Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jul 9: Mental health professionals in Mangaluru have observed a noticeable rise in the number of individuals seeking psychiatric help due to the fear of heart attacks, a condition now being identified as ‘cardio phobia’.

Psychiatrists often remind the public not to ‘take everything to heart’, meaning people should avoid overthinking or assuming that whatever happens to others might also happen to them. However, with increasing news reports of heart attack cases surfacing in various regions, a segment of the population has begun to worry that they might be experiencing cardiac symptoms themselves.

According to available information, this has led to a rise in patients visiting psychiatrists with complaints like, “I feel like I have heart disease symptoms, what should I do?” Despite receiving a clean bill of health from cardiologists, the fear persists for some individuals. They go on to seek second and third opinions, and when those too fail to reassure them, they eventually turn to mental health professionals.

“This condition is called cardio phobia,” say psychiatrists. These individuals are often not satisfied even after undergoing thorough heart check-ups and being told they are fine. Such cases are increasing of late. Earlier, psychiatrists used to see one or two such patients per week. Now, doctors report seeing 2–3 such cases daily. Some patients are even travelling from neighbouring districts after making prior appointments. The majority of these patients fall in the 30–45 age group.

Psychiatrists emphasise that more than medication, what these individuals need is close emotional counselling to help them overcome their internal fears. Family members and friends also play a vital role in offering courage and emotional support, they add.

Dr Sunil Kumar from Wenlock District Hospital pointed out that a similar trend was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Back then too, many people approached psychiatrists out of fear and anxiety, claiming they had COVID symptoms and didn’t know what to do. Such cases have now reduced, but we are seeing a similar pattern re-emerging in the form of cardio phobia,” he said.