“The reason is that SVT (tachycardia) often manifests at a younger age, in your teenage years or 20s or 30s, and is more common in women,” Day said. Younger women are more likely to have tachycardia, the heart condition that's sometimes mistaken for a panic attack. Riba, MD, a professor and associate chair for integrated medical and psychiatric services at the University of Michigan. Doctors don't always consider a heart attack or heart arrhythmia when women come to the ER with those symptoms, said Michelle B. Women may have atypical symptoms of a heart attack or other heart condition, such as a burning sensation in the upper abdomen, an upset stomach, or sweating. Sobel said “the presence of one panic attack increases the likelihood of another.” Likewise, he said, a family history of cardiac disease and arrhythmias may point in a different direction. Also, whether you've had a panic attack in the past could be a clue. Often panic attacks are precipitated by some anxiety or depression or another psychiatric difficulty. Your medical history may offer hints as to whether you're experiencing a panic attack or afib. “Generally, people with a heart arrhythmia don’t have this emotional component,” he said. They have a sense that the world doesn’t seem real, or a fear that they’re going crazy. Stephen Sobel, MD, a San Diego psychiatrist who treats anxiety disorders and is the author of “Successful Psychopharmacology: Evidence-Based Treatment Solutions for Achieving Remission” said that people having a panic attack feel panic. “With a panic attack, your heart is going fast, but it’s totally regular.” “You could have two or three beats super fast, and two or three slower, and two or three fast - your heart rate is bouncing all around,” Day said. With a panic attack, your heart rate slowly returns to normal.Īnother difference is that your heartbeat in atrial fibrillation is totally erratic. One difference with afib though, is that the irregular heartbeat symptoms start and stop suddenly. An episode of SVT can last 5 seconds or until your doctor does something to stop it, Day said, “so length of time doesn’t really distinguish between the two.” This is the heart arrhythmia most likely to be mistaken for a panic attack. A type of arrhythmia called supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) can make your heart beat as much as 150 to 250 times a minute. However, not all symptoms are the same, and the differences can help your doctors determine what’s causing your heart to race.Ī single panic attack can last a few minutes or an hour. “Either could start at any time for any reason,” Dr. Pounding in your chest, difficulty breathing, chest pain or discomfort, and feeling dizzy or lightheaded are panic attack symptoms that overlap with afib symptoms. The irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation (afib), a physical disorder, shares some symptoms with a panic attack, an emotional problem, said John Day, MD, director of Heart Rhythm Services at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City.

If your heart starts racing, your mind might, too: Is this a panic attack? Is this a heart problem? Sometimes it's hard to tell - even for doctors.

Atrial flutter symptoms sweating