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Suggest Treatment For Stress, Tachycardia And Breathlessness
Question: Hi I had all my tests done by my second cardiologist a few months ago. Everything came back normal with a structurally normal heart. i passed my stress test achieving 90 percent of maximum heart rate. The 48 hour holter showed 400 PACS and 15 rare PVCS. I do suffer from health anxiety. The past few days I get episodes of tachycardia. I got up from the couch and carried my daughter up the stairs and I could feel my heart racing. I checked my pulse a few times and I got more anxious and my heart rate went up to 185 bpm. My cardiologist insists I have a healthy heart and my symptoms are due to anxiety. Is it possible for heart rate to go this high and more with anxiety?
Brief Answer:
anxiety can increase heart rate to even more then 200 bpm.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I completely understand your concerns.
Tachycardia and breathlessness are the most terrifying symptoms for a person having anxiety issues.
These symptoms cause the person to feel that something seriously bad is going to happen.
Since, your cardiologist has confirmed that your heart is healthy, I would suggest you to have faith in your doctor.
Usually, the abnormal rhythms cause the person to pass out.
Abnormal heart can cause swelling or edema in the stomach, legs, and feet. You can experience unique symptoms of trouble breathing while lying down and the need to use extra pillows to get comfortable at night.
Anxiety-related elevated heart rates do not cause the heart to weaken over time and these unique symptoms do not develop.
I would also suggest you to NOT keep checking or observing your heart rate all the time. This will further increase your anxiety.
Anxiety can cause heart beats even more than 200 bpm sometimes. This is due to adrenaline upsurge.
You can control racing heart by slow and deep breathing or coughing or drinking chilled water.
You can also consult a psychologist and learn progressive muscle relaxation exercises. This should help you.
Hope I am able to adress your concerns satisfactorily.
Feel free to ask further.
Thanks.
anxiety can increase heart rate to even more then 200 bpm.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I completely understand your concerns.
Tachycardia and breathlessness are the most terrifying symptoms for a person having anxiety issues.
These symptoms cause the person to feel that something seriously bad is going to happen.
Since, your cardiologist has confirmed that your heart is healthy, I would suggest you to have faith in your doctor.
Usually, the abnormal rhythms cause the person to pass out.
Abnormal heart can cause swelling or edema in the stomach, legs, and feet. You can experience unique symptoms of trouble breathing while lying down and the need to use extra pillows to get comfortable at night.
Anxiety-related elevated heart rates do not cause the heart to weaken over time and these unique symptoms do not develop.
I would also suggest you to NOT keep checking or observing your heart rate all the time. This will further increase your anxiety.
Anxiety can cause heart beats even more than 200 bpm sometimes. This is due to adrenaline upsurge.
You can control racing heart by slow and deep breathing or coughing or drinking chilled water.
You can also consult a psychologist and learn progressive muscle relaxation exercises. This should help you.
Hope I am able to adress your concerns satisfactorily.
Feel free to ask further.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Ho doctor thank you for your reply. It was very informative and I feel better knowing this. Is it normal for these heart rates to come out of nowhere. For example last night all I did was carry my kids into their room. My heart was racing a little so I checked my pulse and then it started going very fast again.
Brief Answer:
racing heart may arise out of no where.
Detailed Answer:
You are most welcome.
In many of the cases, the anxiety and panic attacks arise without any stimulus.
Many a times, there is no reason even for the first panic attack of life.
This racing heart may arise out of no where.
But when you feel slightly apprehensive about increasing heart beat and go for checking, this creates a vicious cycle of anxiety and rapid heart rate.
This further increases heart rate.
I would suggest you to NOT indulge in frequent checking of heart rate.
Even if you check, do it with your fingers on your wrist and not with a monitor.
This will help in fading the conditioned rise in heart rate due to using monitors.
Hope this helps.
I wish you well.
Thanks.
racing heart may arise out of no where.
Detailed Answer:
You are most welcome.
In many of the cases, the anxiety and panic attacks arise without any stimulus.
Many a times, there is no reason even for the first panic attack of life.
This racing heart may arise out of no where.
But when you feel slightly apprehensive about increasing heart beat and go for checking, this creates a vicious cycle of anxiety and rapid heart rate.
This further increases heart rate.
I would suggest you to NOT indulge in frequent checking of heart rate.
Even if you check, do it with your fingers on your wrist and not with a monitor.
This will help in fading the conditioned rise in heart rate due to using monitors.
Hope this helps.
I wish you well.
Thanks.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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