A 16-year-old male who fell while rollerblading is agitated and has tingling in his hands and tongue. What is the likely cause of his symptoms?

The symptoms of agitation and tingling in the hands and tongue in this scenario are most consistent with an anxiety disorder. In situations of acute stress or anxiety, individuals may experience hyperventilation, which can lead to decreased carbon dioxide levels in the blood. This state of hyperventilation often manifests with physical symptoms such as tingling sensations in extremities and around the mouth or tongue.

This specific combination of agitation and tingling suggests that the individual is experiencing a psychological response to a stressful situation, such as the fall while rollerblading. Additionally, anxiety often presents with physical sensations and heightened emotional responses, reinforcing that this is a plausible cause for the symptoms observed.

While other conditions such as recent head injury, hypoglycemia, or heat exhaustion may present with overlapping symptoms, they don’t align as closely with this particular presentation. A head injury might lead to confusion or loss of consciousness rather than isolated agitation and tingling. Hypoglycemia can cause confusion and other neurological symptoms, but it typically would not produce sensations like tingling without other more prominent indicators such as sweating or faintness. Heat exhaustion is characterized by symptoms like nausea and weakness rather than primarily psychological manifestations. Therefore, the agitation and tingling point towards the likelihood of an anxiety disorder being the