Can I give myself a heart attack due to anxiety?

Can I give myself a heart attack due to anxiety? 99% of people who suffer from this psychological condition often ask themselves this question. If this is so it is due to an obvious fact. The organism in these states reaches extreme situations. Thus, panic disorders, for example, occur with extreme overexcitation, the heart triggers in a violent tachycardia and it is common to think, in the midst of anxiety, that one is about to die.

Is there then a real possibility that one could die in the midst of these situations? The quick answer is no, it is not common for this to happen. However, there are nuances that we must take into account. Thus, from Harvard University they tell us that anxiety disorders are a risk factor in those people who already suffer from previous cardiovascular diseases.

It is known that people who suffer from hypertension or who have previously suffered a heart attack have a higher risk of developing mood disorders with anxiety or depression. Fear, worry and anguish about one’s own illness increase psychological helplessness. Thus, in these situations in which “illness and anxiety” are combined, there is a high risk of more serious cardiovascular problems appearing.

Let’s know more data.

Can I give myself a heart attack due to anxiety? Factors that we must take into account

All people who have suffered anxiety at some point in their life have felt chest pain or, where appropriate, punctures in the heart. This mood disorder is characterized by a series of physiological symptoms as varied as they are intense. The most common are chest pressure, the feeling of not being able to finish breathing and, of course, rapid tachycardia. Thinking that we can have a heart attack due to anxiety is understandable.

However, one of the most common consultations in primary care and in hospital emergencies is precisely chest pain. After these situations, what there is in many cases is a panic disorder. They are repetitive attacks in which the person experiences devastating fear and intense physiological reactions that closely resemble a myocardial infarction.

However, such a heart attack rarely happens. After this experience, the patient receives the guidelines for taking anxiolytics and the recommendation to start therapy. Nevertheless, The question of whether one can die when experiencing anxiety is still present. Let’s analyze the issue.

If there are no previous risk factors, the possibility of suffering a heart attack is low.

From the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), an interesting study was carried out to assess this relationship. Can anxiety disorders cause cardiovascular diseases? To date, there is still no solid evidence of this. Hence, we can point out the following:

Experiencing anxiety occasionally does not cause cardiovascular problems. Phobias, panic attacks and anxiety in general do not lead to heart attacks, as long as we do not have other risk factors. And what are those factors that we should take into account? Hypertension.Smoking.High cholesterol and triglycerides.Diabetes.Leading a sedentary life.Suffering from obesity.Using drugs.Having a genetic predisposition to cardiovascular diseases.

I can have a heart attack from anxiety if I have a type A personality.

The American cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Raymond Rosenman established a very interesting typology in the 1950s. It was based on understanding Which personality traits were related to better or worse coping with stress and the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases?.

Type A personality is associated with a greater probability of developing heart attacks due to poor anxiety management. They are, on average, profiles with the following characteristics:

Very competitive people. They have poor management of emotions. Tendency towards irritability, hostility and bad mood. They live in a constant sense of alert and urgency.

Thus, studies such as the one carried out by Dr. Mark P. Petticrew from the University of London indicate that this type of profile shows a greater impact in terms of heart disease.

Generalized anxiety disorder and heart disease

If we wonder if we can have a heart attack due to anxiety, it is important to consider one aspect. There is a greater risk of suffering from heart problems if we suffer from generalized anxiety disorder.. In these situations, we have a state in which anxiety can last for years in a person. If you do not receive help, the deterioration of your health can be very high.

Research work such as the one carried out at the Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston) speaks of this relationship.

How to differentiate a heart attack from an anxiety attack

The fear of suffering a heart attack is one of the most common fears in people who suffer from anxiety. It is important to differentiate the symptoms, to discriminate one state from the other for our safety and well-being.. Therefore, these would be the main characteristics of each one:

Heart attack symptoms

Constant chest pain that radiates to the jaw, neck and left arm. That pain, unlike anxiety, goes beyond 15 secondsSweats, dizziness and even fainting. Pain also appears when we make an effort. Constant discomfort similar to indigestion.

Symptoms of anxiety or a panic attack

Chest pain lasts 10 to 15 seconds. hyperventilation.Sensations of strangeness and dissociative symptoms such as derealization. The person has the feeling that they cannot control their body or emotions.

To conclude, the best thing in all cases is to learn to manage our anxiety and not let these conditions become chronic. Taking care of psychological and physical health will improve cardiovascular health.

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