Key Patient Learnings From Dr Khan
Dr. Kahn shared several important points during this interview that I wanted to write down and remember:
Dr. Junaid Khan
- High heart rates are common after cardiac surgery and normal as patients recover from heart surgery.
- Up to 25% of patients may experience atrial fibrillation, an abnormal or irregular heart rhythm after heart surgery. Atrial fibrillation needs to be monitored as it can cause an elevated risk of stroke. Medications can be used to manage atrial fibrillation.
- Most of the time, higher heart rates and atrial fibrillation are temporary cardiac conditions for patients and go away over time.
- Loud heartbeats are a common experience for patients following heart surgery. Patients may experience a feeling that their heart is beating out of their chest.
- Patients who have heart valve surgery through different access points sternotomy, minimally-invasive and transcatheter approaches may experience loud heartbeats.
- Those patients who receive a mechanical heart valve may hear their heart valve tick as the valve opens-and-closes.
What To Expect At The Doctors
Your doctor may use a variety of diagnostic tools to help diagnose your condition, including:
- Electrocardiogram. Also referred to as an ECG or EKG, this diagnostic tool uses small electrodes to record the electrical activity of your heart. Your doctor can use the information collected to determine if heart abnormalities are contributing to your condition.
- Imaging tests. Imaging can be used to assess if there are any structural abnormalities in your heart that may be contributing to your condition. Possible imaging tests can include echocardiogram, CT scan, and MRI scan.
- Laboratory tests. Your doctor may order blood tests to determine if your condition is caused by something such as an electrolyte imbalance or thyroid disease.
Once a diagnosis is made, your doctor will work with you to develop a plan to treat and manage your condition.
Depending on the findings from the diagnostic tests, your doctor may refer you to a cardiologist. A cardiologist specializes in treating and preventing diseases of the heart and circulatory system.
Causes Of Elevated Heart Rate
The list of things that can cause your heart to speed up is long. Doctors typically consider these broad categories:
1. Non-Heart-Related Causes
- Illness: Your heart rate increases when you have an infection or fever, states the Mayo Clinic.
- Psychological causes: Anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia can all be culprits.
- Blood chemistry: If you’re anemic or dehydrated, your heart has to work harder.
- Hormones: A hyperactive thyroid gland is a common cause.
- Medications: Albuterol inhalers for asthma, ADHD medications and over-the-counter decongestants can all be causes, according to the Cleveland Clinic and the U.S. National Library of Medicine. If you suddenly stop taking a type of medication called a beta blocker, , this can cause your heart rate to bound upward.
- Recreational drugs: Cocaine and methamphetamines can raise your heart rate, states the American Heart Association.
2. Heart-Related Causes
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What Is A Healthy Heart Rate What Is Optimal
An optimal heart rate about one beat per second; at rest, or . Consequently, for every 10 beats per minute increase, theres a 10 to 20% increased risk of premature death.
Theres strong evidence showing that everyone with a high heart rate is at risk , even otherwise healthy individuals. But there are ways that you can slow your heart rate naturally.
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Symptoms And Complications Of High Pulse Rate
Rapid heart rates reduce the ability of the heart to pump out blood efficiently to the vital organs like the brain. This deprives the organs of oxygen-rich blood, which can cause the symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting spells, palpitations, chest pains, and shortness of breath. Some people, however, do not experience symptoms, especially when tachycardia is temporary or short-lived. In those with underlying medical conditions, tachycardia may be detected during a physical examination or after doing a test called electrocardiogram.
Having chronically rapid pulses may result in complications that depend on the severity of the existing condition and the duration of the tachycardia. These complications may include formation of blood clots leading to stroke or heart attack, heart failure, frequent fainting spells or worst of all, sudden death.
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Causes Of A Slow Heart Rate
Its normal for your heart rate to change throughout the day. It speeds up when you exercise, slows down as you recover from exercising, and is usually at its lowest while you sleep.
Sometimes people have a slower heart rate than normal. This is called bradycardia, and it isnt necessarily a problem. Its diagnosed when your heart beats less than 60 beats per minute.
There are several causes of a slow heart rate. The most common are being young or physically fit. The heart is a muscle, and just like the other muscles in your body, it responds positively to exercise. When youre in good shape, your heart doesnt need to beat as often to supply your body with enough oxygen.
But a slow heart rate can also be a sign of a medical problem, such as a heart condition. If your resting heart rate is slow and you have other symptoms of bradycardia such as lightheadedness, call your doctor or go to the ER.
Is A Fast Heart Rate Always A Cause For Concern
There are several different possible causes of an elevated heart rate. While some causes are more worrisome to cardiologists, there are other causes that can be addressed by making lifestyle changes.; Some of these include excitement , dehydration, and even the consumption of nicotine or energy drinks.
