Hi Broncies,
First of all, please be aware that a consultation with Dr Google may leave you thinking that you have been struck by every disease under the sun. Only a personal medical appointment will give you a proper diagnosis.
If you fear cardiac issues, have an ECG done. Only then will you know if your heart needs attention. If it does, something can be done to manage it. But a diagnosis needs to come first.
Many anxiety symptoms (pounding/racing heart, tightness in the chest etc...) mimic those of heart conditions. It is scary and as sent many of us rushing to hospital fearing the worst. That's what anxiety does, it always presents you with the worst possible scenario, triggering a fight or flight response...which only seems to confirm your fears are well grounded. Because this increased heart rate has happened before during exercise, the mind can end up associating both. Exercise may then trigger anxiety...a vicious circle.
Anxiety comes and goes in waves. If it is the problem, temporarily avoiding strenuous exercise would ensure no additional stress is imposed on the heart. Anxiety may be triggered by some upset or it may be entirely spontaneous and hit you by surprise. Have you looked at the Anxiety section in "Facts" (at the bottom of this page) ?
If in doubt, please do yourself a favor and book a doctor's appointment. Your peace of mind is important and needs to be restored. Anxiety is a nuisance to say the least. No need to put yourself under more stress by letting uncertainty linger. A routine ECG only takes a few minutes.
