Interesting Heart Palpitations Causes And Treatment For A Case Of The Heart Flutters
Does your heart unexpectedly start to race or pound, or feel like it keeps skipping beats? These sensations are called heart palpitations. For most people, heart palpitations are a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence. Others have dozens of these heart flutters a day, sometimes so strong that they feel like a heart attack.
Most palpitations are caused by a harmless hiccup in the heart’s rhythm. A few reflect a problem in the heart or elsewhere in the body.
Doctor’s View On Palpitations Treatment
What are palpitations?
Feeling your heart beat rapidly, or skip a beat is very common. The sensation you feel when this happens is called a palpitation. Palpitations can come from isolated irregular heartbeats or electrical problems in the heart that can cause rapid, regular, or irregular heart rhythms. Most palpitations are harmless but some can cause serious symptoms or problems.
Treatment for palpitations
Most palpitations will stop on their own and do not require medical treatment. For some people, palpitations are uncomfortable. In these cases, you can do some things to avoid triggering them.
- Reduce stress and anxiety . Try alternative natural home remedies such as mediation, yoga, guided imagery, aromatherapy, or biofeedback. Doing anything relaxing will help.
- Avoid stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine.
- Avoid drinking alcohol.
- Avoid medications that are stimulants, such as cough and cold medications like pseudoephedrine , diet pills, or asthma inhalers. Never stop taking a medication or change the dose without first consulting your doctor.
- Do not take illegal drugs.
- If you are taking a medication for an underlying condition that causes palpitations, such as thyroid disease or anemia, talk to your doctor to see if there is another medication that you can take instead.
If you have palpitations along with shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, or fainting, seek medical attention immediately as these may be signs of serious heart disease.
What Are The Symptoms Of Heart Palpitations And Anxiety
Symptoms of heart palpitations include:
- Fluttering: Some people sense a flapping or fluttery feeling in the chest. Your heart may feel like its flipping.
- Irregular heartbeat: You might feel like your heart skips a beat or beats out of rhythm. You may become aware of your heart rate speeding up and slowing down. You may also feel as if your heart pauses for a second or two.
- Pounding: Your heart might beat forcefully or very strongly. Some people say they can feel their heart beating in their ears.
Read Also: Does Tylenol Raise Blood Pressure And Heart Rate
Can Heart Palpitations Be Prevented Or Avoided
Heart palpitations cannot always be prevented or avoided. Here are some things you can do that may help prevent or avoid heart palpitations:
- Do not use illegal street drugs, such as;cocaine.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco.
- Tell your doctor what medicines and herbal supplements you take.
- Tell your doctor how much alcohol you drink and if you use anything else that might cause palpitations.
- Keep track of your palpitations. Write down the time that they happen and what you were doing when they began. Give this information to your doctor. He or she may be able to use this information to determine what is causing your heart palpitations.
What Is High Blood Pressure
Leaving high blood pressure untreated may damage the blood vessels.
The heart is a muscle that pumps blood around the body. As it travels, the blood delivers oxygen to the bodys vital organs.
Sometimes, a problem in the body makes it harder for the heart to pump the blood. This could happen, for example, if an artery becomes too narrow.
Persistent high blood pressure can put a strain on the walls of the arteries. This can lead to a variety of health problems, some of which can be life threatening.
Also Check: Does Acid Reflux Cause Heart Palpitations
Will My Healthcare Provider Be Able To Rule Out Other Causes Of Heart Palpitations
Your provider will want to verify that anxiety-related palpitations arent dangerous. They may recommend other tests, such as:
- Chest X-ray to look at your heart and lungs.
- Echocardiogram or to examine your hearts overall function.
- Electrocardiogram to check your heart rate.
- Exercise stress test to see how your heart performs with increased activity.
- Holter monitoring to record your hearts activity over 24 to 48 hours.
If a Holter monitor doesnt show unusual heart rhythms, your provider may give you an event recorder. You can wear this recorder for weeks. You press a button to record any heart sensations that you experience.
Risk Factors For Mental Health Conditions
Everyone has some risk of developing a mental health disorder, no matter their age, sex, income, or ethnicity.
In the U.S. and much of the developed world, mental disorders are one of the leading causes of disability.
Social and financial circumstances, biological factors, and lifestyle choices can all shape a persons mental health.
A large proportion of people with a mental health disorder have more than one condition at a time.
It is important to note that good mental health depends on a delicate balance of factors and that several elements of life and the world at large can work together to contribute to disorders.
The following factors may contribute to mental health disruptions.
Also Check: Reflux And Palpitations
How Accurate Are Electrocardiograms
An electrocardiogram is a representation of the electrical activity of the heart in multiple views. It records about 12 seconds and patients with palpitations may or may not have an abnormality on their EKG during that time. That is why many physicians use ambulatory EKGs or Holter monitors to try to make a diagnosis.
