Heart Palpitations With Anxietyaccording to TCM

What is Heart Palpitations with Anxiety?

Heart palpitations with anxiety describe a condition where a person feels their heart beating unusually hard or fast, often in conjunction with feelings of anxiety. This symptom can occur sporadically or as part of an ongoing issue. While palpitations themselves are generally not dangerous, they can be distressing and may be accompanied by a fear of impending doom, chest pain, or breathlessness. The experience varies from person to person but typically involves a heightened awareness of heart muscle contractions in the chest, which can feel like fluttering or pounding sensations.

How does TCM View Heart Palpitations with Anxiety?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a holistic perspective on heart palpitations with anxiety, considering them as manifestations of internal disharmony rather than isolated cardiac symptoms. TCM teaches that such conditions stem from imbalances in vital energy, or Qi, and blood flow, often influenced by emotional distress or physical health deficits.

It emphasizes the necessity of identifying the specific underlying patterns of disharmony—such as Yin Deficiency or Blood Deficiency—to tailor an effective treatment approach. This contrasts with Western medicine's focus on symptomatic management and underlying physical causes.

Root Causes of Heart Palpitations With Anxiety in TCM

According to TCM, heart palpitations with anxiety can primarily be attributed to two key patterns: Yin Deficiency or Blood Deficiency. Yin Deficiency involves a depletion of the cooling, moistening forces in the body, leading to symptoms like heat, restlessness, and insomnia, all of which can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and palpitations.

Similarly, Blood Deficiency—which refers to a lack of nourishing and stabilizing Blood—can manifest as palpitations, fatigue, and poor concentration. These conditions highlight a need to nourish and rebalance Yin and Blood to calm the Heart and Mind, illustrating TCM's focus on addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of health.

Explore below more details about what might cause Heart palpitations with anxiety according to TCM.

Yin Deficiency

Yin deficiency in TCM is a pattern of disharmony characterized by a depletion of the body's Yin energy, which represents the cooling, moistening, and nurturing aspects of our physiology. This condition often arises from factors like chronic stress, overwork, insufficient rest, or prolonged illness. Symptoms of Yin deficiency can include a sensation of heat, especially in the afternoon or evening, night sweats, insomnia, a dry mouth or throat, and a red tongue with little coating. There might also be a general feeling of restlessness or irritability. Since Yin is essential for balancing the body's active and warm Yang energy, its deficiency leads to a relative excess of Yang, manifesting as heat or dryness symptoms.... see more

Yin Deficiency Patterns That Can Lead to Heart Palpitations With Anxiety

Pattern Name	Relevant Symptoms	Relevant Formulas
Yin and Blood Deficiency	Palpitations with anxiety, Irritability, Heart palpitations with anxiety, Generalized fatigue, Restless sleeplessness, Poor concentration, Nocturnal emission, Poor memory, Dry stools, Mouth ulcers, Menopausal symptoms... see more	Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan

Blood Deficiency

Blood Deficiency in TCM is like when your body's tank runs low on the vital energy that blood provides. It's not exactly the same as anemia in modern medicine, which is about having too few red blood cells. Instead, Blood Deficiency in TCM is about your body not having enough of the life-giving qualities that blood brings, like nourishment and moisture. This can make you feel tired, look pale, and even feel dizzy or have blurry vision. It's like a garden not getting enough water to stay lush and vibrant. TCM sees this as an imbalance where the body isn't being nourished as it should be, impacting overall health and well-being.... see more

Blood Deficiency Patterns That Can Lead to Heart Palpitations With Anxiety

Pattern Name	Relevant Symptoms	Relevant Formulas
Yin and Blood Deficiency	Palpitations with anxiety, Irritability, Heart palpitations with anxiety, Generalized fatigue, Restless sleeplessness, Poor concentration, Nocturnal emission, Poor memory, Dry stools, Mouth ulcers, Menopausal symptoms... see more	Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan

TCM Herbal Formulas for Heart Palpitations With Anxiety

For treating heart palpitations with anxiety rooted in Yin and Blood Deficiency, TCM relies on nourishing herbal formulas. A key formula is Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan, which includes Unprepared Rehmannia (Di Huang) among its ingredients. This formula is designed to enrich Yin and fortify Blood, addressing the core deficiencies that trigger symptoms.

By cooling the Blood and calming the Mind, Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan helps alleviate the restlessness and palpitations associated with anxiety, thus restoring a sense of peace and stability to the individual. This approach underscores the value TCM places on healing the body by first restoring harmony to its fundamental energies.

See more details below about Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan, a herbal formula used to address heart palpitations with anxiety.

Top Formula for Yin Deficiency:
Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan

Suitable for Yin Deficiency patterns that may cause heart palpitations with anxiety, such as Yin and Blood Deficiency

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Top Formula for Blood Deficiency:
Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan

Suitable for Blood Deficiency patterns that may cause heart palpitations with anxiety, such as Yin and Blood Deficiency

Learn more

TCM Herbs for Heart Palpitations With Anxiety

See more details below about Unprepared Rehmannia (Di Huang), a herb used to address heart palpitations with anxiety.