Thump, Thump, Thump: Sudden Heart Palpitations and General Discomfort—One Common Cause Is Often Overlooked

In the middle of the night, Mr. A tightly clutches his chest, with beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down his forehead. His heart is pounding uncontrollably, as if it's about to burst through h

In the middle of the night, Mr. A tightly clutches his chest, with beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down his forehead. His heart is pounding uncontrollably, as if it’s about to burst through his ribcage, and everything in front of him seems to be spinning; he hesitates whether to call 120 again.

This is not the first time he has experienced such a terrifying moment, each time feeling as if he is hovering on the brink of death. Fortunately, as he fumbles for his phone, the symptoms gradually ease. The next day, he recalls the doctor’s advice and makes an appointment with the psychiatric department.

This article discusses a symptom similar to a “heart attack” that is closely linked to psychological factors, with the frequency of attacks potentially being proportional to the level of fear. Today, we would like to share two case stories with you.

“Heart Attacks” Over and Over Again

A month ago, Mr. A’s friend suddenly passed away due to an acute myocardial infarction at the age of 39.Since then, afear of sudden death has enveloped Mr. A, who is the same age as the deceased.

Soon, symptoms similar to a heart attack appeared on him.Once while taking an elevator, he felt the space was unusually cramped and suffocating, and a strong sense of unease suddenly hit him.Then, he felt palpitations, cold sweats, shortness of breath, and numbness in his feet.He quickly got off the elevator, which allowed his heartbeat to gradually stabilize.

Another time, he was alone in the car when he got stuck in traffic, and the same symptoms appeared again. After several such episodes, he began to fear taking elevators and driving; actions that were once routine now became things he could not bear.On one occasion, when an attack occurred at home,he dialed the 120 emergency number. Unexpectedly, among the various tests in the emergency department,except for the ECG showing tachycardia, no other tests found significant abnormalities.He was very worried that these symptoms might be an “alarm signal” for a heart attack, but the doctor not only recommended further evaluation of cardiovascular risk but also suggested he“rule outpsychological factors”.

The second patient, Ms. B, a 43-year-old woman, also found herself in such a predicament. She described her feelings as: “It feels like something is pressing on my chest, my heart is beating very fast, as if it’s about to jump out, but at the same time, it’s tightly gripped by something.” Three months ago, she began to experience symptoms similar to heart disease; each attack was very sudden, accompanied by chest pain, palpitations, and even a sensation of suffocation. As a teacher, her symptoms sometimes occurred in the classroom. However,despite multiple visits and examinations, no significant problems were found.