Nearly 20% of adults in the U.S. have an anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety can affect people of all ages, but in adults age 65 and older, anxiety is often mistaken for physical problems, making diagnosis more challenging.

Dr. Gary Small, a brain health expert and chair of psychiatry at the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey said that anxiety in older adults is frequently misdiagnosed because its symptoms can mimic other conditions. "People often assume that anxiety disorders are purely mental problems," he said.

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"Although anxious older adults worry, they're irritable, they experience fear, anxiety disorders also present with heart palpitations, chronic aches and pains, trouble sleeping, and poor appetite. And that's why the diagnosis is often mistaken for a physical illness," Small shared with Newsmax's "National Report."

Anxiety can also worsen memory issues in older adults, and new research shows that treating anxiety earlier in life may reduce dementia risk later on.

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Small emphasized that while everyone experiences stress at times, chronic anxiety is different. "Certainly we all have our ups and downs in life, but severe chronic anxiety is debilitating," he said. "Yet there are effective treatments available. Anti-anxiety medicines, antidepressants, and psychotherapy have all been shown to be very effective." 

He noted that new innovative treatments are also being studied. "The gut microbiome — the billions of bacteria and other organisms living in our digestive tracts — produce neurotransmitters that affect anxiety," he said. "There are ongoing studies of probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary interventions targeting the gut microbiome."

Small is also editor of Dr. Gary Small's Mind Health Report.

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But lifestyle strategies can make a real difference, too. Small shared a three-step self-care approach: Recognize, Regulate, and Reframe.

1. Recognize the feeling. Notice when you feel anxious — maybe it's chest tightness, racing thoughts, or dread. "Then label it and say to yourself, ‘I'm feeling anxious right now,'" he explained. "Naming an emotion activates parts of the brain that control feelings and reduce their intensity."
2. Regulate your body. "Physical techniques can calm your nervous system," Dr. Small said. "Slow, deep breathing. Stretching. Walking. Soothing the body. These signal safety to the brain."
3. Reframe your focus. "Ask yourself, is the danger real or imagined?" he added. "Then shift your focus toward small, controllable action items. Make a list of tasks that are doable and ask for help. That allows the brain to move from emotional reactivity to problem solving, and that will reduce the spiral of worry."

For those struggling with anxiety, Small's book, "The Small Guide to Anxiety," offers practical strategies to take control and find calm.