Heart failure or panic attack: Cardiologist explains difference
A cardiologist explained the difference between heart failure and panic attack (photo: Freepik)
Many people have experienced either a panic attack or heart failure at least once in their lives. Although these conditions have different causes, their symptoms are quite similar.
Signs of heart attack
According to cardiologist Natalia Ivaniuk, these are two very similar conditions, but there are key differences.
Signs of heart failure include burning, squeezing, and intense pain behind the chest that may radiate to the shoulders, abdomen, back, shoulder blades, and lower jaw.
This condition usually lasts 5-10 minutes.
Heart failure is typically associated with physical activity and may be accompanied by cold sweats, a rapid heartbeat, and very high or low blood pressure.
An angina attack occurs during physical activity due to a mismatch between the heart's increased need for oxygen and the reduced ability to supply it due to narrowed coronary arteries (stenosis). In other words, the heart doesn't get enough oxygen.
What you should know about panic attacks
This condition can be identified by the following symptoms: a sudden onset of fear accompanied by a rapid heartbeat and sharp, stabbing chest pain that does not spread to other organs.
It lasts longer - particularly 15-20 minutes - and the pain subsides without any lasting effects.
A heart attack usually develops during or immediately after physical exertion.
"A panic attack, however, can occur during rest or physical activity," the report notes.
Taking nitroglycerin can ease the symptoms if it is a heart failure but will have no effect on a panic attack.
Earlier, we also wrote about eight exercises that boost heart and blood vessel health.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
