Can Anxiety Cause A Slower Heart Rate
- Anxiety is typically known for a rapid heart rate.
- Anxiety has also been loosely linked to a lower heart rate.
- Some of the causes of slow heart rate are biological, or relate to adrenaline loss.
- Lower heart rate may also be a misdiagnosis, with fear that links back to anxiety.
- There are some indirect ways to reduce anxiety over a slower heart rate, although addressing the anxiety itself is a more important step.
Does Lying Down Affect Heart Rate
When you lay down you compress the stomach and chest cavity together, putting pressure on the heart and blood flow and increasing circulation. The easiest fix for this is to simply change position. Experiencing heart palpitations when lying down on the left side may be from activating the vagus nerve.
You Have A Heart Arrhythmia
A heart arrhythmia happens when theres some sort of electrical malfunction in your heart, which can cause it to beat irregularly. There are many forms, and they have different causes, but they can often make it feel like your heart is beating quickly or strangely out of nowhere. Although an arrhythmia sounds like a dire diagnosis from Greys Anatomy, they actually arent always serious. Many arrhythmias are not life-threatening, Dr. Mills-Frazier says. Obviously with higher-risk patients, they can be, but theyre often treatable. Arrhythmias often present with side effects like dizziness, nausea, fainting, chest pain, and shortness of breath, according to the American Heart Association.
Recommended Reading: What Do You Take For Anxiety
Also Check: Does Anxiety Cause Weight Loss
Other Methods Of Reducing Heart Rate Fears
It’s can be challenging to directly control your heart rate. But you can control the way that you react to it. One helpful coping strategy is to exercise. Being physically active actually lowers your general resting heart rate in the long term, but in such cases your heart becomes much more efficient overall. Exercise is also a great-way of combating anxiety. With exercise, therefore, you’ll be less likely to have a slowed pulse thats anxiety related and you can be more confident that your low resting heart-rate is actually a sign of your physical health, rather than any possible problem.
Seeing a doctor is obviously a good idea as well. Ruling out the most likely medical causes of a low heart rate may not calm you down completely – especially if you still struggle with anxiety – but it may well give you some peace of mind that your low heart rate is not related to any medical concerns.
Beyond that, try to stop searching on the net for ways to make sense of your low heart rate. Online, you’ll find countless explanations for a low heart rate and you may convince yourself that you’re suffering from a more serious issue, even if youre medically healthy and well.
Finally, learn to control your overall anxiety. The less anxiety you experience, the less you’ll focus on your heart. The less time you spend worrying about your heart, the less likely you are to experience a low heart rate as a result of anxiety.
Was this article helpful?
Why Does My Heart Keep Beating So Fast
According to the Harvard Medical School, rapid heartbeat can be caused by stress, anxiety, dehydration, low potassium, low blood sugar, too much caffeine, hormonal changes and certain prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs. Other conditions that may cause heart flutters may include anemia or hyperthyroidism.
Read Also: What Gets Rid Of Anxiety
Distinguishing A Panic Attack From A Heart Attack
Panic attacks and heart attacks can share similar if not identical symptoms. Anyone suffering from sudden and severe chest painwhether being treated for anxiety disorder or not should go to the emergency room. The physician will test the patients blood for specific heart muscle enzymes. If none are found, its usually not a heart attack.
A cardiologist sensitive to the issues of anxiety and depression will know how to sort out panic attack symptoms from heart attack symptoms, and will be able to refer the patient for treatment for panic disorder or any other type of anxiety.
Stay on Top of Your Heart Health
If you have a new or existing heart problem, it’s vital to see a doctor. Our heart health checklist can help you determine when to seek care.
Try 6 Meditations To Help Reduce Anxiety
Looking for more meditations to help you feel calm? The Headspace app offers subscribers several courses and single meditations on topics related to anxiety, including:
-
Managing Anxiety 10-day course. Cultivate a new perspective on fear and anxiety.
-
Unemployment Anxiety single meditation. Recognize and release stress about job loss and the future.
-
Letting Go of Stress 10-day course. Enjoy a healthier mind by developing your awareness of stress and learning how to reframe negative emotions.
