Living with a chronic illness day-to-day can be challenging and stressful due to the changes it can bring. Atrial fibrillation (AF or AFib) is a chronic condition that can be frustrating due to irregular and uncertain episodes. These can disrupt your regular schedule and can lead to high-stress levels.
Built-up stress and anxiety can have adverse effects on your mental and physical health. Finding ways to help you manage living with your condition is important.
Maintaining mental and physical health
Looking after your mental health is essential for your physical health, as the two can affect one another. High levels of stress and anxiety can increase the risk of health problems and trigger symptoms, particularly on the heart.
Read more on how stress can affect your heart’s health in our blog: How dangerous is stress for our heart health?
AF’s impact on mental health
Living with AF can cause anxiety and depression, as you may become worried about your symptoms and your quality of life. When experiencing AF episodes, you may notice that you are not your normal self and see a change in your personality as you try to manage your symptoms.
Try to remember that you are not alone in this. Over 1.5 million people have been diagnosed with AF in the UK. They are all learning strategies to help manage AF and still enjoy life.
Mental illness and its effect on AF
AF’s relationship with stress, anxiety and depression is complex. The connections between AF and these mental health issues have not been fully proven.
There are limited studies on whether depression or anxiety directly causes AF or leads to an increased risk of the condition. However, symptoms of anxiety can be similar to AFib symptoms, so anxiety is often mistaken for AF. Read more on an anxious heart and anxiety in our blog: How to Calm Your Anxious Heart.
Managing your symptoms
If you have AF, we might suggest making some lifestyle choices to help keep your heart healthy and self-manage your condition. Improving your mental health and wellbeing is an important part of keeping healthy.
Some positive steps you can make to help your mental wellbeing include:
- Getting regular exercise
- Yoga and practicing mindfulness
- Getting enough sleep
- Eating a balanced diet
- Sharing your feelings with family and friends
- Joining support groups. Find one near you
- Trying breathing exercises
Starting a new diet or exercise regime may be daunting at first, as you may be worried about triggering an episode or making your condition worse. Taking small steps to change your daily routine can help you build confidence to take charge of your health and improve your symptoms.
AF is a treatable condition. At the London Heart Clinic, we have worked with many people who have received treatment and changed their daily routines. They have then been able to work with their symptoms and continue doing the things they love.
However, sometimes, these steps may not be enough to improve your mental wellbeing. If you have negative feelings that persist for more than a couple of weeks or are extreme in nature, we recommend that you seek professional help to discuss your mental health concerns further.
How can we help?
Negative mental health and stress can cause problems with the heart if left unmanaged. If you are concerned about your heart health or any other symptoms, book an appointment to discuss your heart health with our heart specialist, Dr Syed Ahsan.