Lifestyle

6 Signs of AFib Most People Mistake for Anxiety

By Erica Coleman · September 17, 2026

More than 12 million Americans will have atrial fibrillation (AFib) by 2030, the American Heart Association projects — but right now, far too many don’t know they have it. The cause? People with the sneaky signs of this heart rhythm disorder often blame them on anxiety instead.

“Patients will say ‘I’m under a lot of stress’ or ‘My life is really busy right now.’”

Dr. Shephal Doshi, director of cardiac electrophysiology at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, told Yahoo Life. But stress alone doesn’t explain AFib’s trademark fluttering heartbeat — and the misdiagnosis carries real consequences.

Leaving AFib untreated raises your stroke risk fivefold, the CDC warns. The irregular rhythm lets blood pool in the heart’s upper chambers, where it can clot and travel to the brain. AFib now causes roughly 1 in 7 strokes in the U.S., and more than a third of AFib patients who suffer a clot-provoked stroke die as a result.

Here are the six signs doctors say most often get chalked up to anxiety instead of a misfiring heart.

Heart flutters or skipped beats. AFib makes the heart’s upper chambers quiver rapidly instead of pumping in rhythm. The result is a racing, pounding, or fluttering sensation doctors call “palpitations.” Patients often describe it as their heart “skipping” or “flip-flopping” in their chest. Anxiety can produce a similar feeling — but anxiety palpitations usually resolve when the stressor passes. AFib palpitations don’t.

Chest tightness or pressure that comes and goes. Some people with AFib feel a squeezing or fullness in the chest that arrives without warning and lifts on its own. Panic attacks can cause the same sensation, which is why the two get confused. The tell: AFib chest tightness often isn’t tied to any obvious emotional trigger and can wake you from sleep.

Lightheadedness, dizziness, or a faint feeling. When the heart beats erratically, it can’t pump blood efficiently, and blood flow to the brain drops. That produces dizziness or a near-fainting feeling — especially when standing up quickly. Anxiety causes lightheadedness through hyperventilation. AFib causes it through reduced cardiac output. Both feel similar. Only one raises your stroke risk.

Feeling suddenly winded, even at rest. Shortness of breath is a hallmark of anxiety — but it’s also one of the most common AFib symptoms, according to the Heart Rhythm Society. If you’re winded climbing a single flight of stairs, or breathless while sitting still watching TV, don’t shrug it off as stress. That’s your heart telling you it isn’t pumping effectively.

Getting tired much faster than you used to. When your heart can’t pump forcefully, your muscles and organs don’t get the oxygen-rich blood they need. Persistent, unexplained fatigue is one of the earliest and most overlooked AFib signs. If your stamina has dropped for no obvious reason, ask your doctor to check your heart rhythm.

An overwhelming sense that “something’s off.” Doctors call this “malaise” — a vague, hard-to-describe feeling that your body isn’t working right. Anxiety can produce it. So can a heart in atrial fibrillation. If the feeling persists for days and you can’t explain it, don’t wait it out. Ask for an EKG.

The good news: AFib is treatable — with blood thinners, rate-control medications, and procedures like cardiac ablation that can restore normal rhythm. But treatment only starts once the diagnosis is made. If your body is sending any of these signals, don’t chalk them up to a stressful week until you’ve ruled out the sneakier threat.