The other benefit of the standard EKG is that it may reveal evidence of other things that may be wrong with the heart such as an old heart attack or other electrical abnormalities that may provide important clues to an underlying diagnosis that the palpitations represent. So an electrocardiogram is a valuable part of a heart evaluation, but is not particularly sensitive for detecting heart rhythm abnormalities.
Palpitations When Lying Down
The heart is one of the most important organs of the body. It works continuously for our whole life and contracts regularly about 72 times per minute. Most of the time one pays little attention to the beats of heart, unless it skips a beat or beats in an abnormal rhythm. This is called having a palpitation. On occasion, you can notice palpitations when lying down or after meals. This article;tells all about;the palpitations you experience when lying down.
Read Also: Thrz Calculator
Capturing Heart Palpitations In Action
If you are at risk for a heart rhythm problem, or if palpitations are interfering with your life or mental health, a recording of your heart’s rhythm for 24 hours or even longer may capture an electrical “signature” of the problem. Getting visual evidence of this signature can help determine how best to treat your palpitations.
A Holter monitor constantly records your heart’s rhythm for 24 hours as you go about your daily activities. Small patches called electrodes are stuck onto your chest and attached to a recorder that you carry in a pocket or wear around your neck or waist. During the test, you keep a diary of what you are doing and how you feel, along with the time of day of each entry. When you return the monitor to your doctor, he or she will look at the recording to see if there have been any irregular heart rhythms.
Twenty-four hours often isn’t long enough to detect palpitations. An event recorder can monitor the heart for days or weeks. There’s even an implantable recorder that can invisibly monitor the heart for a year or more.
When Should I See My Gp About Palpitations
You should make an appointment to see your GP if:
- your palpitations last a long time, don’t improve or get worse
- your palpitations cause symptoms such as sudden dizziness, feeling short of breath, fainting, chest pain or tightness
- you have a history of heart problems
- you’re concerned about the palpitations.
Recommended Reading: How To Calculate Max Hr
Dont Wait For Another Sign: Talk To Your Doctor About Your Heart Disease Symptoms
If youre noticing one or more of these seven symptoms, then the best place to start is by making an appointment with a primary care doctor to have your heart checked out and tested.
Your primary care doctor can diagnose and treat hundreds of conditions. They can help you build your heart wellness by working with you to create a tailored treatment plan. And if specialist help is needed, your doctor can connect you with an expert in cardiology for more testing and treatment.
Theres no doubt that symptoms of heart disease can be concerning, especially if youre not sure whats behind them or what the next steps are. But answers, care and treatment are available to help keep your heart as healthy as it can be so you can live your best life.
How Is Palpitations Diagnosed
If you go to the doctor with palpitations, he or she will ask you questions about the nature and seriousness of your complaints, in order to see whether there is a clear cause. You can also try to keep a close eye on the circumstances under which your complaints started, so that you can provide good information about this.
Usually the doctor will examine you physically, listen to your pulse and measure your blood pressure. If necessary, a heart film can also be made. This is a quick and painless examination, in which electrodes are placed on your chest. These transmit information to equipment that can visualize your heart rate very precisely. Such an EKG is always a snapshot, so you may not have palpitations at that moment.
If necessary, the general practitioner or a cardiologist may choose to perform other tests, such as a Holter examination. You also wear the electrodes and they are connected to a small, portable device that you can easily attach to your body. This records your heart rate for 24 or 48 hours, while you keep track of what youre doing from moment to moment. Later, the recording is analyzed by a specialist. This makes it easier to see what is causing your complaints. In addition, other tests are possible, such as an exercise test, in which an EKG is made and other measurements are taken while you are exercising, for example on an exercise bike or treadmill.
Recommended Reading: How Accurate Is Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate
Meet Dr Andrea Tordini Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologist At Florida Medical Clinic
Still not sure when to worry about heart palpitations or what could be causing them?
As an abnormal heart rhythm specialist, Dr. Andrea Tordini helps patients in Tampa, Florida, relieve their symptoms and improve their quality of life. Dr. Tordini specializes in the management of abnormal heart rhythms. Her areas of expertise include: atrial fibrillation ablation and management, evaluation and management of syncope and symptoms related to slow heart rhythms, pacemaker and cardiac defibrillator implantation, as well as the management of heart failure through cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Dr. Andrea Tordini focuses on providing her patients with optimal, personalized care in order to relieve symptoms related to heart rhythm abnormalities, and improve the quality and longevity of life.
How Are Heart Palpitations Diagnosed
If your heart races when you arent exercising, you should see your doctor. Your doctor will examine you and ask you about any medicines you are taking. He or she will also ask about your diet and ask if you have panic attacks. Your doctor may want you to have a resting electrocardiogram test. This test keeps track of your heartbeat over a certain amount of time. Your doctor also may test your blood.
