Anxiety? Or heart attack _Stroke?

[looking4answers]

I am 51 now and when I was 23 I developed major anxiety from blackouts and tachocardia.At the time I didn't know that I had Tachocardia but found that according to the doctor was not a life threatening thing.I have lived with it over the the last almost 30 years and some cases have found that I still become anxious.Over the last six months I have really become anxious.Everytime you read the news or look online or talk to someone ...there is a mention of stroke and heart attack.I am acutely aware of all the symptoms of both and found that over the last 30 years I have experienced them all many times..Although now at 51 I am starting to take them a little more serious..as a matter of fact a lot more serious.I can't seem to take my mind off of them.I seem to be in good health and breath ok when walking or doing phyically exerting things and my heart rate and blood pressure seem to be fine.Lately though I have had some problem with hearing a pulse in my neck.not in my ears but in my neck..I have read many explinations of this being cartroid artery disease or blockage or tumor of the ear and many other things...It has gotten my attention big time but I keep seeing other people online that have had the samething I have for almost 12 and 15 years and had every test known to man and found nothing.I too have had in the last couple of months have had many of the stroke and heart symtoms ...not all at once but here and there..I have recently been to a doctor and he said everything looked good...so I found no reason to mention anything about my symptoms since at the time i wasn't bothered by them..The question I pose now here is if anxiety symptoms are so much like stroke or heart attack..how can you tell you are really having the real thing or just imagined illness simular to stroke or heart attack? I don't want to run to the doctor when I feel this way ,it just makes me more anxious..so what can you do to know? I also just read that men that experience depression or anxiety severly or at more risk and usually die of stroke or heart attack..How comforting huh?

[polly daydream]

Hi, maybe what you are hearing is actually in your ear not your neck, if the dr has checked you over I'm sure you are fine. I know several people who have had strokes and heart attacks and believe me you would know if you were having one. Do you google alot? if so stop it, this will make you panick more and imagine you have every symtom going. Try not to worry so much sweet, it will only make you feel worse and add to your anxiety. If you remain worried though, do go see your dr just to put your mind at rest.

Take care,

Polly

[Dave]

If you've had the symptoms for so long it's not likely to be anything to worry about. I know what you mean, the media is full of negativity and always talking about illnesses.

I'm not sure about anxiety sufferers being more at risk of heart attacks and strokes, I've not heard this. Remember that around 1 in 5 people suffer regular anxiety. I guess a lot depends on your general physical health, diet, weight, etc.

[looking4answers]

Poly,

I just wanted to say thank you for your reading and trying to encourage me about my problem.I keep thinking if it were really something serious I would have other symptoms.Its odd when I hear my heartbeat I can put my fingers in my ears and not hear anything,but I have suffered with sinus issues and allergies and ear infections for a long time so maybe you are correct..it could be my ears .its a really odd thing because most people complain about it the most when they lay down..and I don't have that problem if I prop up with a pillow and at night I run a fan so it mask the problem..Just wish me luck...I usually try to foget it but then I get in a quiet place and wham its there again...Thanks again for taking the time to write..Michaelros

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Hi, maybe what you are hearing is actually in your ear not your neck, if the dr has checked you over I'm sure you are fine. I know several people who have had strokes and heart attacks and believe me you would know if you were having one. Do you google alot? if so stop it, this will make you panick more and imagine you have every symtom going. Try not to worry so much sweet, it will only make you feel worse and add to your anxiety. If you remain worried though, do go see your dr just to put your mind at rest.

Take care,

Polly

<div align="right">Originally posted by polly daydream - 21 August 2006 : 11:40:33</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

[looking4answers]

Dave,
Thanks for reading and replying..I get anxious about this because when I first started experiencing it ,the sensation came and went,but now for the most part it stays.The most unusal thing about it is the fact that if I lay on my side at a certain angle it stops until I get up and move around then starts again.I was just thinking if it was anything other than somthing minor I would think that I would have other symptoms...We have just moved to a rather high altitude 8000 ft above where we are used to being and a really quiet enviroment so maybe I have always had the problem and its just now shown itself full force because of the quietness of our enviroment and the altitude..Thanks again..Michaelros

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">If you've had the symptoms for so long it's not likely to be anything to worry about. I know what you mean, the media is full of negativity and always talking about illnesses.

I'm not sure about anxiety sufferers being more at risk of heart attacks and strokes, I've not heard this. Remember that around 1 in 5 people suffer regular anxiety. I guess a lot depends on your general physical health, diet, weight, etc.

<div align="right">Originally posted by Dave - 21 August 2006 : 13:10:52</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

[ruthb1]

HI

I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL, MY HUSBAND SUFFERED TWO HEART ATTACKS TWO YEARS AGO AND I AM 34 AND I HAVE DEVELOPED HEALTH ANXIETY RELATING TO HEART ATTAKS, NOT SO MUCH STROKES, AND GUESS WHAT EVERY PAIN I GET IS IN MY CHEST, I THINK I MUST HAVE HAD 20 HEART ATTACKS, 10 DVT'S, I HAVE ANGIOPLASTY ABOUT 10 TIMES AND I HAVE HAD AORTA TROUBLE THE LIST IS ENDLESS BUT I CAN REASSURE YOU THAT IT IS ANXIETY RELATED, IT DOESNT FEEL LIKE IT, I HAVE HAD EVERY TEST GOING AND YOU DONT BELIEVE THEM, EVEN NOW 2 YEARS ON I DONT BELIEVE THEM, BUT THEN I HAVE TO BE REALISTIC AND THINK WELL IF THERE WAS SOMETHING IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED BY NOW.

I HOPE THAT THIS HELPS

TAKE CARE


RUTH