What are symptoms of arithmophobia?

The main symptom of arrhythmophobia is extreme anxiety when faced with numbers, chills, dizziness and lightheadedness, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). Heart palpitations, nausea, shortness of breath (dyspnoea).

What are symptoms of arithmophobia?

The main symptom of arrhythmophobia is extreme anxiety when faced with numbers, chills, dizziness and lightheadedness, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). Heart palpitations, nausea, shortness of breath (dyspnoea). Tremors or tremors, stomach upset, or indigestion (dyspepsia). Fear of numbers is called arithmophobia.

This fear is somewhat unusual, as it encompasses a wide variety of specific phobias, including generalized fear of all numbers and fear of specific numbers. In the case of arithmophobia, the feared stimulus has to do with calculation, numbers, arithmetic or mathematics. In this way, the person who suffers from this alteration is disproportionately afraid of these elements.

Elara Minton
Elara Minton

Elara Minton is a cognitive-science writer and maths educator specialising in the emotional realities of learning. With an MSc in Educational Neuroscience from UCL and experience supporting students with ADHD, dyscalculia, and math anxiety, Elara bridges the gap between rigorous research and compassionate, accessible guidance.Before writing full-time, she worked as a learning-support specialist in UK secondary schools and later as a curriculum consultant for online tutoring platforms. She is known for translating complex brain science—working memory, procedural load, cognitive fatigue—into relatable explanations that students, parents, and teachers can actually use.Her style blends reassuring warmth with evidence-based clarity: the voice of someone who understands both the math and the feelings around math.