-
Stressed single meditation. Notice what you’re holding onto and how to drop the preoccupying storyline.
-
Why can’t I sleep? single meditation. This exercise will help you practice calming the mind and body during the day, so you feel more ready for sleep when bedtime comes.
-
Difficult Conversations single meditation. The prospect of a difficult conversation can drive feelings of anxiety and fear, but by lesseing habits of reactivity and developing a calmer, more patient mindset, you can both listen and express yourself more clearly.
Read Also: Do Mood Stabilizers Help Anxiety
Difference Between Stress And Anxiety
Stress is the way your body responds to a particular trigger or situation. Under normal circumstances, it is a short-term state that subsides naturally. Anxiety is a more sustained long-term feeling that can have a detrimental effect on many different aspects of your life including work and ability to socialise.
Common non-cardiac causes of chest pain include a condition called generalised anxiety disorder. In addition to pain in the chest, the condition is characterised by excessive or persistent worry for six months or longer, sleep problems, feelings of tension, irritability or restlessness and problems concentrating.
Evaluating Your Heart Palpitations
If you suspect youre suffering from anxiety, the good news is that the accompanying heart palpitations may feel awful, but they arent usually medically serious. In most cases, the heart palpitations subside as you de-stress and your body and mind relax.
If this doesnt occur and youre unsure whether your heart palpitations are related to anxiety or a more serious issue with your hearts rhythm, we urge you to come see us. Well get to the bottom of the issue.
To determine whether theres a functional problem with your heart, we perform certain diagnostic tests at our office, including:
- An electrocardiogram to evaluate electrical function
- An echocardiogram to check the structures of your heart
We can also outfit you with a portable monitor to measure your hearts function throughout the day as you engage in normal activities.
If we find that your heart function is normal, anxiety is the likely culprit behind your heart palpitations. But theres good news: If we detect a problem, were able to act quickly to resolve it.
Again, if youre having trouble with persistent heart palpitations, we urge you to err on the side of caution and come see us. To get started, contact our office in Little Rock, Arkansas, to set up an appointment.
You Might Also Enjoy…
Read Also: Does Pristiq Help With Anxiety
Let Panic Run Its Course
During a panic attack, you may experience feelings of depersonalization and derealization, in which you feel disconnected from yourself and the world around you. You may become fearful that you are “going crazy, losing all control, or having a stroke or heart attack.
When you’re going through a panic attack, it can be difficult to focus on anything else but your symptoms. You may try to push away your upsetting thoughts and physical sensations, but resisting your panic attacks can actually intensify your anxiety. You may also fear your attacks because you dont understand them.
The next time a panic attack takes hold and those feelings of dread set in, try to surrender to your symptoms and allow the attack to run its course. Remind yourself that your symptoms cannot hurt you and know that it will soon pass.
Anxiety Types And Treatment
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are five major types of anxiety disorders.
- Generalized anxiety disorder, which involves persistentlong-term anxiety and exaggerated worry even without much or anything toprovoke it.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder, which entails recurrent undesirablethoughts and/or repetitive actions .
- Panic disorder, which encompasses unanticipated episodesof extreme fear, alongside such physical symptoms as chest pain, being out ofbreath, heart palpitations, abdominal discomfort or dizziness.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder, which can develop after experiencinga horrifying event during which you encountered or were threatened by profound physicalharm.
- Social anxiety disorder, whichis marked by feelings of immenseanxiety and extreme self-consciousness in common social situations.
If you think you may have an anxiety disorder, discuss your concerns with your doctor. As Mayo Clinic notes, anxiety disorders are treatable and can be addressed with therapy and medication. Common types of therapy for anxiety include cognitive behavioral therapy a well-known, short-term and effective treatment in which you learn specific behavioral skills that may help improve your anxiety symptoms, Mayo Clinic explains.
Often used together with therapy, medication is generally safe and effective, and types prescribed can vary based on symptom severity and other individual factors and medical conditions, the association explains.
Read Also: How To Stop Anxiety Diarrhea
Health And Performance Considerations
Higher heart rates may be an indication of poor heart function and higher than usual stress being placed on the hearts ability to circulate blood. This may further indicate heart disease conditions.
