anxiety disorders
The Link Between Anxiety Disorders and Heart Disease
Anxiety disorders affect more people than most of us think. In society, though, anxiety disorders are commonly misunderstood. As a result, many people try to hide them. They don’t go out socially and their personal relationships suffer. It is important to get help for anxiety disorders, though, so you can enjoy life to the fullest. You don’t want to miss out on great activities due to anxiety.
There is another reason why you should get the problem under control as well. It has to do with the fact that studies show a link between anxiety disorders and heart disease. Anyone that has an anxiety disorder may also be at an increased the risk of a heart attack or stroke occurring. With heart disease being the number one cause of death in the United States, it is important to address such issues as early as possible.
This information is based on a large study involving 1,000 individuals. The study lasted for 5 ½ years and during that time more than 350 of the participants suffered from a heart attack or some other health problem that caused damage to the heart. There is a great deal of stress on the heart during an anxiety attack and that is where the risk is coming from. The more anxiety attacks that a person has and the longer they last, the higher the risk of permanent damage to the heart.
When anxiety disorders also cause symptoms of depression, there is also additional stress on the heart. When problems of anxiety are combined with other serious health problems, such as diabetes, it can be very serious due to the way in which the nerves that go to the heart are affected adversely. The way in which this all occurs is very complex and there is still a lot of research that has to be done. Still, there is enough information that has been uncovered to explain just how important the link between anxiety disorders and heart disease can be.
Taking steps to treat depression and to alleviate anxiety disorders is very important. There are breathing techniques that you can learn that can help when an anxiety attack is coming on. Therapy to help alter behavior has been very successful as a form of treatment. However, these types of solutions to anxiety problems seem to work best when the patient is also taking some form of medication to assist with reducing anxiety disorders.
It is believed that there is definitely a link between anxiety disorders and heart disease. The risk can increase as much as 75% which is dangerously high. For those individuals with a family history of heart disease, that percentage can be even higher. If you suffer from anxiety disorders, you definitely need to schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss the related risk to your heart.
Don’t be afraid to explain the symptoms you are having, their severity, and their frequency. The more accurate information they have, the easier it will be for them to assist you. Be willing to try a combination of different forms of treatment so that you can keep your heart as healthy as possible. Offsetting heart disease can add many more years to your life.