HOUSTON  -- The symptoms of panic attacks are frequently confused by physicians with other problems, indicating a need for better education in the area, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who surveyed physicians on the topic. A report of their study appears in the online version of the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings.

"Because symptoms of panic attacks can be confused with those of other medical problems related to the heart and gastrointestinal tract as well as neurological problems, a lack of knowledge about panic attacks can lead to unnecessary referrals and tests," said Dr. Ellen Teng, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at BCM and clinical research psychologist at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Methods  A total of 238 patients in a hypertension clinic wore ambulatory blood pressure monitors on 3 separate days 1 month apart. At each clinic visit, BP readings were manually triggered in the waiting area and the examination room (in the presence and absence of the physician) and were compared with the mercury sphygmomanometer readings taken by the physician in the examination room. Patients completed trait and state anxiety measures before and after each BP assessment.

While the mental health hospital has treated 140,000 patients -- 5,000 of which were admitted for inpatient care in its 137 beds -- the hospital has seen a sharp increase in its foot traffic off the street.

In 2007, a total of 13,000 patients walked in seeking Access to Care, which includes both inpatient and outpatient services, but by November this year it has already seen 13,600.

"The bad economy has affected the number of people accessing our facility. The situation is very alarming, and our hospital's capacity is not growing," said Kelley Clancy, Alexian vice president of external affairs.

We've replaced the Blog system with a new one that is far superior to the old one.  As people with Anxiety a lot of us dislike change but the reality is that the world around us is filled with change that we will have to deal with so what a better place to test our ability to handle change than PS where we are surrounded by friends that can guide us, and help us cope with it.

This article will provide some basics on how to create a Survivor Blog.

Researchers at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research are studying the psychological and biological characteristics of children who have a parent with a current or past history of Panic Disorder. Panic Disorder is an anxiety condition that runs in families and has a genetic basis. People with Panic Disorder experience recurrent panic attacks and anticipatory fear of future attacks. The results of this study will be used to develop an intervention program for preventing panic disorder in children at risk.