A rapid heartbeat. Nervousness. Trouble breathing. All these symptoms may suggest hyperthyroidism, but they can just as easily be pointing to an anxiety problem known as panic disorder. It's not uncommon at all for people with hyperthyroidism to be initially misdiagnosed as having panic disorder.

Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. People with anxiety are consumed with worry. Their worrying is disproportionate to the actual event and is frequently accompanied by physical problems such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, sleep difficulty, and muscle tension.

No one knows the exact cause of panic disorder, but the condition often develops after a stressful event. Panic disorder affects about 2.4 million Americans between ages eighteen and fifty-four. It often first strikes in young adulthood before age twenty-four and is more common in women than men.

People who have panic disorder suffer from unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear known as panic attacks. Symptoms include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling, dizziness, or abdominal pain. They may feel a sense of impending doom as the panic attack intensifies. Taking these facts into account, it's easy to see why hyperthyroidism is confused with panic disorder. The two conditions have similar symptoms, and both emerge in young adulthood. But if you have a family or personal history of thyroid disease, you might want to ask for a thyroid test before getting officially diagnosed with panic disorder. Hyperthyroidism can also exacerbate panic disorder.