Medicine:Cardiophobia

Atherosclerosis is a form of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiophobia (from the Greek: φόβος, Phóbos, meaning "fear" or "morbid fear" and cardio meaning "heart") is the fear of the heart or heart disease. People with a family history or prior personal history of heart problems or diseases are more likely to develop this phobia. The phobic may also be a heart attack survivor with the fear of having another. Others are afraid of the image or symbol of a heart due to a bad relationship.

Symptoms

Sufferers have a chronic fear of present heart problems or the development of heart problems. They fear the fatality of the diseases. Patients have been reported being afraid that their heart is skipping beats. They find the feeling of the heart beating unsettling and situate themselves so that they no longer feel it. They may also fear the image or symbol of a heart. There is a link behind the emotions connected to the image of the heart and the phobia. The heart often represents love and romance. People with a history of bad relationships may find the image of the heart to be emotionally painful. Some fear "committing" their hearts into something for fear of failure or negative results. In short these people fear a "broken heart" or a heartbreak concerning a relationship.

Treatment

Therapy and panic treatment may be helpful to allow the phobic to deal with and overcome the triggers of physical sickness or emotional discomfort they experience.