There are times that having an elevated heart rate makes sense. For instance, if you are fighting a fever or getting over the flu, or are in the process of recovering from a surgery, a fast heart rate is your bodys way of saying it is working. Its important to monitor your heart rate during these times, but do not become immediately alarmed.
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How To Take Your Pulse
Count your pulse: _____ beats in 10 seconds x 6 = _____ beats/minute
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Diagnosis Of Low Blood Pressure And High Pulse Rate
A condition involving low blood pressure and high pulse rate is often transient in nature and not likely to be diagnosed during a routine doctors visit. However, if it is due to an underlying condition, it may be reproducible through testing or have certain markers that can be identified. The following are various testing modalities that help doctors reach a diagnosis.
- Blood testing: Can provide information about blood constituents, disease markers, and other abnormalities that can affect overall health.
- Electrocardiogram : Measures the electrical activity of the heart and can identify arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation.Echocardiogram: An imaging test that allows doctors to view the size, shape, and relative function of the heart.
- Cardiac stress test: With the use of a treadmill and ECG, the heart can be stressed to varying degrees, looking for changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
- Tilt table test: Allows for careful measurement of the heart rate and blood pressure in response to varying degrees of tilt while laying down on a table. It is often used to investigate the causes of repeated and unexplained fainting.
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If You Slow Your Resting Heart Rate Can You Slow Down Aging
Having a lower resting heart rate is associated with having a longer lifespan.
Athletes generally have a lower resting heart rate due to their physical fitness.
One study found that the more physically fit you are, the lower the resting pulse. The same study found that even controlling for physical fitness, people with a higher resting heart rate had a shorter life expectancy compared to those with a lower resting heart rate.
So a high resting heart rate is not just a marker of risk, but a risk factor for premature death. The difference between a risk marker and a risk factor is that if you can control the risk factor, you can control the risk.
Why Is A High Resting Heart Rate Dangerous?
If your heart is beating fast 24 hours a day, all that circulatory stress can damage; the elastic fibers supporting your arterial walls causing them to become stiff. Your arteries do not have enough time to relax between beats.
What Is A Rapid Heartbeat
A rapid heartbeat, or tachycardia, is a condition in which the heart is beating fast, generally more than 100 beats per minute for an adult. A rapid heartbeat can be normal, or it can result from a disease, disorder or other harmful condition.
The heart pumps blood to the lungs and the rest of the body by contracting its four chambers. The two upper chambers are the atria and the two lower chambers are the ventricles. The sinus node, a small group of cells in your right atrium, transmits an electrical impulse through the heart, causing the atria to contract. The impulse travels through the ventricles, enabling them to contract and pump blood throughout the body. The number of times the heart beats per minute is called the heart rate. The rate of these contractions is determined by nerve impulses and hormones in the blood.
The rate at which your heart beats varies continuously, rising and falling in response to many conditions and situations. For example, your heart rate will rise during strenuous activity in order to ensure that all the cells of the body receive sufficient amounts of oxygen-rich blood. The heartbeat may also become faster in response to stressful situations or when you are in . Your heartbeat is normally lower during periods of relaxation or sleep. The average adult resting heart rate falls within the range of 60 to 80 beats per minute.
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What Are The Different Types Of Rapid Heartbeats
A rapid heartbeat is a type of cardiac arrhythmia. There are different types of rapid cardiac , including:
- Atrial fibrillation is caused by an irregular, rapid quivering of the atria, the upper chambers of the heart. AF can result in ineffective pumping of blood, pooling of blood in the atria, and the formation of .
- Sinus tachycardia is a rapid, regular heartbeat that is over 100 beats per minute in adults. Sinus tachycardia may be normal in many cases and occurs as a response to many common conditions, such as exercise, stress, caffeine, illness, pain, or medication side effects.
- Supraventricular tachycardia is an extremely rapid heart rhythm that can compromise blood flow to the body if it is not treated rapidly. While anyone can develop SVT, it is more common in children. SVT is often intermittent, meaning that it comes and goes over time. Episodes may last from several minutes to several hours.
- Ventricular tachycardia originates in the ventricles, the lower chambers of the heart. VT is life threatening because the heart contracts before filling with enough blood, resulting in an inadequate blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body. In many cases, this rapidly leads to loss of consciousness and the need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and advanced life-saving measures. VT can be caused by a variety of conditions, such as heart disease.
Causes Of High Pulse Rate
High pulse rate is a condition, in which the heart beats at an abnormally fast rate. Though, it need not be life-threatening in all the cases, it is something that needs to be looked into immediately.
