The Effect of Anxiety on the Heart Rapid heart rate (tachycardia) – In serious cases, can interfere with normal heart function and increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Increased blood pressure – If chronic, can lead to coronary disease, weakening of the heart muscle, and heart failure.
Those with an anxiety disorder have most likely experienced a panic or anxiety attack at some point in their lives. The symptoms can closely mimic heart attacks for some people—they may feel chest pain, shortness of breath and heart palpitations, or a racing heartbeat.
Panic disorder is associated with elevated rates of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, cardiomyopathy, and, possibly, sudden cardiac death. Furthermore, patients with panic disorder and chest pain have high rates of functional disability and medical service utilization.
Both panic and heart attacks cause chest discomfort, but there is a difference. “With a heart attack, pain radiates to other areas like the arm, jaw or neck,” Dr. Miller says. “If it's a panic attack,” she notes, “pain will typically stay in the chest.”
Cardiophobia is defined as an anxiety disorder of persons characterized by repeated complaints of chest pain, heart palpitations, and other somatic sensations accompanied by fears of having a heart attack and of dying.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. The ECG reflects what's happening in different areas of the heart and helps identify any problems with the rhythm or rate of your heart. The ECG is painless and takes around 5-10 minutes to perform.
A heart attack may strike suddenly, but most people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks beforehand. One of the earliest warning signs of an impending heart attack is chest pain, or angina, that occurs repeatedly because of exertion and is then eased by rest.
Abnormal ECG Findings Caused by Anxiety
In patients without a known clinical history of anxiety or other mental health concerns, short-term nervousness can also disrupt ECG readings. In one case study from the Egyptian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, such apprehension led to reported quadrigeminy in all ECG leads.
Anxiety attack symptoms include:
Surge of overwhelming panic. Feeling of losing control or going crazy. Heart palpitations or chest pain. Feeling like you're going to pass out.
Signs of a heart attack include:
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. - Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort. - Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. (If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.)
Common heart attack symptoms include: Chest pain that may feel like pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing or aching. Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth or sometimes the upper belly. Cold sweat.
“I understand that heart attacks have beginnings and on occasion, signs of an impending heart attack may include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, shoulder and/or arm pain and weakness. These may occur hours or weeks before the actual heart attack.
With urgent treatment, most people will recover from a heart attack and can live fulfilling lives. Making healthful lifestyle choices and following the recommended treatment plan can reduce the risk of experiencing future heart attacks.
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
The duration of a silent heart attack can vary. If symptoms do present, a person should seek medical attention immediately. When blood flow to the heart stops for around 15 minutes, the heart can become damaged. After about 30 minutes, the damage is irreversible.
Someone experiencing a heart attack may have several symptoms including: Chest pain or discomfort that doesn't go away in a few minutes. Pain in the jaw, neck or back. Pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulders.
Here's a surprising fact: nearly half of people who have a heart attack don't realize it at the time. These so-called silent heart attacks are only diagnosed after the event, when a recording of the heart's electrical activity (an electrocardiogram or ECG) or another test reveals evidence of damage to the heart.
People who have a silent heart attack have symptoms not normally associated with a heart attack, mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. They may not realize they've had a heart attack. With a silent heart attack, symptoms can make you feel like: You have the flu.
You can have a heart attack and not even know it. A silent heart attack, known as a silent myocardial infarction (SMI), account for 45% of heart attacks and strike men more than women.