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Last Updated on November 27, 2025 by Bilal Hasdemir
Many people feel their heart racing when they’re stressed or anxious. It’s important to know if these feelings are from anxiety or atrial fibrillation (AFib). This helps doctors figure out the right treatment.
At Liv Hospital, we focus on accurate diagnoses and top-notch heart care. We look at the differences between heart palpitations caused by anxiety and AFib. We cover their causes, symptoms, and how doctors diagnose them.
Heart palpitations are a common feeling many people have at some point. They can feel like a disturbance in the heart’s rhythm. We’ll look at what people feel during palpitations and the difference between normal and abnormal heartbeats.
People often say heart palpitations feel like a fluttering, pounding, or rapid heartbeat. These feelings can be felt in the chest, throat, or neck. Stress and anxiety can trigger these feelings because they make the body’s nervous system surge.
Research shows that anxiety and panic attacks can cause heart palpitations. This is because they activate the body’s nervous system and release adrenaline.
Some people feel heart palpitations when they’re stressed or anxious. This can be normal. But sometimes, palpitations can mean there’s a medical issue that needs to be looked at.
It’s important to know the difference between normal and abnormal heart rhythms. A normal heart rhythm is steady and regular. Abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, can feel irregular or forceful.
| Characteristics | Normal Heart Rhythm | Abnormal Heart Rhythm |
|---|---|---|
| Consistency | Regular beat | Irregular beat |
| Rate | 60-100 bpm | Too fast or too slow |
| Triggers | None or minimal | Stress, anxiety, or medical conditions |
Knowing the difference between normal and abnormal heart rhythms helps people know when to seek medical help for their palpitations.
Heart palpitations are irregular or forceful heartbeats. They come from the heart’s electrical system and the autonomic nervous system. Knowing this helps tell if palpitations are harmless or serious.
The heart’s electrical system controls the heartbeat. It starts with the sinoatrial (SA) node, the heart’s natural pacemaker. This node sends electrical impulses to the heart, making it beat.
The heart’s electrical system is vital for a normal rhythm.
“The heart’s electrical system is a marvel of human physiology,” cardiologists say. “Its problems can cause arrhythmias, like palpitations.” Disruptions, from anxiety to heart issues, can lead to irregular beats.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) affects heart rhythm. It has two parts: the sympathetic, which speeds up the heart, and the parasympathetic, which slows it down. The balance between these is key for a proper heart rate.
Stress or anxiety activates the sympathetic nervous system. This releases stress hormones like adrenaline. This can make the heart beat faster and harder, causing palpitations. “Anxiety and stress are common causes of heart palpitations,” medical texts say. This shows the ANS’s big role in heart function.
Understanding palpitations is key for treatment. Knowing about the heart’s electrical system and the ANS helps doctors treat palpitations well. They can focus on both symptoms and causes.
To understand how anxiety leads to heart palpitations, we must explore the body’s stress response. This response affects the heart, causing palpitations that can be scary and worrying.
When we feel threatened, our body’s stress response kicks in. This is thanks to the sympathetic nervous system, which gets us ready to “fight or flight.” Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released, making our heart beat faster and blood pressure rise.
Adrenaline is key in causing heart palpitations. It makes the heart beat more forcefully and quickly. This can lead to irregular heartbeats or palpitations.
Panic attacks are intense anxiety episodes that trigger a strong stress response. During these attacks, the body’s sympathetic nervous system is very active. This leads to a big release of adrenaline, causing pronounced cardiovascular changes.
These changes can make it seem like a heart attack is happening. But usually, these symptoms are because of the anxiety and panic, not a heart problem.
Studies show that people with anxiety and panic attacks often feel heart palpitations. This is because stress hormones directly affect the heart and because anxiety makes us more alert.
To spot anxiety-induced palpitations, you need to know their usual signs and symptoms. Anxiety can show up in many ways, and heart palpitations are a common and scary one.
Anxiety-induced palpitations have certain traits that set them apart. They are:
During a panic attack, these palpitations can be really intense. Panic attack palpitations often feel like a fast or hard heartbeat. It’s key to know these signs usually don’t mean you’re in danger. They’re more about your body’s stress reaction.
People with anxiety-induced palpitations often feel other psychological signs too. These include:
It’s important to understand these psychological symptoms to treat anxiety-induced palpitations well. By seeing how anxiety and heart palpitations connect, doctors can help manage both the physical and mental sides of the issue.
Can stress and anxiety cause palpitations? Yes, they can. Stress and anxiety can start a chain of physical reactions that lead to palpitations. By tackling the anxiety, you can lessen how often and how bad these palpitations are.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common heart rhythm problem that needs quick medical attention. We’ll cover what AFib is, its causes, risk factors, and how common it is.
