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Parents have been quite anxious to ask me what to do for their child or teen’s feelings of anxiety.

Let me try to put everyone at ease by sharing some details about this topic.

Anxiety is usually a normal reaction to the stresses of life. It is a form of stress that can show up in a child emotionally or can appear physically in someone through sensations like dizziness, a rapid heartbeat, difficult breathing or shaky or sweaty hands and feet.

Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety at one time or another. These feelings can range from a sense of unease to full-blown panic. Adults may feel it at work, but children can, too. This often comes when they are facing an important test or project or perhaps switching schools.

Some anxiety can be normal. This includes the stranger anxiety a baby may experience, separation anxiety that can happen to a toddler, or even anxiety due to preschool fantasies such as fear of monsters.

It may be that a real situation on the news such as a shooting or natural disaster can make a school age child anxious. If that anxiety persists and worsens, it can detract from a child’s ability to be happy and enjoy life.

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Worry or anxiety?

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How to tell when normal worry in your child is developing into more severe signs of anxiety or what we call an anxiety disorder:

¯ When your child seems to worry almost daily about one thing or another.

¯ They have trouble sleeping at night.

¯ You see your child showing an increase in irritability or trouble concentrating when this has not been a problem before.

While these behaviors can be due to other things, it is certainly worth sharing your concerns about these symptoms with your child’s health care professional.

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Ways to help your child

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Treatment for anxiety begins by listening and being there for your child. Additionally, it may likely involve counseling and ways to teach your child coping skills and relaxation techniques. Occasionally medication may be prescribed, but only after counseling has been tried.

The best way to help your child from becoming too anxious about something is to show you care:

¯ Be understanding, supportive and nonjudgmental.

¯ Talk openly about what may be bothering your child.

¯ Help them find new ways to cope.

¯ Encourage your child to exercise, eat healthy and get adequate sleep.

¯ It may also help to talk to your child about how you deal with your own stress-relief.

Hopefully tips like these will allow you and your child to breathe easier when it comes to recognizing and knowing what to do if you suspect your child is becoming too anxious.

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Lewis First, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at the Golisano Children’s Hospital at UVM Health and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. You can also catch “First with Kids” weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and MyNBC 5.