Anxiety is a mental health concern affecting over 40 million Americans over the age of 18 in any given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Marked by feelings of fearfulness and uncertainty, anxiety is a potentially disabling disorder. A common symptom of anxiety is tachycardia, or racing heart beat. Heart palpitations may not always indicate presence of an anxiety disorder and may point to the presence of an underlying medical concern.
Anxiety Disorder
Intense worry and irrational fears are signature symptoms of an anxiety disorder. This mental illness can range from mild to severe in symptoms, with common symptoms including constant worrying and obsessing, restlessness, fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate and exaggerated startle response. You may also experience disrupted sleep or trouble concentrating.
Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations are a symptom consistent with diagnoses affecting both your mental and physical health. Palpitations might indicate an underlying physical ailment such as hyperthyroid, hypoglycemia, anemia, fever, low blood pressure or dehydration. Heart disease, in particular, may contribute to symptoms of anxiety. Heart palpitations may indicate the presence of a serious medical concern. As such it's important to rule out a medical cause for this condition.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes contain free ions, which conduct electricity and affect the balance of water in the body, pH balance or blood acidity, muscle activity and more. Electrolytes may be set off-balance by excessive sweating, excessive water consumption, water retention or a host of medical conditions that cause the former. Electrolytes exist in your blood in the form of acids, bases and salts. Sodium is an example of just one of the important electrolytes.
Sodium
Low or excessively high sodium is problematic. Your kidneys regulate sodium and excessive sodium intake will cause your kidneys to conserve less sodium and excrete more. Low sodium caused by a medical condition or even excessive exercising may prompt an imbalance of water, leading to a dangerous condition called hyponatremia. Too much water will raise your blood pressure and cause hypertension, which may present as heart palpitations. Sodium deficiency in and of itself may provoke heart palpitations and other symptoms of anxiety.
Caution
Do not attempt to self-treat this condition. Discuss your concerns regarding sodium deficiency first with your physician to ensure the proper medical care is received. A deficiency can be detected through blood testing at your doctor's office.