Atrial fibrillation makes the heart beat fast and irregularly. This happens because of chaotic electrical signals in the atria. It can lead to serious issues like stroke and heart failure.
The pathophysiology of AFib involves changes in the heart’s electrical and structural makeup. These changes can be caused by high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
Many things can increase your chance of getting AFib. These include being older, having high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and being overweight. AFib affects millions globally and is expected to grow as more people age.
Understanding the risk factors is key to catching AFib early. By managing these risks, we might lower AFib cases and its complications.
In summary, atrial fibrillation is a serious heart rhythm issue. It has its own causes and treatments, unlike anxiety-induced palpitations. Knowing its causes, risks, and how common it is helps in diagnosing and treating it properly.
AFib palpitations feel different from those caused by anxiety or other issues. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) brings an irregular and fast heart rhythm. This can cause unique feelings during palpitations.
AFib palpitations have specific rhythm issues and feelings. People might say their heart rhythm is all over the place. They might feel skipped beats or an irregular pulse.
Some common feelings of AFib palpitations include:
AFib can cause more than just palpitations. It can lead to a range of symptoms. These include:
| Symptom | Description |
|---|---|
| Fatigue | Feeling tired or exhausted due to the heart’s reduced efficiency |
| Shortness of Breath | Difficulty breathing, specially during physical activity |
| Dizziness or Lightheadedness | Feeling unsteady or faint due to reduced blood flow |
| Chest Discomfort | Discomfort or pain in the chest, which may be related to the irregular heartbeat |
Knowing the unique signs of AFib palpitations is key for correct diagnosis and treatment. By understanding AFib’s special features, doctors can create better treatment plans.
It’s important to know the difference between palpitations caused by anxiety and those from Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). We’ll look at what makes each unique. This will help us tell them apart.
Anxiety can make your heart beat fast, often because of stress or a panic attack. AFib, though, can start without a clear reason. Studies show that stress and anxiety can make your heart palpitate, but it’s different from AFib.
For example, people with panic attacks often feel their heart racing. But AFib is linked to heart problems.
| Characteristics | Anxiety-Induced Palpitations | AFib Palpitations |
|---|---|---|
| Onset | Often triggered by stress or panic | Can occur without clear trigger |
| Triggering Factors | Stress, anxiety, panic attacks | Underlying cardiac conditions |
How long palpitations last and how they stop can tell us a lot. Anxiety-induced ones usually go away when you relax or the stressful event ends. But AFib can keep going and might need a doctor’s help.
“The difference between anxiety-induced and AFib palpitations isn’t just in what causes them. It’s also in how long they last and how they stop.”
Both anxiety and AFib can make your heart beat fast, but they come with different symptoms. Anxiety makes you shake, sweat, and feel like something bad is going to happen. AFib might make you dizzy, short of breath, or feel pain in your chest.
Doctors can figure out what’s causing your palpitations by looking at when they start, how long they last, and what else you’re feeling. It’s key to look at both your heart and mind when checking for palpitations.
To figure out if heart palpitations are from anxiety or Atrial Fibrillation, doctors use different tests. Finding the right cause is key to treating the problem and easing patient worries.
First, doctors do a detailed check-up to find out why heart palpitations happen. This includes looking at the patient’s medical history, doing a physical exam, and running tests.
A leading cardiology journal says, “The ECG is the best way to find arrhythmias, like Atrial Fibrillation, and decide on treatment.”
“To diagnose Atrial Fibrillation, doctors look for the arrhythmia on an ECG. A 12-lead ECG is best to confirm the diagnosis.”
For patients where anxiety might be causing palpitations, special tools are very helpful.
| Assessment Tool | Description | Use in Diagnosing Anxiety-Related Palpitations |
|---|---|---|
| GAD-7 | A 7-item questionnaire assessing generalized anxiety disorder. | Helps measure how severe anxiety symptoms are. |
| PHQ-9 | A 9-item questionnaire evaluating depression severity. | Looks for depression that might add to or worsen anxiety. |
Differential diagnosis means looking at all possible reasons for palpitations and ruling out others. This is important to know if palpitations are from anxiety or Atrial Fibrillation.
We also think about other reasons for palpitations, like other heart problems or conditions like hyperthyroidism. A thorough check ensures we don’t miss any underlying issues.
By using clinical checks, psychological tools, and careful differential diagnosis, we can find out if palpitations are from anxiety or Atrial Fibrillation. This helps us choose the right treatment and care.
For those with heart palpitations, tracking symptoms is a big step towards better health. By monitoring their condition, people can give their doctors more information. This helps in figuring out what’s wrong and how to fix it.
