Do You Suffer From Occasional Panic Attacks or Anxiety?
When you feel like your beginning to breathe very rapidly and complain that your heart is jumping around in your chest, you may be experiencing a panic attack. Such rapid pulse and shortness of breath of a panic attack can feel like a heart attack and may signal brewing heart trouble, a study of more than 3,000 older women reveals. Episodes of a panic attack are frightening and may occur at random or after a person is exposed to various events that may trigger the condition.
Based on the study, women who reported at least one full-blown panic attack during a six-month period were three times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke over the next five years than women who didn’t report a panic attack. After taking into account other risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, inactivity, and depression, researchers have also found out that emotional and mental health issues characterized by fear, hostility, and anxiety which have been linked to previous research on heart problems, said study co-author Dr. Jordan Smoller of Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital.
“Postmenopausal women who are experiencing panic attacks may be a subgroup with elevated risk,” Smoller said. She added that monitoring the health condition of postmenopausal women is critical to the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Monday’s Archives of General Psychiatry published the study which wasn’t designed to explain the link but speculated that a panic attack may trigger heart rhythm problems or that stress hormones released during an attack may harm the heart.
Susie Rissler, 51, of Terre Haute, Indiana, wasn’t a bit surprised by the study. She’s been a panic attack sufferer since childhood who had already experienced three mini-strokes. “You feel like the whole world is caving in,” Rissler said of her panic attacks, which can include symptoms like racing heartbeat and chest pains. “I’ve had shaking, sweating, curling up in a ball totally afraid to even look around. Panic attacks can really destroy a person in a lot of different ways,” she said.
According to Smoller, some of the reported panic symptoms such as racing heart, chest pain, or shortness of breath, experienced as a panic attack, may have been heart problems in disguise and may have been caused by an undiagnosed heart problem. “One study doesn’t settle a question,” he cautioned. Smoller said that the number of events seen in this sample was still relatively small.
From 1997-2000, the study enrolled 3,243 women and followed them for five years. Forty-one in the analysis had a heart attack or death from a heart issue. According to Dr. Joann Manson of Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital who is not part of the group, though the weak point of the research study might be its dependence on the ladies’ memories, rather than medical professionals’ medical diagnoses, it’s more most likely that the findings point to a genuine connection in between panic and heart issues.
“It does loop extremely well with what we understand about the biology and physiology of the tension hormonal agents,” Manson stated. “I believe it does recommend that this is something to talk about with your medical professional,” Manson stated.
You might be experiencing a panic attack when you feel like your starting to breathe extremely quickly and grumble that your heart is leaping around in your chest. Such quick pulse and shortness of breath of an anxiety attack can seem like cardiovascular disease and might signify a developing heart difficulty, a research study of more than 3,000 older ladies exposes. Episodes of an anxiety attack are frightening and might take place at random or after an individual is exposed to different occasions that might activate the condition.
Based upon the research study, ladies who reported a minimum of one full-blown anxiety attack throughout a six-month duration were 3 times most likely to have cardiovascular disease or stroke over the next 5 years than females who didn’t report an anxiety attack. After taking into consideration other threat aspects such as cigarette smoking, high blood lack of exercise, anxiety, and pressure, scientists have actually likewise discovered that psychological and psychological health problems characterized by worry, hostility, and stress and anxiety which have actually been connected to previous research study on heart issues, stated research study co-author Dr. Jordan Smoller of Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital.
“Postmenopausal ladies who are experiencing anxiety attack might be a subgroup with a raised threat,” Smoller stated. She included that keeping track of the health condition of postmenopausal ladies is crucial to the decrease of the danger of heart disease.
Monday’s Archives of General Psychiatry released the research study which wasn’t created to discuss the link however hypothesized that an anxiety attack might activate heart rhythm issues or those tension hormonal agents launched throughout an attack might hurt the heart.
“You feel like the entire world is caving in,” Rissler stated of her panic attacks, which can consist of signs like racing heartbeat and chest discomforts. Panic attacks can truly ruin an individual in a lot of various methods,” she stated.
According to Smoller, a few of the reported panic signs such as racing heart, chest discomfort, or shortness of breath, experienced as an anxiety attack might have been heart issues in camouflage and might have been brought on by an undiagnosed heart issue. “One research study does not settle a concern,” he warned. Smoller stated that the variety of occasions seen in this sample was still reasonably little.
Do You Suffer From Occasional Panic Attacks or Anxiety?