The Connection Between Stress and Heart Rhythm Disorders

While your heartbeats go through rhythm variations throughout each day, there’s a range of heart rhythms that are considered normal. Once your heartbeats fall outside of those normal patterns, you develop a condition called arrhythmia. 

At Heart Care, we dedicate a great deal of time and effort to educating members of our local community about heart health. Diagnosing and treating heart arrhythmia is among our specialties. 

Today, we’re happy to share some information on the connection between stress and heart rhythm disorders. 

Stress is an essential part of human life

Have you ever had the hair on the back of your neck stand up when someone is walking too closely behind you, or when you turn a corner and encounter someone you didn’t expect to be there? That’s a physical manifestation of stress, and part of your body’s fight or flight response. 

When you experience a scenario that your brain perceives as potentially dangerous, your body responds in several different ways. One of those responses is an elevated heart rate, which often happens very suddenly. 

This change happens as your brain releases certain hormones that prompt changes to your heart rate. At the same time, your breathing usually hastens as well. These changes are meant to prepare your body to respond to a dangerous situation. Usually, if there is no need to fight off a predator or react to a different threat, your heart rhythm and breathing soon return to normal patterns. 

These changes are part of our evolutionary success, and at one time they kept humans from becoming less predator and more prey. Even today, the physical changes that happen when we face a dangerous situation can help us survive. 

How stress can cause ongoing heart rhythm disorders

The problem is that modern life brings on a great deal of stress that isn’t linked to the threat of actual harm. Worrying about finances, relationship issues, and work stress can all lead to heightened physical reactions, including changes in your heart rhythm. 

These problems can prompt the body to launch a stress response, even when there is no risk of physical harm. If anxiety persists over time, the heightened hormonal response can trigger changes in your heart rhythm that can last. 

Anxiety disorders are more common than many people realize, and include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Social anxiety disorder

These conditions can develop gradually, and it isn’t always easy to tell when normal anxiety has crossed the line into becoming an anxiety disorder. 

When anxiety causes changes in your heart rhythm, some of the symptoms you might notice include:

• Irregular heartbeat
• Fluttering heartbeat
• Pounding heartbeat
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Rapid breathing
• Muscle tension

Everyone experiences occasional stress; it’s simply part of human life. But if you feel that your stress is causing lasting effects like the ones mentioned above, it might be time to see a heart health specialist to determine if you have a heart rhythm disorder. 

At Heart Care, we understand the worries that an irregular heart rhythm can bring. We provide compassionate and thorough diagnostic services to get to the bottom of the changes you’ve noticed. If you have a heart rhythm issue, we can put you on a treatment path to bring relief. 

You can set up your visit using our online booking page, and we’re also available by phone to check appointment availability.