Heart problems or Anxiety

 

Introduction

The symptoms of a panic attack and a heart attack can be quite similar, making the distinction difficult. A heart attack can also cause anxiety or vice versa, which can further complicate the condition. If a person suspects they are experiencing a heart attack, they should seek immediate medical assistance. Both scenarios are quite significant, and it is crucial to identify which one is being experienced so that the appropriate treatment and management can be given.

 

Heart problems or Anxiety

Symptoms of heart attack

A heart attack occurs when a portion of your heart does not receive enough blood. This is usually caused by a blockage in any coronary artery that provides blood to the heart. The following are some of the most common symptoms of heart attack:

❖     Pain or pressure on chest

❖     Referral pain towards the jaw or down the left arm

❖     Shortness of breath

❖     Palpitation and tachycardia

❖     Unexplained profuse sweating

❖     Lightheadedness or loss of conscious

❖     Nausea and vomiting

Symptoms of panic attack

A panic attack can occur on its own or as a symptom of a panic disorder. Around 2–3 percent of people around the world suffer from panic disorder, and many more suffer from a panic attack without having panic disorder. Symptoms of panic attack are:

❖     Anxiety and terror strike unexpectedly

❖     Chest pain

❖     Shortness of breath

❖     Sense of impending disaster

❖     Palpitation

❖     Profuse sweating

❖     Trembling or shaking

❖     Dizziness or weakness

❖     Nausea or abdominal pain

Difference between a panic attack and a heart attack

As described above, the symptoms of both heart attack and panic attack are very similar, to differentiate between these two conditions, the main differences discussed and identified that:

❖     The chest pain in the heart attack is more like a pressure compressing the chest, dull aching pain, while in panic attack is sharp stabbing pain.

❖     The pain in heart attack will radiate to the jaw and left arm, while panic attack the pain is locally on the chest only.

❖     Heart attacks frequently occur as a result of physical strain or exercise, as for panic attacks, emotional stress is the common trigger.

❖     The symptoms in panic attacks usually last for a few minutes up to an hour, but heart attack will not relieve by itself until the blockage of the heart artery is removed.

The relation between heart attack and panic attack

It is unusual for a panic attack to result in a heart attack, but it is still possible. Anyhow, emotional stress has a part in both of these scenarios. Panic attacks and heart attacks can both happen during or after a stressful circumstance. People who suffer from depression, anxiety or chronic stress disease may have a higher risk of developing heart problems. Chronic stress can cause high blood pressure, which increases the chance of having a heart attack or stroke in future. If you are battling depression, you should know that ketamine infusion treatments can provide significant relief and help you turn things around.

 A heart attack may appear to occur without warning in a sudden. However, in many situations, chest pain caused by heart disease, known as angina, manifests itself in the days or weeks preceding a cardiac event such as heart attack.

Conclusion

Heart attack is considered a medical emergency. A panic attack, on the other hand, is not that urgent. However, because symptoms may overlap sometimes, it can be difficult to differentiate them. Therefore, do not take any risk. Seek immediate medical attention if you are experiencing some sort of chest discomfort or chest pain and other heart attack symptoms, or if you are unsure whether you are experiencing a heart attack or a panic attack. Occasionally, with the history, signs and symptoms alone can give us a hint of the diagnosis, immediate action can be done before presenting to the emergency department. Learning about the methods to maintain heart health and mental health allowed anyone to be aware of these scenarios and reduce the mortality rate due to related diseases.