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Can Anxiety Cause Increased Heart Rate?
Question: I had write you about my husband and we have additional question- would (severe) anxiety be a possible cause of 3 episodes of Atrial flutter (his heart rate went up to 155-ish)?Thank you, XXXXXXX XXXX
Brief Answer:
May raise heart rate, but not cause flutter
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
Anxiety may cause an increase in the heart rate. However it causes what is called sinus tachycardia, meaning that the form of the waves on ECG is normal, the heart beat is normally generated by the sinus node, it is only the rate which is higher.
Meanwhile the electrical impulse in flutter does not follow normal pathways, hence its form is not normal on an ECG. That is not caused by anxiety. So if confirmed to be flutter by ECG (as I said the rate alone doesn't distinguish) then it's not caused by anxiety.
I hope to have been of help.
May raise heart rate, but not cause flutter
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
Anxiety may cause an increase in the heart rate. However it causes what is called sinus tachycardia, meaning that the form of the waves on ECG is normal, the heart beat is normally generated by the sinus node, it is only the rate which is higher.
Meanwhile the electrical impulse in flutter does not follow normal pathways, hence its form is not normal on an ECG. That is not caused by anxiety. So if confirmed to be flutter by ECG (as I said the rate alone doesn't distinguish) then it's not caused by anxiety.
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Thank you so very much! You did help us!
Brief Answer:
Glad to have been of help.
Detailed Answer:
Glad to have been of help.
Glad to have been of help.
Detailed Answer:
Glad to have been of help.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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