Cardiac neurosis or cardioneurosis( also called episodic paroxysmal anxiety) is a functional disorder caused by an inadequate function of the central or peripheral part of the autonomic nervous system.
Cardiac neurosis is the "disease of our time".Well, today every second person can be called a neurotic. However, only a limited number of people know what, in fact, is hiding under this term. The disorder affects people from 20 to 40 years.
The prevalence of the disorder is about 20-60%.The disease can occur at any time during life, but, most often, the first symptoms appear in adolescence and early adulthood. Women's heart neurosis affects 2 times more often than men, the ratio is 5: 1.
Causes and mechanism of development of
Any neurosis most often occurs as a result of egocentrism. Also, the frustration worries people who suffer from a lack of orientation in life, those who have previously developed a certain center of their own existence, exaggerate their ego and have unrelenting fear for their existence;The violated self-esteem is also a very frequent culprit of this disease.
Cardioneurosis is often faced by those who see themselves as distorted, can not give themselves an objective assessment, without having a transcendental ego, paradoxically, they feel empty, unstable and depressed. 
However, the disease can also be just a consequence of stress, it can cause hormonal fluctuations during puberty, pregnancy or menopause.
Neurosis of the heart can provoke climate change, or even a seemingly banal change of time zone. A significant impact on the development of the disorder has physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. Sometimes neurosis can cause neurological diseases, endocrine disorders, etc.
The psychological state is subsequently transferred to somatic manifestations of a different nature.
Subjective and objective evaluation of
Cardiac neurosis is subjectively perceived as rapid heartbeat, fast or too slow heart pulse, or vice versa irregular heartbeat.
Other manifestations of cardioneurosis may be other symptoms, such as hot flashes, sweating, weakness, poor performance and 
insomnia, fluctuations in blood pressure, dizziness, difficulty breathing, anxiety, nervous breakdown and anxiety.
Typical signs of cardiac neurosis are morning fatigue, poor memory, chest pain, no less frequent symptoms such as loss of appetite, a tendency to overweight, poor cold tolerance, pain in the legs, nausea, abdominal pain, pale skin,swelling under the eyes, frequent urination, excessive salivation, constipation and allergic reactions.
Urgent need to see a doctor if there is an intense manifestation of symptoms that can disrupt the daily life:
- feels a constant internal tension;
- cardiac neurosis is accompanied by loss of consciousness;
- observed deterioration in general condition.
Diagnostic criteria
Differential diagnosis is aimed at excluding other disorders, psychiatric and nonpsychiatric. Psychiatric causes with similar symptoms include, in particular, depression, which in older people is more often manifested by somatic, rather than psychological symptoms.
In old classification systems we used the term "larval depression", but today it is not applied.
Unexplained somatic symptoms may also have some forms of schizophrenia, however, hypochondriacal symptoms often become vague and their interpretation is very complex.
Patients with cardioneurosis are also often prone to "self-medication", so it is appropriate to ask about the use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol.
After a thorough examination of the first symptoms, it is more specific to study the patient's condition, if possible, one doctor or health care in one workplace.
There are often cases where a patient visits various experts and is subjected to the same tests repeatedly. From the psychiatric side, it is necessary to exclude, in particular, serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, delusional or affective disorders.
Psychotherapy is where to begin
Cardiac neurosis, unlike other neurotic and affective disorders, is a fairly rare object of interest in the field of psychotherapy, so research in this area, compared with other mental disorders, is relatively small. Nevertheless, the psychotherapeutic approaches of therapy are widely used.
It should be noted especially, in particular, cognitive-behavioral and transpersonal psychotherapy. The first of two psychotherapeutic approaches is the restructuring of thinking and behavior in patients.
Trigger can be a TV show, an article about the disease, a disease in the environment of a person, which causes concern about health, somatic complaints and loss of self-control and confidence.
Medication Therapy
Classical medicine uses, as in many other cases, sedative and other drugs that calm the nervous system.
In clinical practice, the most commonly used drugs for the treatment of cardioneurosis are benzodiazepine tranquilizers and analgesics.
Benzodiazepines are drugs that bring relief to the patient for a short period, but do not lead to a cure for the disorder itself. In addition, there is a risk of addiction, as well as drugs of this group are absolutely contraindicated in patients with alcohol dependence.
Benzodiazepines should be given only in the case of acute conditions, post-traumatic stress and severe forms of disorder, in which the therapeutic effect of antidepressants can not be expected, which occurs after 2-3 weeks.
The main drugs aimed at treating heart neurosis are antidepressants. Antidepressants of the first generation are effective, in particular, due to their analgesic effect.
Their disadvantage is the side effects( cardiotoxicity, xerostomia, diplopia, urinary retention, worsening symptoms in glaucoma).
Currently, the most commonly used are antidepressants III( SSRIs - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or IV generation, more influencing other systems of neurotransmitters, mainly norepinephrine and 
dopaminergic.
In cardiac neurosis, the greatest effect of SSRIs was demonstrated, in particular, fluoxetine and fluvoxamine are especially effective, as well as tricyclic antidepressants such as Amitriptyline and Imipramine.
In case of insufficient effect, antidepressants can be replaced or combined, it is possible to try to maximize the effect of low doses of antipsychotics. These pharmacological methods, however, should be left to the discretion of an experienced psychiatrist.
Traditional therapies
Alternative medicine is used to relieve the symptoms of cardiac neurosis water therapy( alternating hot and cold showers) in combination with herbal preparations - the most popular tinctures of hawthorn or valerian.
Tea from the flowers of hawthorn, rhizomes of valerian, cones of hops( all components - equally) is also recommended.
One teaspoon of the mixture should be filled with a glass of boiling water, leave to stand for 5 minutes and sweeten with honey. Drink tea 3 times a day, the last time - before bed.
Help yourself - how to cure cardioneurosis yourself:
In the absence of significant changes that can be attributed to cardiovascular disease, it is unlikely that 
cardioneurosis can lead to serious complications. In fact, this disorder is often considered a consequence of a nervous breakdown.
If the doctor diagnosed cardioneurosis but did not determine IHD or hypertension, the patient has the best chance of a long healthy life.
For preventive purposes, it is necessary to remove from your life bad habits and limit the triggers of anxiety, nervousness and irritability.
Try to enjoy life as much as possible, and try to perceive everyday worries and difficulties with philosophical or humorous, and your health will be all right.
