Learn how to calm heart palpitations and anxiety

Do you feel suddenly rapid heartbeats or your heart skipped a beat? All these sensations that you feel are nothing but a medical condition known as heart palpitations. Heart palpitations are normal and are usually not harmful.

In this blog, one of the best Cardiologists in India, Dr Ifran Yaqoob Bhat who currently works at Arihant Hospital, Dehradun explains everything about how anxiety causes heart palpitations and how one can easily manage such situations.

What are heart palpitations?

Heart palpitations are nothing but a sensation where a person can feel their heart beating. You sense your heart is fluttering or beating too fast or slow or you skipped a heartbeat or pounding irregularly. Usually, you may notice heart palpitations for a few minutes or seconds in your neck, throat, or chest.

In most cases, it is not a serious condition. It can happen anytime when you’re doing normal activities or resting. There can be different causes of heart palpitations like hormonal changes, anxiety or stress, other medical conditions, fever, dehydration, low levels of blood sugar or potassium, anemia, etc.

Symptoms of Heart Palpitations:

  • Pounding
  • Beating rapidly
  • Fluttering fastly
  • Skipping beats
  • Throbbing
  • Murmuring
  • Flip-Flopping

Can anxiety cause heart palpitations?

Anxiety is an important cause of Heart Palpitations. Anxiety heart palpitations cause pounding, fluttering, and irregular heartbeat. In daily life, good or bad situations can trigger anxiety-like when you are expecting some good news or during stressful events like a job interview.

When a person is anxious or nervous or stressed, the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) sets off the body’s fight or flight response that increases the heart rate and blood pressure. It is a normal situation and does mean that you have some serious heart issues.

The heart palpitations caused by anxiety start suddenly and last for a few minutes. But in case they last for a longer time then you must consult a doctor. If you are suffering from frequent heart palpitations due to anxiety or have an anxiety disorder then seek medical attention and find the right treatment possible as anxiety disorders increase the risk of having various heart diseases.

In many cases, heart palpitations are not related to anxiety. It may be because of other factors. When you frequently experience heart palpitations or it last longer than a minute then it is not anxiety heart palpitations. 

Sometimes heart palpitations lead to anxiety. When people sense heart palpitations, they get startled as they are not able to understand the reason for sudden palpitations. In such situations, they get stressed and feel more anxious. So, heart palpitations can also trigger anxiety.

Anxiety and your heart

Anxiety & stress are very common conditions that are experienced by everyone in their daily lives. Keeping the anxiety level low is very vital. If you have a healthy heart and then anxiety is not a problem. But anxiety is not good for the heart, especially for patients who have some serious heart problems like coronary heart disease, heart failure, heart valve condition, etc. Such patients must consult a good doctor and talk to them regarding the medications and managing anxiety. Plus such patients must eat only the prescribed medicines, as medicines can prevent fast heart palpitations and can help to keep the situations under control.

Tips to cop with palpitations inducing anxiety

Here are some easy ways that can help you lower your heartbeats and control the anxiety situations:

Start with breathing: When your heart beats fast, your breath also speeds up and makes you feel more anxious. But by deep breathing techniques, you can control such situations.

Close your eyes and take some deep & big breaths. Slowly breath in and out. Carry out this breathing exercise several times until you feel comfortable.

Relaxation techniques: One can easily manage palpitations & anxiety through relaxation exercises like yoga, meditation, etc. You should try such relaxing techniques every day and not only when you feel a racing heart.

Focus on your mind: When your heartbeat speeds up make sure to divert your mind. Focus on things that can improve your mood and calms your mind. Distractions like listening to relaxing music or indulging in some creative activities like knitting, coloring, etc can make you feel at ease and peaceful.

Take a walk: Go for an outdoor walk if possible. A walk will help you feel more relaxed & refreshed and will bring down your heart rate. Don’t walk too fast

Hydrate: Dehydration causes heart palpitations. So make sure to consume water, especially when doing some physical activity. Drink energy drinks or electrolytes while exercising.

Avoid Stimulants: There are many things that trigger heart palpitations or fast heartbeat and anxiety. Avoid having caffeinated drinks & food, heavy alcohol consumption, tobacco or cannabis, various medications (like blood pressure medication or cold & cough medication), and more. Take a note of all the things you consume so that you are well aware of the items that may be causing the symptoms.

Managing and taking care of anxiety and heart palpitations

Palpitations that last a few seconds and are not frequent do not require any medical attention. In case you are diagnosed with heart problems before and have severe heart palpitations then in such situations, you need to seek immediate medical attention. Your doctor may check your medical history and advise heart screening tests to check the cause of heart palpitations. They will prepare a treatment plan and prescribe medications that can reduce heart palpitations or make them go away.

Immediate medical attention is required if along with heart palpitations you feel chest pain, acute shortness of breath, dizziness, and fainting. Heart palpitations can be a signal of heart diseases like arrhythmia (irregular beating of the heart that is either too fast or too slow), tachycardia, or atrial fibrillation.

Anxiety can cause adverse effects on a person’s physical and mental health. For people who have been diagnosed with heart disease and suffering from anxiety then you must consult a cardiologist and discuss the problems that you may be experiencing.

If you want more information on Heart Palpitations and Anxiety then call us now at :+91-8477015555

About the Author

Dr Irfan Yaqoob Bhat