Research shows that over half of sick cases that made people miss work were those dealing with anxiety, depression or stress. It is also believed that the number of sick cases would go higher, which means more people are getting weighed down by anxiety and stress in the workplace.
Stress resulting from work, anxiety or depression is a harmful reaction from people when exposed to undue work demands and pressure.
Most times, people mistake symptoms of anxiety for a heart attack, and it is understandable. When you feel anxious, your body gets triggered to release stress hormones that act on the same part of the brain controlling your cardiovascular functions like blood pressure and heart rate. This results in breathlessness, heart palpitations, and chest pain.
Difference between stress and anxiety
Stress is your body’s response to a situation or trigger. Typically, stress is a short-term reaction that subsides naturally. On the other hand, anxiety is a long-term feeling that can negatively affect different aspects of your life, including your ability to socialise and work.
A common non-cardiac cause of chest pain is a condition called generalised anxiety disorder. This condition also causes excessive or persistent worry for six months or more, tension, restlessness, concentration problems, irritability, and sleep problems.
Impact of anxiety on the heart
People with generalised anxiety disorder have a high risk of suffering from heat-related issues like heart attacks. If you have heart disease and experience anxiety, you are more likely to suffer a heart attack.
Health experts believe that an increased risk of a heart attack resulting from anxiety and heart disease may be due to several reasons. For example, prolonged anxiety can change the body’s response to stress and cause inflammations inside the body. This may damage the arterial linings and cause the build-up of coronary plaque.
Stress hormones may also lead to disturbance in heart rhythm and increase heart attack risk and high blood pressure. Some studies have shown that those dealing with anxiety have low omega-3 fatty acid levels, which increase the risk of heart disease. Depression and anxiety may also make the platelets denser, increasing the risk of blood clotting.
If you already suffer from anxiety or depression, getting diagnosed with a heart problem can lead to more anxiety, increasing the risks of further heart problems. People with anxiety issues also tend to develop unhealthy coping habits like drinking excess alcohol, smoking, and eating unhealthy food, which cause more damage to the heart.
How to treat anxiety
Several ways are available to help yourself if you experience anxiety. Your GP can run a scheme called Reading Well Books on Prescription. This gives you free access to books that can help with anxiety. Taking care of your physical health can also help with feeling anxious and manage your worries.
You can do this by dedicating a particular time every day to focus on what makes you worried or write them on a piece of paper and put them in a jar or a notebook. With this, you won’t have to give your worries much thought.
Carrying out simple breathing exercises can also reduce anxiety because slow and deep breaths calm the body’s response to stress. You can have meditations and remain mindful, as these can help you cope with anxiety.
If self-treatments do not suffice, you can undergo other treatments like talking therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which focuses on how your attitudes, beliefs and thoughts affect your feelings and behaviour. This therapy also teaches you new coping skills to deal with your problems. Applied relaxation therapy is another common treatment that helps you relax your muscles during stressful events.
Some people may find medication to be helpful. For example, antidepressants help people suffering from anxiety, and Pregabalin helps people dealing with generalised anxiety disorder. Beta-blockers can treat physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat and palpitations. If you have severe anxiety, your doctor may prescribe a benzodiazepine tranquiliser, but this is an additive required in low doses, and they are a short course of drugs.
How to calm a panic attack
A panic attack is an exaggerated response to fear due to stress or perceived danger. Its symptoms occur rapidly and include:
- Feeling nauseous
- Feeling dizzy or faint
- Feeling disconnected from your surroundings, body or mind
- Feeling hot or cold, resulting in shaking or trembling
- Struggling for breath and racing heart
People who have panic attacks may think they have a heart attack and they might die. Although panic attacks can cause fear, they are life-threatening, and you can manage the attack.
Different things can manage a panic attack, and they vary for people, so you can try the following techniques to check which works most for you;
- Focus on your breathing: try breathing in and out, then count to five
- Stamp up and down on the spot; this helps some people to control their breathing
- Focus on your senses: taste a mint or touch something and try being aware of any smell around you
If you experience several bouts of panic attacks with no apparent cause or trigger, you may be dealing with panic disorder. The treatment for this includes medications and talking therapies.
Stress and anxiety can affect your mental and physical health, so developing healthy coping strategies is essential. If you experience anxiety symptoms or have panic attacks that affect your heart health, you may need to see a cardiologist for diagnosis and treatment.
To see a cardiologist, take a visit to the One Heart Clinic or call 0203 9838 001 to schedule an appointment.