High pulse rate is a condition, in which the heart beats at an abnormally fast rate. Though, it need not be life-threatening in all the cases, it is something that needs to be looked into immediately.
Did you know
Chocolate raises the heartbeat from 60 beats/minute to 140 beats/minute.
In medical terms, high pulse rate is termed as tachycardia, which refers to a heart beating at a higher rate than usual. The normal pulse rate for human beings, in resting condition, is about 60 100 beats per minute . The pulse rate falls to about 40 BPM while the person is sleeping. When the pulse rate exceeds 100 BPM, generally oscillating between 140 to 180 BPM, but may even rise to as high as 250 BPM.
High Pulse Rate/Tachycardia
As mentioned above, when the pulse rate rises above 100 BPM, the condition is termed as a high pulse rate or tachycardia. It is directly concerned with the inability of the heart to pump the blood efficiently. This is because when the heart beats at a high rate, the heart is not able to contract and relax properly, which in turn affects the amount of blood being pumped to the different parts of the body.
What Causes High Pulse RateTemporary CausesMajor Causes
Faulty Upper Heart Chamber
Emphysema
Pneumonia
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A Elevated Pulse Rate Is Known As Tachycardia Which May Be A Normal Response To Some Stimuli Or Part Of Some Medical Conditions
The heart of a healthy adult beats within the range of 60-100 times per minute at rest. This rate is controlled by electrical signals within the heart. An abnormally high pulse rate above 100 beats per minute is also called tachycardia, and it occurs when the heart tissues produce electrical signals rapidly, affecting the upper or lower chamber of the heart, or both.
Tachycardia, or rapid heart rate, may produce either a regular or an irregular rhythm in the heart. At extremely rapid rates, the heart may not be able to pump oxygen-rich blood efficiently to the rest of the body, and may cause symptoms as well as complications.
Fast Heart Rate Overview And Conclusion
A fast heart rate although often defined as a heart rate over 90 is not necessarily abnormal and each case is different. History, physical exam and diagnostic testing are;required in order to determine the significance of the heart rate and to see if any treatment is required. Treatment for non-cardiac causes of fast heart rate is to address;the underlying cause. In the case of cardiac causes of fast heart rate, typically medication will be tried first or in some cases a procedure required particularly if the problem is with the electrical system of the heart.
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Normal Range How Do You Compare
Resting heart rate normally ranges from 60 100 bpm .
Being normal doesnt mean you are healthy though. For example, with a heart rate of 90 beats per minute, while you may not have a medical condition, you are definitely not fit.
Usually, the better shape youre in the lower your heart rate will be. Basically, you train your heart to work more efficiently by working out. For example, a professional athlete can have a normal resting heart rate as slow as 40 beats per minute .
Its important to know that both high or low heart rate can point to an underlying health issue.
You should consult a healthcare professional if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 bpm, or if you are not a trained athlete but your heart rate is below 60 bpm. This is especially the case if you are experiencing symptoms such as weakness, shortness of breath, fainting spells, and chest pain.
What Is Your Resting Heart Rate
Your resting heart rate, or pulse, is measured when you are still, calm, and not partaking in any physical activity. It is calculated as the number of heartbeats per minute. It is easy to measure, inexpensive, and can tell you a lot about your health.
You can measure your heart rate simply by checking your pulse. Place two fingers either at your wrist or your neck. Once you feel the pulse, count the beats for 30 seconds and multiply by two in order to get beats per minute . Alternatively, many devices, such as the apple watch, have the option to track your heart rate.
Its best if you can check your resting heart rate first thing in the morning before you get up. Your pulse is lower when you are lying down compared to when standing up . Also later, during the day, your pulse may get elevated because of stress or physical activity.
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When Changes In Heart Rhythms Warrant A Physicians Attention
Though most fluctuations in heart rhythms will likely be harmless, there are times your first response should be to seek medical advice.
- Your symptoms are sudden and abnormal.;If theres a clear first time that you notice a rhythm change in your heart, its a good idea to alert your doctor, Anderson says. You should also call your doctor when a change in heart rhythms corresponds to chest pain, losing consciousness or a prolonged sense that you might pass out. Likewise, contact a medical professional if a rhythmic abnormality persists.
- Your history involves other heart issues.;If you were born with a malformation; if youve had heart surgery; if youve had a;heart attack;or long-standing, untreated;high blood pressure; or if there is something otherwise abnormal with your heart and you notice abnormal heart rhythms, you should see your doctor.
- Your family history puts you at increased risk.;Your doctor may ask you to attend more closely to changes in your heart rhythms if your family has a history of heart disease or sudden death.