If these tests do not show what is causing your palpitations, your doctor may have you wear a heart monitor. If so, you will wear it for 1 to 14 days. This monitor will show any breaks in your hearts rhythm. Your doctor might refer you to a cardiologist for more tests or treatment.
Don’t Miss: Does Acid Reflux Cause Heart Palpitations
How Are Exercise And Pvcs Related
The relationship between extra beats and exercise is a complicated one. Many patients experience PVCs or palpitations before and after exercise, but not during exercise.
When most patients start to exercise, their own heart rate rises and the PVCs or other extra beats disappear at higher heart rates. After exercise, the body’s natural adrenalin level remains high for a period of time while the heart rate begins to go down during rest. This period of time often permits the extra beats to come back, and sometimes their rate and frequency are higher than before exercise.
If the other symptoms are mild or not present, usually there is not any reason for serious concern. If other symptoms accompany the palpitations such as shortness of breath, chest discomfort, or severe lightheadedness or loss of consciousness, those symptoms with palpitations in any setting are a cause for concern and require further evaluation.
Am I Having A Heart Attack
One of the first things we might wonder when experiencing palpitations is whether we’re having a heart attack. However, the symptoms of a heart attack are usually quite different.
“Someone having a heart attack is more likely to feel a pain or tightening across the chest rather than the feeling of a skipped heartbeat,” explains Lucy Martin, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation. “Other common symptoms are sweating, shortness of breath and feeling sick; or a pain that radiates along the arm or up to the jaw.”
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it’s important to seek urgent medical care.
Don’t Miss: Acetaminophen Heart Rate
What Can Cause Heart Palpitations
“It’s not uncommon for people to get palpitations during vigorous exercise,” explains Martin. “Or when they’re feeling anxious or stressed.
“Other triggers might include alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, certain medications and recreational drugs.”
In addition, palpitations in women might be caused by hormonal fluctuations experienced during periods, pregnancy or during menopause. Some medications, including the asthma inhaler salbutamol, can also lead to palpitations, especially if you take a large amount.
What Causes Palpitations
If you are suffering from palpitations, it’s important to consider what might be causing them. Working out initially what you’re feeling is key. Most people use the term palpitations to describe a rapid, racing or thumping but still regular heartbeat. If this is the case, think about when the palpitations occur and whether there might be a lifestyle or dietary trigger.
Also Check: How Does Anemia Cause Heart Failure
Premature Or Extra Beats
When an individual has a premature heartbeat or extra beats, it can feel like the heart skips a beat because the signal to beat comes sooner than normal.
If it occurs, it can cause what feels like a brief pause, after which there is a stronger than normal beat.
When To Contact A Medical Professional
If you have never had heart palpitations before, see your provider.
- Loss of alertness
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- You often feel extra heartbeats .
- You have risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
- You have new or different heart palpitations.
- Your pulse is more than 100 beats per minute .
- You have related symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint, or loss of consciousness.
Read Also: Can Acid Reflux Cause Palpitations
Sign: Youre Having Trouble Catching Your Breath
In fact, you probably shouldnt even wait for a doctors appointment if youre experiencing this, as you may be having a cardiac event. When experiencing palpitations, if you feel like you might pass out or you actually do pass out then you probably need to be seen right away in an urgent care or an emergency department, she says. Here are 9 things to know about heart attacks before you have one.
Treatment And Prevention Of Heart Palpitations
Unless your doctor discovers your heart palpitations are a result of an underlying condition that requires treatment, theres not a ton that needs to be done. That said, if for whatever reason you dont want to deal with heart palpitationsbecause hey, maybe you want to save yourself the stress of wondering whats going onthe main thing you can do is address triggers, according to the Mayo Clinic. This might mean avoiding or curbing your intake of stimulants like coffee or working on reducing your stress through deep breathing, exercise, or looking into professional help for anxiety if needed.
Beyond that, remember that most heart palpitations are harmlessas long as you keep an eye on the signs its something more serious, you can trust that your heart is doing what its supposed to in order to keep your blood pumping.
Related:
You May Like: Acid Reflux Heart Fluttering
Heart Palpitations For Hours At A Time
claybabe16881 over a year ago
mindik18679 over a year ago
Guest over a year ago
Guest over a year ago
Guest over a year ago
TamiJMays97836 over a year ago
Kathy over a year ago
Guest over a year ago
Like Matt I too have the same problem with the electrical wire that triggers your heart too pump. Which causes SVT . Thewe is however anotheso solution to surgery. My cardio put me on a medication called Verapamil Hydrochloride 160mg which is apparently also used for blood pressure Which is totally unrelated to my “attacks”. There are a number of exercises that you can do to stop an attack which you can also google by looking for, methods to stop Svt.
I have also been in the situation where my heart rate went up to 270bpm and had to be given “heart stop” drug that basically hits the hard reset button and I AGREE… NOT FUN.