It's a vicious cycle, and it's common.
February 28, 2024
When dealing with health issues, especially serious ones like heart disease, it's not just your physical health that's at risk.
It's natural to worry about the future, but worrying too much can take a toll on your mental health. Anxiety and depression can set in, and a lack of personal motivation and medications to treat those symptoms can negatively impact energy levels. These patients may become more sedentary, reducing their ability to do the things they need to do to improve their heart health.
In other words, the relationship between mental health and heart health is bidirectional. Heart problems can cause worry, and worry can eventually lead to heart problems.
“This is actually pretty big,” said Dr. Safwat Ghassis, director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology and Atrial Fibrillation Clinic at Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute. “There's a very strong connection both ways. Different types of mental health conditions can mimic or worsen heart problems, and vice versa. People with heart disease… It can seriously worsen mental conditions, including anxiety, depression, and paranoia.”
confusing symptoms
One of the keys to maintaining a healthy mind and spirit is having a strong knowledge base of symptoms, conditions, and medical history. To build that database, Gassis says, you need to talk to medical professionals to best understand what's happening to you, why it's happening, and how to treat it (such as the side effects that certain medications can cause). He said it is important to understand.
The tricky part is that symptoms of certain heart problems, such as palpitations and arrhythmia, can mimic mental health issues such as anxiety and panic attacks. Therefore, patients can confuse each other and worsen the situation. For example, a benign heart rhythm problem, such as an increased or premature heart rate, can be mistaken for something more serious, leading to increased anxiety, secretion of adrenaline, and faster heart rate. , the cycle may continue.
“If you have an arrhythmia in your heart, your heart may beat fast or irregularly. It's caused, for example, by a short circuit in the heart itself. But what they're feeling is palpitations, shortness of breath. , dizziness, light-headedness, tingling, and these are the same symptoms as a panic attack,” Gassis said. “I have seen many cases where heart problems are confused with panic attacks or anxiety, or vice versa, when what appears to be a problem with heart rhythm is actually a symptom of anxiety. Ta.”
When to ask for help
The first thing to do is determine the severity of your symptoms, Gassis says. If your heart rate is rapid and you own a blood pressure cuff or have another way to monitor your heart rate and other vitals, do it as soon as possible. That provides context.
More serious symptoms, such as acute chest pain or severe difficulty breathing, should be considered an emergency and help should be sought immediately.
“If you have someone gasping for air, really short of breath, having chest pain, and those symptoms are severe, it's best to get tested right away,” he says. “So it's the severity of your symptoms that determines that. Not every heart palpitation or feeling a little lightheaded means you need to stop what you're doing and go get tested right away.”
For example, if you experience painless heart palpitations or other heart palpitations while lying down at night, try to calm down and write down what's happening and if there's any pattern. Then, take that information to your doctor to determine what the underlying problem is and whether it is heart-related, mental health-related, or both.
Gassis said proper evaluation is important because it can lead to peace of mind. Patients who suffer from arrhythmia and the anxiety that comes with it are often prescribed a monitor to wear for several days or weeks to help determine patterns. Studying the results can give doctors a better understanding of what is happening and how best to treat the symptoms.
Having that knowledge and developing a treatment plan can go a long way in reducing anxiety. That's why addressing mental health and heart health issues at the same time can be “very beneficial,” Gassis said.
Related content:
The Medical Minute is a weekly health news feature published by the Pennsylvania State Department of Health. Articles feature the expertise of faculty, physicians, and staff and are designed to provide timely, relevant health information of interest to a wide range of readers.
If you have trouble accessing this content or would like it in another format, please email Penn State Health Marketing & Communications.
