Is anxiety with Heart Palpitations real?

The relationship between anxiety and heart palpitations is evident as this emotion causes mental and physical responses from the brain in stressful situations. When a person feels anxious, the body activates a fight response towards it by increasing the heart rate, and this is where anxiety and heart palpitations is connected.

Typically the most common signs of anxiety include feeling nervous, uneasy, sweating, tension and sometimes also include an uneasy stomach. Though most of the anxiety episodes are temporary and end with a stressful situation, some episodes may last longer with few serious symptoms and even long-term health effects.

Human evidence says that anxiety may cause heart palpitations (Image via Pexels/Karolina Grabowska)

Hence, it becomes very necessary for us to know if anxiety with heart palpitations is a common event when we feel our heart rate increasing, and sometimes even skipping a beat. If this situation lasts for a long time, it may give rise to other diseases. In this article, we will try to know all about it.

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Anxiety With Heart Palpitations

Medical studies explain that anxiety is the body's natural response to stress and is a common symptom. It is the body's coping mechanism that the body uses to generate alertness during stressful or challenging situations. Someone with an anxiety disorder faces a situation when the body is overly reactive to stress. In this condition, a person constantly feels anxious and dread or may even experience sudden anxiety attacks without any warning and this can be very risky.

In stressful situations, the body activates the automatic nervous system (ANS), which is the body's involuntary response to cope with anxiety. The ANS works unconsciously increasing functions such as breathing, sweating, and digestion which results in anxiety with heart palpitations. The ANS consists of two types of nervous systems, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

Anxiety may increase heart rate (Image via Unsplash/ Robina Weermeijer)

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our bodies' fight-or-flight response. This controls how the body reacts to stressful situations. The sympathetic nervous system leads to temporary body changes during anxious situations. These include situations such as stomach pain, an increase in blood pressure, and an increase in heart rate.

The parasympathetic nervous system, known as the rest and digest system. This maintains bodily functions such as digestion when the person is taking a rest. It also reduces heart rate and blood pressure after a fight-or-flight response.

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work together to maintain homeostasis, which is when the body is balanced. And this causes anxiety with heart palpitations.

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Diagnosis Of Anxiety With Heart Palpitations

Anxiety with heart palpitations though is a common event and ends when the anxiety subsides. However, if it persists for a long time, it can be a symptom of several underlying diseases, and can be a major state of concern. Studies have shown that anxiety with heart palpitations is more common in people who experience a lot of daily irritation. Also, it affects those who are sensitive to sensations in their bodies.

Physicians to cure anxiety with heart palpitations will begin with a screening questionnaire, mainly with a Holter monitor, which is an ECG device that monitors a person's heartbeat for 24-48 hours.

(Image via Pexels/Tima Miroshnichenko)

Once the doctor confirms the reason for anxiety with heart palpitations, as per the individual's preferences, he may refer you to a therapist for treatment. The therapy for anxiety with heart palpitations may vary from person to person, and the treatment plan is personally designed.

The common forms of diagnosis include:

• psychotherapy
• medicine
• complementary approaches

Some treatments may use the combination of three of these strategies, to come up with the most effective form of diagnosis.

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Anxiety is a common experience for human beings and the body's response to stressful situations. However, an increase in heart rate is not only caused by anxiety. Numerous other factors that contribute to heart palpitations include stressful lifestyles, fever, anaemia, strong medications, hormonal imbalances, heart and cardiovascular problems, etc.

Anxiety with heart palpitations can be the symptom of some underlying cardiac diseases. So if your heart palpitations stay for a long time, it is wise not to ignore them. Consult a physician who can provide you with effective treatment. It will keep your heart health safe if you encounter a stressful situation the next time.