From a performance stand point knowing specific heart rate training zones can optimize our bodys ability to adapt to performance requirements. Determining these zones can be done through many different methods, including VO2 or lactate testing, formulas and general training regimens. It then becomes necessary to monitor intensity in order to optimize your chances for success. To monitor your intensity there are several methods available to you. First is the perceived exertion method in which you rate your perception of how hard you are exerting yourself during a workout. The acronym for this is RPE . The scale on which to base your perceptions range from 1 10. See below.
The scale can be broken down as follows:
0: Nothing
How To Calm A Panic Attack
A panic attack is an exaggerated fear response to perceived danger or stress. Symptoms can come on very rapidly and might include:Heart racing and struggling to breatheFeeling faint or dizzyFeeling very hot or cold, trembling or shakingFeeling disconnected from your mind, body or surroundings
People who experience panic attacks sometimes worry they are going to have a heart attack or die. However, although panic attacks can be frightening they are not life-threatening and there are things you can do to manage the attack. Different things will work for different people so experiment to see which of these techniques helps most for you:
Focus on your breathing. Try to breathe in and out to a count of five.Focus on your senses taste a mint, touch something and notice how it feels, be aware of any smells around you.Stamp up and down on the spot for some people this can help to control their breathing.
If you experience lots of panic attacks with no obvious trigger or cause you may be diagnosed with panic disorder. Treatments may include talking therapies or medication.
The impact of anxiety and stress on your mental and physical health means it is important to develop healthy coping strategies. If you are concerned about your heart health or would like a diagnosis of symptoms such as chest pain or breathlessness, talk to the London Heart Clinic who can provide rapid diagnosis and an effective treatment plan.
You May Like: How To Help Your Girlfriend With Anxiety
How To Slow Heart Rate During Public Speaking
Exercise 4 Breathing a few minutes before your speech Just before you start your speech, breathe in, counting up to seven, and breathe out when you reach 11. Do this three or four times. It helps slow the build-up of adrenaline and reduces your heart rate, thereby diminishing feelings of nervousness or anxiety.Get confident at reducing phyiological overarousal. Youll do a better job at public speaking if youre not in fight / flight / freeze mode while youre giving your talk. Learn how to calm yourself physiologically bypracticing slowing breathing, which will in turn reduce your heart rate.
Contents
How To Check Your Heart Rate
According to certified personal trainer Marianna Johnson, MSW, a good time to check your heart rate is right after you wake up, while youre still in bed. Johnson, owner of Mind Body Health & Fitness in Falls Church, Virginia, says a midday reading is also fine if taken after a few minutes of rest.
To take your heart rate, place your index and middle finger on your wrist or the side of your neck to locate your pulse. Count the number of beats in a minute.
Read Also: How I Healed My Anxiety Without Drugs
Anxiety Raises Heart Rate And Is Associated With Heart Disease
Anxiety disorders are associated with tachycardia, or a rapid heart rate, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Over time, this can put extra stress on the heart, and increase your risk for heart disease.
For example, a 2010 meta-analysis found that those with anxiety had a 26% increased risk of getting coronary artery disease, which is the most common type of heart disease. According to a 2016 review in Current Psychiatry Reports, anxiety disorders are also associated with heart failure, and poor cardiovascular health overall.
Brian Isaacson, MD, MBA, Program Director of Department of Psychiatry at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, says some studies have also shown that people with anxiety have an increased rate of heart rhythm disturbances, including palpitations and premature beats.
Who Can Take Beta Blockers
Beta blockers are not suitable for everyone. To make sure they are safe for you, tell your doctor before starting a beta blocker if you have:
- had an allergic reaction to a beta blocker or any other medicine in the past
- low blood pressure or a slow heart rate
- serious blood circulation problems in your limbs
- metabolic acidosis when theres too much acid in your blood
- lung disease or asthma
Tell your doctor if youre trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or breastfeeding.
Its important not to stop taking beta blockers without seeking your doctors advice. In some cases suddenly stopping the medicine may make your health condition worse.
Read Also: Can Adderall Help With Anxiety