Heart neurosis is a type of anxiety neurosis, which manifests itself in the form of disturbances in the heart rhythm, shortness of breath, pains in the chest area. The heart neurosis is also a type of vegetative neurosis. Find out what are the causes, symptoms and treatments for cardiac neurosis.

Contents:

  1. Heart neurosis - symptoms
  2. Heart neurosis - causes
  3. Heart neurosis - diagnosis
  4. Heart neurosis - treatment

Heart neurosisbelongs to anxiety disorders manifested in the form of ailments from the nervous and circulatory systems. It is a type of vegetative neurosis, i.e. one in which somatic ailments are psychological. Such neuroses include not only heart neurosis, but also e.g. gastric neurosis.

Somatic symptoms related to the heart are usually accompanied by psychological symptoms - strong anxiety and fear combined with fear for one's own life.

In extreme cases, the patient may think that he or she is experiencing a heart attack or dying. He is convinced that he suffers from a serious heart disease and therefore directs his first steps to his GP.

The research shows nothing, however, and the symptoms still persist. In this case, the most likely diagnosis is a psychosomatic cardiac neurosis.

Heart neurosis - symptoms

Heart neurosis is easily confused with a cardiological disease. The accompanying symptoms may resemble disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The most common are:

  • chest pain and discomfort- it may be a stinging, dull feeling of creasing, pressure that lasts for several hours or even days;
  • palpitations- feeling of irregular, faster heartbeat;
  • shortness of breath- breathing is shallow, fast, the patient cannot take a deep breath.

In addition, the patient feels a strong mental and motor anxiety, trembles, sweats, and may alternately turn red and pale. During an attack, he has high blood pressure, dizziness, and he may think that he is about to faint.

The symptoms of vegetative neurosis described above may appear in stressful situations, but also appear completely unexpectedly, during normal, everyday activities, and also at night.

Heart neurosis - causes

The immediate causes of cardiac neurosis are related to the hypersensitivity of the heart muscle to nerve stimuli such as stress or anxiety.

When there is too much stress and the body does not find an outlet for it, for example through sports or relaxation, the nervous system is overloaded. And it is he who regulates the work of the heart by producing the appropriate hormones and sending nerve impulses.

If the heart muscle is stimulated too often as a result of the production of stress hormones - adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, it becomes oversensitive over time and even the slightest stimulus disrupts its work.

The indirect causes of cardiac neurosis therefore result from the excess of stress during the day. Too fast pace of life is to blame for such a reaction of the organism, being under constant pressure, personal problems, frequent worrying.

Heart neurosis can also be the result of a single, traumatic event, such as the death of a loved one or a road accident, which caused the patient a strong psychological shock.

Heart neurosis - diagnosis

The diagnosis of cardiac neurosis should begin with basic laboratory tests and ECG. Occasionally, symptoms such as uneven heartbeat or muscle tremors may be caused by a deficiency of electrolytes, which should be shown by morphology. In turn, the ECG is the most important tool for detecting a possible cardiac disease.

If the tests ordered by your family doctor do not show any abnormalities, go to a psychiatrist who will finally determine whether the neurosis is responsible for the psychosomatic symptoms.

See also:List of heart tests

Heart neurosis - treatment

A patient diagnosed with cardiac neurosis should first of all strive to change his daily habits. It is advisable to minimize stressful situations and, if this is not possible, find a way for the body to regulate the level of tension by itself.

Regular physical activity is very important as it helps to relieve stress, but at the beginning it should be carried out at a very moderate pace (too much effort may aggravate heart problems).

Calming training, which combines stretching and breathing exercises, gives very good effects in relieving tension. In addition, it is important to lead a regular lifestyle - sleeping at least 7 hours a day, getting up and going to bed at regular times, limiting stimulants such as tobacco, coffee, alcohol.

A doctor diagnosing neurosis may also prescribe sedatives or antidepressants, but it is worth havingremember that taking medications alone will not cure the causes of the disease. If they result from deep-seated traumas and fears, medications will only mask them.

In such a case, psychotherapy is necessary, which will help the patient change the approach to the ailments he experiences and understand their source deeply in the psyche.

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Category:

Psychiatry