During the recent years, experts, psychologists and doctors have associated different meanings to the condition known as agoraphobia. Some resources may suggest that this condition is fear of being in an open place; some may suggest that it is fear of leaving a place of security. Moreover, other studies may define the condition as fear of losing control, of embarrassment and/or having no escape from a fearful situation.

However, even the intensity of causes of the condition is relevant from person to person. At first, the person may feel terror over simple issues such as waiting in line, or standing in the marketplace or driving. But in time, he may develop fear, which may then aggravate into a condition of panicking. Though there are physical causes for agoraphobia, experts are certain that it is not only by the situations themselves but also by the fear and dread for the results that may befall from such fearful situations.

Individuals with agoraphobia may experience certain frequencies of panic or anxiety attacks during the day. If this condition aggravates, it will become so debilitating and arresting that the individual may only feel security within his comfort zone, usually a room or several rooms in his home. During this period, he becomes a prisoner of his own "unconsciously restricted" radius of environment, feeling that when he leaves these securities, he will have serious attacks (where he has no escape from or which may be so embarrassing).

Fear of embarrassment and being incapable of escaping from a situation are so consuming that the individual may fear other things that he may associate with them.

Agoraphobia symptoms vary from patient to patient. Many people rush to hospitals and emergency rooms that have a variety of symptoms that are characterized with anxiety. However, puzzled caregivers who cannot identify what it is can mistakenly referred it as just simple anxiety attack. To reduce if not prevent instances like these, experts in the field gathered the most common symptoms of agoraphobia attack (such as listed below). In this manner, caregivers and doctors can familiarize the symptoms of agoraphobia to help the patient release himself from his own prison of fear:

* Abdominal distress

* Being incapable of leaving his home alone

* Chest pains

* Confused thoughts

* Depression

* Difficulty of breathing

* Dizziness

* Excessive sweating

* Fainting

* Fear of being incapable to escape from a specific environment or situation

* Fear of being left alone

* Fear of certain locations such as elevators, malls, etc

* Fear of crowd/s

* Fear of having panic or anxiety attack

* Fear of losing control

* Fear of losing temper

* Fear of transport

* Fearful or anxious display of behavior

* Heartbeat sensations

* Intense fear for death

* Intense fear for embarrassment

* Intense fear of becoming crazy

* Intense heart beat

* Involuntary twitching

* Lightheadedness

* Nausea

* Numbness

* Restriction of one's self to specific places (e.g. room)

* Shaking

* Skin flushing

* Social isolation

* Too much agitation

* Unexplained feeling of choking

* Vomiting

A person with agoraphobia may show symptoms that are closely linked with other phobias. The health care provider may better understand the condition if the person or the family of the patient will provide more comprehensive details to the symptoms. The health care provider will have a thorough examination of the symptoms given and if he cannot relate any of these symptoms with other medical condition and mental disorders, he may then express the disorder as agoraphobia.