Stress, Anxiety, and Angry Moods 2023

Seniors are especially prone to anxiety, rage, and animosity. The heart-emotion relationship has been theorized for ages, but data supporting it is new. Negative emotions, including worry, are linked to cardiovascular disease and a poor prognosis.

Treating physicians commonly see anxiety in heart disease patients, even though much research has focused on sadness. Anxiety disorders, especially high blood pressure, are common among cardiac patients. Some researchers dispute that anxiety increases cardiac mortality in heart disease patients.

Heart-like anxiety disorders

Panic Disorder

Panic attacks can include chest pain, shortness of breath, stomach ache, disorientation, and a feeling of imminent death. Many panicking patients think they’re suffering heart attacks, resulting in repeated emergency department trips and costly diagnostics.

Panic disorder sufferers are more likely to suffer a heart attack and die suddenly, even when panic attacks are not fatal. Panic disorder in the absence of cardiac disease should be recognized for heart and psychological health. Hyperventilation, adrenaline, or hypersensitivity cause panic attacks.

Your heart feels pinched. No deep breaths. Chest aches. Feeling weak. You believe you’re dying. It eventually disappears.

CBT and serotonin reuptake inhibitors treat panic disorder without a recognized etiology in people without cardiac disease. These people should also be counseled to avoid caffeine and stimulants and practice good sleep hygiene.

Heart illness, hostility

Hostility encompasses sarcasm, cynicism, resentment, impatience, and irritability. It defines a person’s social behavior. This feature is common in smokers, sedentary people, and heart attack sufferers. Lifestyle changes enhance perspective, and competent counseling works.

Stress and Heart Disease

Anxiety is common after a heart attack, angioplasty, or bypass surgery. Patients suddenly face life-threatening situations and are understandably frightened about their future. The treating physician must anticipate this “normal illness-related anxiety” and manage it quickly to avoid problems.

Traumatic cardiac events can kill. Some patients have persistent thoughts, recollections, or dreams concerning their cardiac episode, avoid circumstances that recall them, and are irritable and sleepless. Psychiatrists call these symptoms post-traumatic stress disorders if they last more than one month, but acute stress disorders if they appear within four weeks of the trauma. These need prescription drugs. Avoid self-medication with alprazolam and sleeping pills. These can interact with doctor-prescribed drugs.

Remember These

• Anxiety is becoming an independent risk factor for heart disease.
• Post-heart attack anxiety can impede healing and increase morbidity and mortality.
• Heart attacks often cause hostility. It can recur if mishandled.
• Such diseases need treatment. Psychoeducation, behavioral therapy, and serotonin reuptake inhibitors under medical supervision are the treatments.
• Finally, adult children must ensure their parents’ mental and physical health and pleasure. They shouldn’t cause stress.