Do you sometimes feel an intense pain in your chest and fear that you might be getting a heart attack? When this becomes a recurrent fear, it is termed cardiophobia. The constant fear of heart attack or cardiophobia is common among people who have a family history of cardiovascular diseases. People who don’t have any background in such heart conditions can also have cardiophobia.
Cardiophobia is a condition that should be addressed with utter seriousness because it can turn into a constant obsession. This obsession can even affect a person’s personal and public life. This article aims to answer the major questions about cardiophobia, such as the signs of cardiophobia, how common this condition is, and how one can overcome this phobia.
What Is Cardiophobia?
Cardiophobia is a condition where a person becomes constantly obsessed with the possibility of getting a heart attack. This is termed as an excessive fear and people with this phobia have constant fear even though there are no clear signs of a heart attack. This is common among those who have already gone through a heart attack or have a history of heart-related conditions.
Even people without any such background are prone to this phobia. In such situations, the fear and anxiety are greater than the possibility of a real heart attack. In this situation, people often seek the reassurance of a medical professional and their close friends and family members. The fear can also affect the person’s daily life and create mental and physiological stress.
What Are The Signs Of Cardiophobia?
Medical and psychological experts have termed cardiophobia as an anxiety disorder. A person who has this condition goes through a lot of stress and anxiety. Some of the signs of cardiophobia have been mentioned below
- People can get shortness of breath when anxiety hits its peak.
- Trouble focusing on important things.
- Constantly getting a feeling of chest pain.
- Hyper-focused on heart sensations
- Increased heart rate
- Excessive sweating
When these symptoms are extreme, it is important to get medical attention immediately.
Is Cardiophobia A Common Problem?
According to a 2008 report, more than thousands of people in the United States have gone through cardiophobia. People often confuse it with hypochondria, and one should know that both are entirely different phobias. Hypochondria is a condition where people get worried about getting ill or believe that they are seriously unwell.
Why Do You Have Cardiophobia?
There are multiple reasons why people go through cardiophobia. It can be a single factor or a combination of different factors. So, let’s look at the reason behind cardiophobia.
1. Anxiety disorders
People who have anxiety disorders are prone to cardiophobia. One of the common disorders is the somatic symptom disorder. Somatic symptom disorder is when a person is hyper-focused on physical signs, such as pain, unwellness, or weakness as a major health condition.
2. Physical symptoms
High anxiety levels can cause physical discomfort, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, and high blood pressure levels. These signs are misinterpreted as heart attacks or other cardiovascular conditions.
3. Past traumas
If a person has witnessed another person experiencing a heart attack or other cardiac condition, it increases the possibility of developing cardiophobia. Witnessing such an event, on a first-hand basis can even create a mental image of such an incident and fear that one might experience the same.
4. Family history
If you have a family history of heart conditions and heart attacks, it can increase the risk of you developing such a heart condition. This can also make you fear such a condition and hyper-analyze every sign and symptom related to it.
How To Manage Cardiophobia?
There are some things you can do that might help you to calm the situation and control this phobia.
Seek help
You can seek the help of a mental health professional to reduce the intensity of this phobia. They will provide various measures such as therapy and other anxiety-reducing medicines tailored to your conditions.
Inculcate relaxation methods
You can practice some relaxation techniques such as affirmations, deep breathing exercises, and muscle relaxation techniques that can help you calm down and reduce the intensity of this condition.
Indulge in physical activities
Hitting the gym, getting a good run, or doing yoga can not only keep you fit but also improve your mental health. Doing regular exercise for at least 30 minutes can help you let go of this phobia and anxiety.
Teach yourself
Educate yourself about the real signs of a heart attack and differentiate between phobia and real-life conditions. This can take some time but can be effective in letting go of the fear of getting a heart attack.
Conclusion
The constant fear of a heart attack or any other heart condition can affect your mental peace and the overall quality of your life. Get immediate help to mitigate the situation and prevent the condition from worsening. You can seek out the help of your close friends or relatives or talk to a medical expert.
