health anxiety vs fear of tests!

[backfromthebrink]

How do other people with health anxiety manage this?

I'm always worried about my health anxiety leading me to have more invasive tests or be exposed to more radiation than I want to be. Because obviously all that has a negative effect on your health and increases your risk of the big C later in life. It would be stupidly ironic if my fear of my health instead led to me getting exposed to radiation which leads to that!

So every time I get worried about something which might end up in these kind of tests, I end up trying to decide if Something (whatever I'm worried about) is due to health anxiety or if it is a Real Thing. If it's health anxiety then I should just ignore it and not go to the doctor and not pursue further tests. But then I worry it could be something real. If I knew it was just health anxiety, then I wouldn't be anxious in the first place.

I'm fine with tests like ultrasounds or blood tests or ECGs - all tests which are not invasive and have no radiation. I worry about x-rays and CT scans mainly. CT scans especially, as I've read they have v high levels of radiation.

I was wondering how other people with health anxiety manage this conflict of wanting to get things checked out and to know they're nothing versus fear of exposing yourself to radiation etc when it might not be necessary?

[almamatters]

Hi for me personally the need for reassurance is bigger than the fear of radiation. I had a brain MRI which my GP said was more than likely unnecessary to prove that I did not have a brain tumour. The radiation thing did cross my mind and so do the countless dental x rays I have had in the past, but reassurance for me is massive and I would rather have the small radiation risk than the unrelenting stress I have if I do not have tests. My HA is completely illogical and I would still push ahead with tests deemed unnecessary as it my only way of managing the fear of illness.

[backfromthebrink]

Thanks for your point of view. But relax because...

There is no radiation in an MRI! It's just a big magnet and has no known health effects.

It's CT scans and x-rays which have the radiation - CT scans far more of it than x-rays.

[almamatters]

Thanks lol , shows you how much I know, have never had a CT scan, but I have had a lot of x rays , especially when I was younger as I had a lot of dental problems.

[joelhall]

In all honesty education helped me. Before starting my medical degree I was a biological scientist specialising in human disease. The problem was the old adage 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing'. And it was true - since going more indepth I have had a realisation about things which stops me worrying. For instance today while doing my parents BP, I took mine: 141/79. Certainly nothing I should worry about. If I consulted Google I dare say it would tell me everything from isolated systolic hypertension to ischaemic heart disease. Thank God I have real medical books and training!

[backfromthebrink]

Thanks Joel, but how does that apply to the tests versus fear of disease thing? Are you saying that with education you realised that the tests don't carry that high of a risk?