The 5 Differences Between Anxiety And Heart Problems
“I felt like I was having a heart attack.” It is very common to hear this phrase said by those people who have suffered a panic attack for the first time.
And the truth is that it makes sense for them to think such a thing, since the symptoms are easily confused: in both cases, somatic activation, tingling, chest pain, tachycardia and choking are observed, among other symptoms. But there are differences that can help us determine if what is happening to us is just a product of anxiety or if we are facing a real heart problem. In this article We are going to observe some of the differences between both problems
In order to establish the differences between anxiety and heart problems, we should first take into account what each term refers to.
1. Anxiety
Anxiety is a state of restlessness, subjective discomfort of varying degrees which generally occurs in anticipation of a possible future stimulus, scenario or situation. In some people, a very high level of anxiety can end up causing one of what is known as an anxiety or panic attack.
In these situations, a high level of suffering and discomfort suddenly appears, in which tachycardia, pain in the chest or other areas of the body, sweating, tremors, a feeling of suffocation, tingling, and dissociative symptoms such as derealization or depersonalization generally appear. , lightheadedness and thoughts about the possibility of losing control or dying, often believing that one is having a heart attack. It is a very common phenomenon that does not have to be limited to a disorder (in fact, technically most of us will have at least one throughout our lives), which originates due to a hyperactivation of the limbic system that generates in its perhaps hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system.
When it comes to heart problems, There are a large number of possible alterations that could be taken into account to cause similar symptoms , but the most common thing is to consider the existence of angina pectoris or a heart attack. The most common symptoms include chest pain, a feeling of dizziness, fatigue and difficulty breathing, often preceded in men by pain and numbness in the right arm.
In women, the symptoms are more easily confused with anxiety, since the pain is not usually localized in the right arm but on a more general level. The causes are usually found in the presence of obstructions to circulatory flow, generally in the arteries.
Main differences between anxiety and heart problems
Below we are going to observe some of the main elements that allow us to differentiate between anxiety and heart problems. However, it must be taken into account that these are general differences, and in many cases it is necessary to perform an electrocardiogram and/or other tests to confirm the presence or absence of cardiac damage.
1. Type and locations of pain
People who suffer from a heart attack, the main heart problem with which anxiety attacks are confused , report having felt oppressive pain that occurs in the chest, neck and back, and in the case of men in the left arm. We feel like we are being crushed, and it usually gets worse with effort.
In anxiety, however, the pain is described as stabbing, as if something was stabbed in the chest. In addition to this area, pain can appear anywhere in the body, and unlike cardiac disorders, it is not linked to the effort we are making.
Symptoms of a panic or anxiety attack tend to last a few minutes , although in some cases it can be prolonged. There are various considerations in this regard, but in general they tend to last a maximum of ten to fifteen minutes.
In the case of the presence of cardiac damage or infarction, which The pain tends to last a long time and if it disappears it usually reappears shortly after
Obviously this does not mean that when symptoms appear we have to wait to see how long they last, since in the case of a heart attack, waiting too long could be fatal. It is necessary to go to a medical center as quickly as possible.
3. Respiratory disorders
One of the main differences that can allow us to distinguish between a heart problem and anxiety is linked to the presence or absence of respiratory disorders In anxiety, the presence of hyperventilation and a feeling of suffocation is very common, something that is not common in a heart attack.
In cardiac problems, breathing generally continues to function normally or there is difficulty in carrying it out, without it speeding up unless the heart attack itself causes the simultaneous appearance of anxiety.
4. Paresthesias and numbness
Another characteristic that is usually distinctive in both problems is hemiparesis or tingling (More information about hemiparesis). In anxiety it is common for us to find some numbness and tingling in the arms and legs accompanied by sudden pricks. However, in a real heart attack there tends to be uniform, unvaried numbness, often only on the left side of the body.
As a general rule, unless the heart problem itself generates an anxiety crisis in the sufferer, The subject who suffers a heart attack does not tend to have any type of loss of behavioral control
In anxiety, on the other hand, it is common for the subject to have feelings of strangeness and dissociative symptoms such as derealization, as well as the feeling that they cannot control their own body and emotions. The thought that he may be going crazy is also common.