“The more information you have about your palpitations, the better equipped you’ll be to manage them effectively,” says a cardiologist. “Tracking your symptoms can reveal patterns and triggers that might not be immediately apparent.”
One good way to track palpitations is by keeping a symptom journal. Write down the date, time, how long it lasts, and what it feels like. Also, note any things that might make it happen or feel worse. This helps find patterns and understand what’s going on.
For example, someone might find that palpitations happen after drinking caffeine or when they’re stressed. Knowing this can help find ways to avoid or manage these symptoms.
Many people also use digital health tools and wearables to track their palpitations. These gadgets can watch your heart rhythm and other important signs all the time.
Using digital health tools and wearables has many benefits:
By using both old-fashioned symptom journals and new digital tools, people can really understand their palpitations. This helps them work with their doctors to find the best ways to manage their symptoms.
It’s important to know when heart palpitations might mean something serious. These can be caused by anxiety or atrial fibrillation (AFib). Sometimes, they can point to a health problem that needs quick medical check-up.
Some symptoms with heart palpitations should make you worry and seek medical help. These include:
Also, if you have palpitations and syncope (fainting) or near-syncope, get medical help right away. These could be signs of a serious problem.
Heart palpitations can sometimes be a sign of a serious or even life-threatening condition. If you or someone else has any of these symptoms, call emergency services or get to the hospital fast:
It’s key to know the difference between anxiety-induced palpitations and those from AFib. While anxiety ones are usually not dangerous, AFib can raise stroke and heart problems risks. Knowing when to get help is very important.
Managing heart palpitations depends on knowing their cause. Whether it’s anxiety or atrial fibrillation, each needs a specific treatment. These treatments aim to tackle the root cause and symptoms.
For anxiety-induced palpitations, the main goal is to manage anxiety. This involves psychological therapies and lifestyle changes. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is often suggested. It helps change negative thought patterns that fuel anxiety.
Relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation also help. They reduce anxiety and, in turn, palpitations.
“By addressing the root cause of anxiety, we can significantly reduce the occurrence of anxiety-induced palpitations.”
Atrial fibrillation treatment aims to control heart rate and rhythm. Rate control is achieved with medications like beta-blockers. These slow the heart rate.
Cardioversion may be used to restore normal rhythm. It involves a controlled electric shock. Catheter ablation is another option, destroying abnormal heart pathways.
Anticoagulant medications are used to prevent stroke. A healthy diet, exercise, and stress management are also key. They help manage AFib long-term.
It’s important to understand the treatment differences for anxiety and atrial fibrillation. Tailoring treatment to the cause helps manage symptoms and improve life quality.
Distinguishing between anxiety-induced heart palpitations and atrial fibrillation (AFib) is key. We’ve looked at their causes, symptoms, and treatments. This helps in getting the right care.
Anxiety can make your heart beat fast, and knowing this is important. At Liv Hospital, we help patients from around the world. We treat heart palpitations caused by anxiety or AFib.
Getting a correct diagnosis improves your life quality. Knowing the difference between AFib and anxiety-induced palpitations helps. Our team offers top-notch care for international patients.
If you have heart palpitations, see a doctor to find out why. At Liv Hospital, we’re ready to help you manage your condition. We provide the care and support you need.
Yes, stress and anxiety can cause heart palpitations. The body’s stress response can change heart rhythm, leading to palpitations.
Atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder with irregular beats. Anxiety-induced palpitations happen due to stress. AFib often has other symptoms, while anxiety palpitations are mostly psychological.
To find out, see a healthcare professional. They will look at your symptoms, medical history, and do tests. This will help figure out if it’s anxiety or AFib.
Yes, anxiety can cause heart flutters or palpitations. Stress from anxiety can change heart rhythm, causing these issues.
Anxiety palpitations often feel like a fast or strong heartbeat. They happen when stressed or anxious. They might also come with feelings of worry or fear.
AFib is diagnosed with a doctor’s evaluation, ECG tests, and other tests. A healthcare professional will look at your symptoms, history, and test results to confirm AFib.
Yes, panic attacks can cause heart palpitations. The intense fear or discomfort can change heart rhythm, leading to palpitations.
For anxiety palpitations, treatments include relaxation techniques, therapy, or medication. AFib treatments might include heart rate or rhythm medications, cardioversion, or other interventions.
Use a symptom journal or digital health tools to track palpitations. This helps identify patterns or triggers. It’s useful when talking to a healthcare professional.
Seek medical help for severe or lasting palpitations, chest pain, or shortness of breath. Also, see a doctor if you’re unsure about your palpitations.
“Anxiety disorders and cardiovascular disease” — PMC (National Institutes of Health). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5149447/ PMC
