How do I tell if my physiological symptoms are simply heightened anxiety, or are the symptoms of an actual underlying medical issue that should be brought to the attention of a healthcare provider?

That is a very good question. You are in charge of your health care and what concerns you would like to bring with your medical provider. I would try to ask myself these questions: Do these symptoms bother you with your daily life functioning etc. are you concerned or worried about these symptoms and do they affect your quality of life? Even if the symptoms are bothering you a little bit, or affecting your quality of life, I would encourage to talk to your medical provider. They might be able to offer suggestions and insight to help you improve your overall health and well-being. Please do remember what you want to disclose to your doctor is completely your choice.

When your symptoms start affecting your life on a daily basis so that you can no longer do things as easily as you did normally, that is when you must seek help.

If you're not sure, it's better to ask. If you're experiencing doubt, get an opinion from your doctor or nurse.

There are a lot of physical issues that can be brought on by anxiety. I would say look up the symptoms of anxiety to see if what you're experiencing is on there, maybe run it by a therapist if you have one, and it never hurts to mention to your doctor that you're having some new physical symptoms. If it turns out to be just anxiety, then that's one less worry for you, and your doctor may also be able to offer you medication to help manage the symptoms and/or the anxiety itself.

There is no specific scale to measure that. However, if you or someone you know (someone close to you) gives you the hint/alarm that it is impacting your daily life... it is a good time to go to a spcialist. it may be nothing to worry about... but better safe than sorry =)

If you yourself are questioning the difference then it is a sign that you may need to address the situation as usually heightened anxiety can be spotted and affirmed. You can however address a professional to see the range of possible diagnosis.

If there are ever ANY concerns that symptoms may be related to a medical issue, always contact your healthcare provider.

The place to start is with talking to a family doctor to rule out any medical issues. The second step will be to consult a professional consultant.

I thank you for coming to seek support today. The first step I think is to acknowledge how you are feeling, what's going on and try to knuckle down on your emotions and behaviours. It's great your beginning to recognise some of this now and that you may need some support going forward. I encourage you to sit down with some paper and just get all of your thoughts out on the page. If there is anything that is truly alarming you then I suggest seeking help from a healthcare provider regardless of whether your thoughts lead to heightened anxiety or a potential medical condition. I hope you can feel better soon. I can support you if you need help to calm down and ground yourself for this journey to your answer. Stay safe :)