You're in the kitchen doing the dishes, waiting for a bus, or even preparing for bed, and suddenly your heart starts pounding and racing. We all know that our heart rate can increase slightly during intense exercise or jump momentarily when we're startled - but what if you're experiencing palpitations without any apparent reason? Could it be stress and anxiety, or might it indicate a heart problem ? Arrhythmia, the medical term for an abnormal or irregular heart rate or rhythm, is linked to various potential conditions, some of which can be quite serious and require monitoring and treatment. Here's what you need to understand.
"Many people do experience palpitations as a symptom of anxiety and panic attacks, and it is common for people to have palpitations when they are anxious," says Yuko Nippoda, a psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). This is due to the body's 'fight or flight' response, which can occur during moments of acute stress, leading to a surge in cortisol and adrenaline levels, reports Gloucestershire Live . These stress hormones can trigger several physiological responses, including a sudden increase in heart rate a built-in survival mechanism that prepares us to act quickly.
Ideally, this is just temporary and things return to normal. However, when people are dealing with ongoing or chronic stress and anxiety, that heightened state can persist. Nippoda explains that it's common for individuals suffering from anxiety-induc.