As we all know, there is a correlation between depression and heart disease, the same as there is a correlation between anxiety and the heart. Anxiety can play a significant role in heart disease, so it is essential to know about it and do things to prevent it. There are many contributing factors to the same, and whenever you feel anxious, you need to concentrate more on feeling calmer again.
The issues can cause obstacles in the recovery process which is why it is vital to know the things you can do to avoid the same. Health anxiety is a very normal issue that people go through related to their health. Health anxiety is when you believe that you have a medical condition and will constantly worry about the same. A person going through health anxiety gets concerned about minor body sensations despite getting constant reassurance from medical professionals.
Here is the difference between health and health anxiety that you need to know about
It is very normal to be concerned if you feel some sort of sensation in your body. Your brain tends to signal you to be concerned about your health. Health anxiety is when you constantly stress about the symptoms and the illness, even though there is nothing to worry about.
The worry and stress can grow so much that it might make you feel disabled at times. The rational thing in such a situation is to see a medical professional who will be able to tell you the cause and things you can do in order to avoid it. Stress can interfere with a person’s quality of life and can be risky for the heart.
Anxiety can cause heart issues, and mostly there can be a risk of a heart attack. Health anxiety heart attack risk severely impact a healthy lifestyle and can become a huge issue which is why it is vital to know everything and do things to calm yourself down.
There are a lot of heart problems that can occur because of health anxiety and can also interfere with the regular sleep that you might get. Your thoughts start becoming extremely negative, and you tend to overlook the long-term effects. When you go through health anxiety, certain risk factors are associated with the heart, which is as follows:
- Rapid heart rate: If you worry too much or have severe health anxiety, then it can cause hindrance to the normal function of your heart and become a massive risk for cardiac arrest.
- Increased blood pressure: If the symptoms are chronic, then it can weaken the heart muscles and cause heart failure.
- Decreased heart rate variability: In such situations, it can result in death after getting an acute heart attack.
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Here are some factors that cause health anxiety
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You can experience health anxiety if you have less understanding of body sensations and the diseases that you can get. It can force you to think about the serious situations that you might get into without the symptoms surfacing.
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If you have any past experience related to a severe illness, it can also frighten you in the future, which might lead to anxiety.
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If you have a family member or there are people around you who worry about their health constantly.
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Another factor that can result in health anxiety is being abused as a child or going through a stressful event.
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Health anxiety can occur if you have a worrying personality and think about things too much in depth.
How can you diagnose health anxiety?
Health anxiety was previously known as Hypochondriasis, and there are two classifications:
Illness anxiety disorder:
This happens when there are no physical or milk symptoms.
Somatic symptom disorder:
It happens when a person has symptoms, and it stresses them out.
Later, after all the classifications, the doctors tend to evaluate the situation by asking several questions like the use of drugs or alcohol or any family history. There are a few screenings also done in difficult situations to find out if there are any diseases, but otherwise, the doctors mainly diagnose it by asking questions.
Health anxiety and the treatment
There are various ways to treat anxiety:
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Psychotherapy:
The most common way to treat health anxiety heart attack risk is psychotherapy. It is very effective and can help manage the disorders and identify the root causes of the worries. It can also help the person in learning more about their body sensations and the thought process when it comes to being aware of the body.
Medication:
Another method to treat the disorder is by taking medication. Sometimes the situations do not get better through psychotherapy which is when medications become essential. There are different medications considering the level of anxiety that you have and also the symptoms.
People out there tend to experience health anxiety after heart attack because of what they go through during these events. It is essential to have knowledge about it so that you are able to identify the symptoms and ask for help because such situations can lead to a lot of heart risks.
If a person goes through such a situation and has knowledge about the same, then it is easy for them to identify the early stages and do whatever they can in order to avoid the big risks. If the situations go unidentified, then it can lead to unimaginable results, which is why it is essential to seek medical help when you feel you are going through any sort of event or symptom.
Conclusion
Health anxiety is a long-term medical condition which can get severe over the years or might worsen because of the stress that people undergo during such situations. However, in such situations, it is recommended to seek help and move forward with a treatment plan to help reduce the symptoms and improve everyday functioning.
