US Medical Term · mental-health
Anxiety Disorder
Trastorno de ansiedad
What it means
An anxiety disorder is a condition in which a person has anxiety that does not go away and can get worse over time. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness, and it can be a normal reaction to stress, but the National Institute of Mental Health notes that anxiety disorders involve more than occasional worry or fear. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships. The National Cancer Institute's dictionary says other symptoms may include sweating, restlessness, irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, trouble sleeping, a fast heartbeat, and dizziness. There are several types, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobias. To diagnose anxiety disorders, a health care provider asks about symptoms and medical history.
Anxiety Disorder in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Trastorno de ansiedad
- Gender and article
- masculine: el trastorno de ansiedad (plural: los trastornos de ansiedad)
- Pronunciation
- trahs-TOR-noh deh ahn-syeh-DAHD
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| trastornos de ansiedad | General | Plural form; MedlinePlus en español uses it for the group of conditions. |
| ansiedad | General | Title of the MedlinePlus en español page that covers anxiety disorders; on its own the word names the feeling. |
| angustia | General | Listed by MedlinePlus en español under "Otros nombres" for its Ansiedad page. |
Trastorno de ansiedad is the entry name in the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, and the head noun trastorno makes it masculine: un trastorno de ansiedad. MedlinePlus en español covers the subject on a page titled Ansiedad and speaks of the group in the plural, los trastornos de ansiedad. The word ansiedad on its own names the feeling, which MedlinePlus en español defines as un sentimiento de miedo, temor e inquietud that can be a normal reaction to stress.
The other names MedlinePlus en español lists for that page include angustia, miedo and nerviosismo. The types it names are trastorno de ansiedad generalizada, trastorno de pánico and fobias; the NCI dictionary adds trastorno de angustia in parentheses after trastorno de pánico. Treatment words on the same MedlinePlus page are psicoterapia (terapia de conversación), terapia cognitivo-conductual, medicamentos contra la ansiedad and grupos de apoyo (support groups). For physical symptoms it writes mareos (dizziness) and falta de aire (shortness of breath).
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | I worry almost every day, and I can't control it. | Me preocupo casi todos los días, y no puedo controlarlo. |
| Clinician | How long have you felt this way? | ¿Desde hace cuánto se siente así? |
| Patient | For more than six months. My heart races and I get short of breath. | Desde hace más de seis meses. El corazón me late muy rápido y me falta el aire. |
| Clinician | Does the anxiety interfere with your work, school, or relationships? | ¿La ansiedad interfiere con su trabajo, sus estudios o sus relaciones? |
| Patient | Yes, I have started avoiding things I used to do. | Sí, he empezado a evitar cosas que antes hacía. |
| Clinician | How much caffeine do you have in a day? | ¿Cuánta cafeína consume al día? |
| Clinician | I am going to order some lab tests to make sure another health problem is not the cause. | Voy a pedirle unas pruebas de laboratorio para verificar que otro problema de salud no sea la causa. |
| Patient | My mother had an anxiety disorder. Could that be related? | Mi madre tuvo un trastorno de ansiedad. ¿Podría estar relacionado? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Anxiety Disorder |
| Spanish (Español) | Trastorno de ansiedad |
| Chinese (中文) | 焦慮症 |
| Korean (한국어) | 불안장애 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Rối loạn lo âu |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Karamdamang pangamba |
| Portuguese (Português) | Transtorno de ansiedade |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | โรควิตกกังวล |
| Japanese (日本語) | 不安障害 |
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
ICD-10-CM code: F41 → Other anxiety disordersRelated terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Mental health
All terms in this area: Mental health — Salud mental
Sources
- Anxiety — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Ansiedad — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Anxiety Disorders — National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH
- anxiety disorder — NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms — National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
- trastorno de ansiedad — Diccionario de cáncer del NCI — National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 7, 2026