My cardiology appointment

[MattBananafone34]

So I am an 18 year old male I went for a routine yearly checkup to my cardiologist today and I was a little anxious before going in. However, I started to settle back down as the EKG was about to be performed. The lady made a mistake while using one of the machines and made this very concerning face. Once I saw her facial expression, I could not calm down at all. My heart rate spiked up to 120BPM everytime they checked it. I felt so embarrassed and otherwise scared because now I'm convinced I have a heart problem having to do with heart rate.

The good news is that the doctor found no problems in the heart ultrasound but the only thing she was concerned about was the way I handled my excess worry and anxiety and was saying that worrying is not good for the heart in the long run. I felt a bit reassured that I was okay after the appointment but I have been constantly checking my pulse every hour because the situation scared me... It was all because of a mistake the doctor made.

I'm not sure if I should be worried.

[Anxiouscow]

You should not be worried. If a cardiologist has checked your heart and has found no issues, then you can safely move on from this episode. You are 18 years old. Do not smoke, try not to drink alcohol excessively, try and control your weight to a healthy BMI, exercise, and you should be fine for now :yesyes:

Anxiouscow

[ankietyjoe]

There is nothing for you to worry about here. This stems from your interpretation of a facial expression.

The chances of you having heart issues at your age are practically zero, especially with a clean ECG.

Having a heart rate of 120bpm during anxiety is completely normal and not actually anything to worry about.

You need to stop checking your pulse, as all that achieves is extended anxiety over something that isn't actually dangerous at all (I know, I've been there). It will become an obsessive habit and leave you prone to more anxiety from misinterpreting what you see or feel again.

Absolutely zero to worry about here. The only thing you need to focus on is dealing with the anxiety.

[MattBananafone34]

Thank you both Anxiouscow and ankietyjoe, you both have helped me a ton throughout the past year or two! And Joe, I do agree that checking the pulse all the time can lead you down an unnecessary anxiety rabbit hole... I haven’t been checking it much lately. I appreciate the replies!