I feel stupid because I am only 23 years old, but ever since I started suffering with panic attacks and anxiety last year, I've constantly worried about getting a heart attack. During my panic attacks, I was advised to go to hospital where I had tests done, which included an ECG, Echocardiogram (which is a scan of my heart, to which the nurse told me that my heart looked great), and I also had a heart monitor attached to my chest for 3 days, so the hospital could monitor my heart beat for any irregularity. The results came back fine, so In theory I shouldn't be worrying, but I still do worry about it. Especially when I hear about young people suffering from "sudden death" and heart failure at young ages. Am I being stupid?
Thanks for everyone's answers so far, it's relaxed me a lot. And by the way, sorry to hear about that Rebecca, I hope you continue to be healthy and live a great life! I am fortunate when I think about it, but I think I just worry myself silly some times.
Jonathan - you just have anxiety problems so try and do something fun!
ReplyDeleteRebecca B - 1. It's your anxiety that makes you worry about your heart. A normal ECG and a normal Echo are pretty conclusive proof that you've got a perfectly healthy heart.
ReplyDelete2. For the *truth* about sudden cardiac death in young people (and the conditions that cause it*) take a look at the Cardiac Risk in the Young website at http://www.c-r-y.org.uk .
*It's conditions like YSCD, SCD and SADS that cause sudden cardiac death in the young, not heart failure.
I'm 14, I've got heart failure, I've had heart failure for nearly 2 years now - and I still can't make up my mind what I want to do about it (?another go at the Fontan or ?heart transplant). Anyway the point is you don't suddenly drop dead from heart failure. Heart failure really just means "(the) heart's failure to pump enough blood - and thus oxygen - around your body". It does not mean you're about to die. Heart failure in the young really only happens if you've got congenital heart disease (like me!) or after you've had such illnesses as the 'flu or cardiomyopathy. It does not just suddenly come from out of nowhere to fell otherwise healthy (but anxious) young adults!
xxWaterlooRoadFanxx - If they have done an ECG and an Echo then they really have looked at all the possible options. Unless you start to get other symptoms you should be completely fine.
ReplyDeleteYoung people can suddenly suffer from heart failure and can die instantly because of it but it is normally because of an underlying condition and considering the amount of tests they have done, that wouldn't be the case. Stop worrying and have some fun!
over the hill - stop stressing and worrying so much
ReplyDeleteas an emergency dept nurse, I have seen only 2 sudden deaths in young people, in the last 23 years of working in ED
Liz Spiers - Hi,
ReplyDeleteI had panic attacks for 29 years, felt I was dying every day and having heart attacks and have now solved them completely through diet and proved my solutions in my new book with scientific evidence that certain foods and drinks give panic attacks at http://www.panicfreesteps.com. My book is quite revolutionary as it totally defies stress as a trigger for anxiety so it's had a lot of media attention.
An ECG I was told is only viable at the time of having heart issues, so by the time most panic sufferers get to emergency rooms, their ECG is void but it rules out other things like heartbeat irregularity etc so it's good to have one, just not valid for panic.
I've been through the lot to be honest and absolutely everything came back negative and nothing worked to cure the attacks so that's how I got to the stage after 29 years, where I was fed up and needed to find other solutions.
Good luck with everything but have a read at my book - you'll find it very interesting.
Liz Speirs x
John W - Fear, anxiety and stress are part of the fight or flight response. There's far more than the stress that we are aware of, it's more an accumulation of stresses that will make you focuse on irrational stresses excessively. The best way to address the hidden stress is exercise, the body sees exercise as fighting or fleeing and therefore reduces the stress that it feels. That may bring some rationality to the stresses that you do perceive.
ReplyDelete