Cardiophobics are constantly listening to their hearts, with metaphorical ears out for even the slightest change in heartbeat, pulse, or blood pressure. People suffering from severe cases of anxiety disorder can even have a panic attack at seeing just a picture of a heart.
A factor largely responsible for the persistence of the problem is anxious heart monitoring when experiencing stress and arousal. Despite repeated negative medical tests, people with cardiophobia continue to believe and ruminate in an almost obsessive fashion that they suffer from a life-threatening heart problem.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for many phobias, including cardiophobia, according to a 2020 case study. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful or self-destructive thought patterns and replacing them with more positive ones.
What is acrophobia? Acrophobia is a mental health condition in which the individual experiences an intense fear of heights. It's a type of anxiety disorder. A person with acrophobia experiences intense fear and anxiety when they think of tall heights or are positioned at a significant height.
Abstract. 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.
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.
Chest pain from a heart attack starts slowly and gradually gets worse, while an anxiety attack causes sudden chest pain that slowly improves. Many people find that anxiety-related chest pain goes away in about 10 minutes. However, other anxiety-related symptoms can last up to an hour after the pain improves.
The general reaction of the sympathetic nervous system that kicks in too is what tells you to flee or fight. Whether you stay or go, all of this begins to affect the heart's electrical system. It can cause arrhythmia, constriction of blood vessels (even when there aren't blockages) or spasms.
Anxiety and stress
Mental health issues, such as anxiety or stress, can cause your heart to beat strangely. And in a vicious cycle, having palpitations can also lead to more stress. You can take steps at home to reduce stress and anxiety to help stop the feeling of a skipped heartbeat.
Fear Is Physical
Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released. Your blood pressure and heart rate increase. You start breathing faster. Even your blood flow changes — blood actually flows away from your heart and into your limbs, making it easier for you to start throwing punches, or run for your life.
“The body can respond physically to stress and anxiety in a number of ways,” says cardiologist Talya Spivack, MD. “When stress hormones are elevated, your blood pressure may rise and you may feel heart palpitations, a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, or even chest pain.
Cardiophobia is the fear of heart disease or heart attacks. Cardiophobia patients engage in behaviors such as repeated medical consultations, monitoring their heartbeat, and avoiding certain situations. Treatment involves gaining the patient's trust and breaking the cycle of their obsession.
Self-help therapies
Simple breathing exercises can help with anxiety, such as taking slow, deeper breaths can calm the body's stress response. Mindfulness and meditation can be helpful ways to cope with anxiety. If self-help treatments aren't enough, other treatments are available.
Anxiety itself cannot kill you. Anxiety is a feeling accompanied by a physical component. The physiological changes caused by untreated long-term anxiety can lead to other illnesses that may kill you, such as high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, and increased risk for suicidal ideation and attempts.
Medical professionals link anxiety around death to a range of mental health conditions, including depressive disorders, PTSD, and anxiety disorders. Death anxiety is associated with a range of specific phobias.
Why are we scared of death? The reasons why death is scary are often related to the fears of the unknown, of non-existence, of eternal punishment, of the loss of control, and fear of what will happen to the people we love.
The difference is that, when extra heartbeats in the upper and lower chambers are the cause of abnormal rhythm, symptoms may feel like an initial skip or hard thumping beat followed by a racing heart. When anxiety is the trigger, heart rate typically increases steadily rather than suddenly.
Not only does anxiety and depression appear to be prevalent in patients with cardiovascular disease, but evidence suggests that anxiety could also be the cause of negative long-term effects on heart health, which could eventually lead to heart disease.
Anxiety could be linked to risk factors for heart disease, stroke and diabetes, according to new research.
Drugs.com lists irregular heartbeat as a side effect of Xanax use. It's not a drug used to help or treat this condition. If you or someone you know is experiencing an irregular heartbeat after using Xanax, you should seek prompt care from a physician.
The Rise of Smart ECG Devices
These ECGs can be applied to manage patients with anxiety, as they have been used to detect, monitor, and reduce symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Electrocardiogram. 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.
It's common to feel anxious after a life changing heart attack or surgery or when having symptoms such as chest pain. Anxiety about whether a device like a pacemaker or ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) will not work properly is also very common.