Calm Clinic

Am I Having a Heart Attack Or Anxiety?

How do we tell the difference between heart attack or anxiety? Many symptoms of anxiety will make us believe we are having a heart attack. Knowing the difference between heart attack and anxiety is crucial. Many people have mistaken anxiety as a heart attack. Often, anxiety presents itself in physical ways that are the same as having a heart attack such as chest pains and shallow breathing. Some heart attacks are sudden and intense and most of them start slowly with mild pain or discomfort.

Since heart problems are associated with stress and anxiety, it is a very natural occurrence to feel all emotional at some point or another. In most people, stress and anxiety play a major role that is unavoidable and becomes our constant companion. However, anxiety starts to become a problem when it begins to rule our life. It can be horrible, terrifying and highly distressing in many ways. But that’s not it. Anxiety and heart attack are different from one another.

Anxiety symptoms that are commonly mistaken for a heart attack includes rapid or increased heart rate, dizziness, lightheadedness, tightening of the chest, discomfort or chest pains and rapid breathing. When a person is faced in too much of this common feeling or emotion, it can elicit undesirable and debilitating symptoms that lead to conclusions of a heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest.
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The thing about heart attack is that one cannot have one without an existing heart condition or disease. An anxiety attack will not cause a heart disease or heart attack. However, there is no explanation why one would suffer an attack when there is actually no danger. The surest way to determine the difference of a heart attack or anxiety disorder is to go for a medical examination or call for an emergency assistance.

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