, health worries become a problem when they are excessive and start to interfere with daily life. Having health anxiety might mean being unable to live free of worries, and this might make it difficult to cope.
Why Does Health Anxiety Happen?
There are several reasons why health anxiety happens, and it differs from one individual to another. It usually develops through a combination of personal experience and thinking patterns.
Common reasons for health anxiety include:
- A past serious illness
- Seeing a loved one become ill or die from it
- High stress levels
- Depression
- Frequent seeking of health information online
- Frequent exposure to alarming health stories
- Personal or family history of anxiety disorders
The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased health-related anxiety worldwide, particularly in people who had underlying anxiety (Newby et al., 2020).
Research also suggests that genetic and personality traits may contribute to health anxiety (Park, 2026).
Women, individuals experiencing financial difficulties, and those with frequent hospital exposure have also been reported to have a higher risk of health anxiety (Gedik et al., 2023).
Is Health Anxiety a Recognized Mental Health Condition?
Previously, people with symptoms of health anxiety were often described as having “hypochondria.” That term is no longer used in modern practice. In 2013, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) replaced hypochondriasis with two distinct but related diagnoses: Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD) and Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) (Dhillon, 2024).
In Illness Anxiety Disorder, there’s an intense fear of having or developing a serious illness despite having little or no physical symptoms, and even after medical reassurance.
Someone with Somatic Symptom Disorder, on the other hand, has real and sometimes significant physical symptoms. However, the emotional distress and anxiety they experience are far greater than what the medical findings would typically suggest.
So while IAD presents as fear in the absence of symptoms, SSD involves symptoms with excessive health-related distress.
Health anxiety may overlap with other anxiety-related conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (Kikas et al., 2024; NHS, 2024). This means that someone struggling with health anxiety may also be managing broader patterns of anxiety at the same time.
It’s important to recognize that most people with health anxiety are not exaggerating or pretending. The fear feels real and urgent, even when medical tests are reassuring, and so is the need for support.
What Does Health Anxiety Feel Like?
Symptoms of health anxiety affect the thoughts, body, and behavior. They are:
Thoughts
- Constant preoccupation with illness
- Assuming the worst-case scenario
- Believing doctors missed something
Body
- Racing heart
- Chest tightness
- Muscle tension
- Stomach discomfort
- Headaches
- Tingling or unusual sensations
Ironically, anxiety itself produces these physical symptoms, which can then be mistaken for illness — leading to a vicious cycle of symptoms and worry (ADAA, n.d.).
Behavior
- Repeatedly checking your body
- Searching symptoms online
- Seeking reassurance from doctors or family
- Not reassured by negative test results
- Worrying about diseases you hear about in medical shows or the news
- Worrying your health could affect your life and relationships
While getting tested regularly might seem to reassure you initially, research shows that it can worsen anxiety in the long term (NIH, 2024). In some people, health anxiety makes them avoid their doctors for fear of being diagnosed with a serious condition (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020). Doing this can delay treatment if you do have an urgent condition.
When Should You Seek Professional Help?
The reassuring thing about health anxiety is that it can be treated.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a structured and short-term form of talking therapy, is usually considered the first-line treatment for health anxiety. It is highly effective because it helps you identify and challenge unhelpful health beliefs that fuel your fears. Over time, it helps you respond to physical sensations in a calmer way.
One important aspect of CBT, a technique called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), involves a process that lets you gradually face health-related fears while learning to tolerate and respond more calmly to anxiety. These exposure-based techniques have shown effectiveness in treating health anxiety (Damirchi et al., 2026).
Medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be considered in moderate to severe cases or when CBT alone is insufficient (French & Hameed, 2023).
Self-Help Strategies for Health Anxiety
Professional support is important, but there are also practical steps you can take to help you cope better with health anxiety. These approaches follow similar principles from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which has been previously described as one of the most effective treatments for health anxiety.
Start by Noticing the Pattern
One of the first things I often encourage patients to do is simply pay attention to how their symptoms present.
When do you feel the urge to check your body, search online, or seek reassurance? What triggered it? And what did you do next?
Writing this down, even briefly, can help you notice a pattern — and this is an important first step in breaking it.
Gently Reduce Checking and Reassurance-Seeking
Although it feels helpful in the moment, checking body symptoms often reinforces the anxiety pattern.
It’s usually more effective to reduce these behaviors gradually rather than trying to eliminate them all at once. For example:
- If you check your blood pressure or symptoms multiple times a day, try cutting down by one check
- If you feel the urge to search online, delay it by 10–15 minutes
Over time, this helps your mind learn that your anxiety can settle on its own, without needing constant reassurance.
Learn to Question Anxious Thoughts
Health anxiety often involves thinking of the worst-case scenario for a symptom. This is referred to as catastrophic thinking.
It is important to recognize this pattern of thinking and learn how to challenge it. For example, instead of accepting the thought that headaches mean brain cancer, you can choose the alternative that headaches are commonly caused by stress.
This isn’t about thinking positively, but about thinking more realistically (Berg, 2023).
Shift Your Attention Away from the Worries
With health anxiety, it’s common to become very focused on the sensations in your body. The good news is that simple grounding techniques can help redirect your attention. Some examples:
- The 5–4–3–2–1 method (naming things you can see, feel, hear, smell, taste)
- Deliberately engaging in an activity that requires your full attention, like walking
Use Calming Techniques for the Physical Symptoms
Health anxiety doesn’t only affect your thoughts. It also activates the body’s stress response, which can cause physical symptoms. Because of this, calming techniques like slow, controlled breathing, mindfulness, or meditation can help reduce these sensations.
None of these self-help strategies are quick fixes. But with consistent practice, they can help reduce the intensity of worry and the urge to constantly seek reassurance.
Final Thoughts
Health anxiety is common and can feel overwhelming. But with the right support and practical changes, it is possible to reduce the constant fear about your health.
If you notice your health worries are becoming overwhelming or repetitive, reaching out for professional guidance can be an important first step.
In addition to seeking professional support early, making intentional behavioral changes can help you respond to symptoms in a calmer way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Normal to Worry About Your Health?
Yes. Some level of concern about health is healthy. However, it becomes a problem when the worry is excessive and starts to interfere with your daily life.
How Does Health Anxiety Become a Cycle?
A symptom triggers anxiety, anxiety increases physical sensations, and reassurance provides only temporary relief — which restarts the cycle.
What Happens If Health Anxiety Is Left Untreated?
Health anxiety can lead to significantly reduced quality of life. You may start to struggle with concentration, work, or even relationships, and this can persist for years.
Does Health Anxiety Ever Go Away?
With proper treatment, many people experience significant improvement and go on to have a good quality of life.
Disclaimer: This article is for general wellness and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new medications or treatment, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or managing a medical condition.
