Rapid heartbeat, also known as heart palpitations, is a medical condition that occurs when the heart rate races or pounds excessively due to several factors, such as anxiety. The heart rate is typically
Heart palpitations are common; a recent study suggests that at least one in every four adult Americans over 40 years suffers from irregular heartbeats. These include either exceedingly high or too low heart rates.
Main Causes of Heart Palpitations
There are a number of factors that can make a
- Anxiety, panic attacks, and stress
- Menopause
- Heavy exercise
- Low blood pressure
- Pregnancy or periods
- Excessive use of alcohol
- Decreased red blood cell levels (anemia)
- Decrease in blood sugar levels
- Abnormalities in body electrolyte levels
- Certain medications like stimulants and caffeine
- Thyroid hormones causing systemic disease
Sleep deprivation [3*] (can cause heart palpitations in the mornings)
Although heart palpitations can result from a lot of factors like those mentioned above, one of the most common causes is anxiety.
What Is an Anxiety Heart Palpitation?
Anxiety and heart palpitations typically go hand in hand. In some cases, heart palpitations might also present as a symptom of depression.
When someone has an anxiety heart palpitation, they feel their heart racing, fluttering, or skipping a beat. The heart feels like it’s pounding in the neck, throat, or ears. People typically feel this way after an anxiety attack, although intense excitement might also cause palpitations.
A brief explanation of this process may be as follows: anxiety affects the autonomic nervous system (ANS), triggering the
Note that having any anxiety disorder, bipolar, or other mental conditions may affect how a person’s body reacts to stressful situations.
When to Worry About Heart Palpitations
When a patient has heart palpitations from anxiety, it isn’t usually a cause of concern, so they may not need constant monitoring. Most heart palpitations last a short while, disappearing in seconds, minutes, or a few hours after the cause of anxiety has subsided.
However, there are some instances when a patient needs to worry about heart palpitations. For example, they can be of great concern if they present as a sign of
- The person feels dizzy or lightheaded
- Has persistent headache
- Experiences chest pain
- Faints when having palpitations
- Feels breathlessness and fatigue suddenly
An individual should seek immediate medical assistance if they have shortness of breath, pain, tightness around the neck, diaphoresis (excessive sweating), or an anxious feeling in the chest.
How to Stop Heart Palpitations Due to Anxiety
Anxiety-related heart palpitations are rarely dangerous and seldom require treatment. In case of an anxiety attack, the patient may only need to control the triggers causing the palpations.
However, this symptom can still make the patient’s life every bit uncomfortable. For instance, heart palpitation can affect sleep, causing insomnia. Therefore, patients must know how to stop heart palpitations due to anxiety or seek management tips from their doctor.
Lifestyle Changes
A person can treat and manage anxiety heart palpitations using not just therapy or medications but supplemental lifestyle and home remedies, including:
- Calming exercises. Patients should perform meditation or yoga daily to help their nerves calm down, ensuring they take deep, long breaths.
- Minimize stimulant use. Minimize the use of stimulants, such as caffeine or nicotine, especially at night. These substances have vasoconstrictive effects on the blood vessels leading to high blood pressure and increased heartbeat.
- Body positions. The patient should try to lie in either supine (facing upwards) or a left-sided posture to help control heart palpitations from anxiety.
- Healthy diet. To prevent heart palpitations in the long run, you can also eat foods rich in potassium (grains, leafy green vegetables, fish) and magnesium minerals (milk and yogurt, fruits, meat, and legumes).
Medical Treatment
Sometimes the patient’s heart palpitations due to anxiety may become so severe that self-help techniques will fail to reduce them. The doctors may therefore employ medicine to treat these conditions and will likely prescribe one of the following options:
- Beta-blockers. These meds cure heart palpitations by
slowing the heart rate [6*] , making it easier for the body to control heartbeat signals. - Anti-anxiety medications. For example,
benzodiazepines [7*] can help treat anxiety disorders and insomnia. - Cardiac ablation. It is a surgical procedure that creates tiny scars, stops abnormal electrical signals, and restores normal heart rhythm. It is usually done in extreme cases.
In Conclusion
Anxiety and strong emotional response are among the most common causes of heart palpitations. In most cases, such symptoms do not become a reason for worry. However, if heart palpitations often occur or become severe, consider seeing a doctor. Mental health experts at MEDvidi are ready to evaluate your symptoms, make a diagnosis, and offer a personalized treatment plan to help manage your anxiety and eliminate its impact on your daily life.
