Table of Contents
Overview
Heart palpitations make you feel your heart beating faster, flattering, and pounding. Heart palpitations are not seriously fatal but still can be the discomfort zone for you. Many factors cause heart palpitations, but most commonly they are a result of a disturbance in the electrical activity of the heart. This can be caused by a variety of factors, including anxiety, stress, exercise, and heart disease. Heart palpitations can be a sign of a more serious heart problem, and should be evaluated by a doctor. Treatment may include medications to calm the heart, lifestyle changes, or a procedure to remove the cause of the palpitations.
Symptoms of heart palpitations
Symptoms that appear during heart palpitations are listed below.
- Heart Fluttering
- Racing heart
- Chest discomfort
- Heart flip-flopping
- Pounding Heart
- Fast and slow heartbeat
- Thumping of heart
What are the common causes of heart palpitations?
Heart palpitations are caused by multiple factors some of the main factors are:
Strong emotional hormonal responses, such as stress, anxiety, panic attacks, mental disturbed state, and depression
Strenuous exercise
Factors that might be a stimulant to heart palpitations, including caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, and medications that contain pseudoephedrine
Fever
Hormone changes are associated with menstruation and pregnancy.
An imbalance in thyroid hormone can also be the cause of it.
Occasionally not often heart palpitations can be a sign of a serious problem, such as an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia).
Arrhythmias can either cause a fast heart rate, (tachycardia) or sometimes unusually slow heartbeat (bradycardia).
- Possible Complication may occur if your heart palpitations are related to Heart disease
1. Fainting
2. Cardiac arrest
3. Stroke
4. Heart Failure.
● Heart conditions tied to palpitations.
1. Heart attack.
2. Coronary Artery disease.
3. Heart failure
4. Heart valve problem.
5. Heart muscle problem.
Heart palpitations in pregnancy
Women during pregnancy experience random heartbeats, they can either be fast, flittering, racing, or pounding, with different unusual rhythms of the heart. They can be alarming but usually not harmful. The arrhythmic heart might be due to Increase blood in the body or hormonal changes during pregnancy.
How to stop heart palpitations immediately
They don’t always end in a serious situation but sometimes if they’re ignored for a long period they can cause some serious trouble. Preventive care for non-severe palpitations – Try to quit smoking if you’re suffering from the above-mentioned condition. Because sometimes smoking could be the underlying cause of palpitations. Try to reduce or quit the excessive intake of caffeine, and alcohol from your daily routine. Do deep breathing (Inhaling and Exhaling Exercises) on a daily basis. Try Yoga and set a routine accordingly to eliminate non-severe palpitations. Keep Your Sleep Cycle intact and get plenty of sleep. Schedule your routine for these mentioned meditations.
Medications – Your doctor might prescribe antiarrhythmic drugs ( beta blockers and calcium channel blockers) which have a safe track record And positive impact. Sometimes stronger antiarrhythmic drugs are needed to treat heart palpitations and arrhythmias which directly act on the sodium and potassium channels of the heart and have a better response than the calcium and beta channel blocker drugs.
When should I worry about heart palpitations and contact a doctor?
Occasionally heart palpitations are harmful and you should immediately contact your health provider. If you are having the following listed symptoms then you should call or visit your doctor as soon as possible.
- Permanent Dizziness
- Fainting
- Suffocating
- Shortness of breath.
- Excessive sweating.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Pain in the chest.
- Pressure and tightened chest.
- Confusion
- Lightheaded
- Pain in arm chest, neck, jaw, and arm
How to diagnose heart palpitations?
To diagnose heart palpitations, your health provider will examine your heart and listen to it using a stethoscope and, he will do a physical exam. This examination may include looking for signs of medical conditions that can be the cause of heart palpitations, such as thyroid hormone imbalance. furthermore, you will be asked questions about your medical history.
If your doctor thinks that palpitations are due to irregular heartbeat or other heart conditions are involved then he will ask for some tests which might include:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG).
This is a painless test that measures the electrical activity and impulse conduction of the heart. Electrodes ends are placed on the chest and sometimes the arms and legs. Wires connected to the electrodes are attached to a computer on the other end, which displays the activity of the heart and output results. An ECG shows whether the heart is beating too slow, too fast, or skipping a beat.
2. Holter monitoring
Holter monitoring is a portable ECG device you wear for a day or more to record the heart rate during daily activities. This portable device measures the heart rhythm and heartbeat activity which is not detected on normal ECG. Other than this, some smart devices, such as smartwatches, offer remote ECG monitoring. Ask your healthcare provider if this is an option for you or not.
3. Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram exam uses sound waves to create moving pictures of the heart. It can also show blood flow and structural problems within the heart, and ease the diagnosis and the cause of the palpitation.
4. Event monitoring
If you don’t find any sign of irregular heart rhythms while wearing a Holter monitor or if the events occur less than once a week, your healthcare provider then might recommend you an event recorder. You press a button when symptoms occur. An event recorder is typically worn for up to 30 days or until an arrhythmia or symptoms of irregular heartbeat appear.
Treatment
Occasionally, heart palpitations are not harmful, and rarely do they need or require treatment unless the palpitations are caused by an already existing heart condition. Instead of going for treatment for non-severe heart palpitations your healthcare provider, might recommend you take some steps to prevent the triggers that cause palpitations.
If palpitations are serious or if they are caused by a heart condition, such as an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), or any underlying heart disease, then treatment will be provided to correct the focused conditions.
When to see a doctor
If you have heart palpitations with severe shortness of breath, chest pain that radiates in your back, jaw, and arm, or fainting, you need to seek immediate emergency medical attention.
If your palpitations are brief and there are no other worrisome signs or symptoms, make an appointment to see your doctor. so, he can help determine if palpitations are harmless or serious and need to focus on the cause to make It correct.
What Questions Your Doctor Will ask you?
Before visiting your doctor or health care provider you should keep the following question in your mind or make a list before an appointment.
- Do you always have palpitations or they are don’t occur often?
- Do they start and stop suddenly or are they persistent?
- Do palpitations occur at a specific time in the day or are they random start at any time in the day?
- Is anything you do and you get the symptoms to go?
- what makes the symptoms worse?
- Have you had any other heart condition besides these palpitations?
- Do you have any history of arrhythmias before?
- Are you having other symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, pain in the chest, or fainting?
What you can ask your doctor about your palpitations?
While visiting your doctor you can have a brief discussion about your condition and ask your healthcare provider the following questions:
- What is the possible cause of the symptoms and condition I have?
- what should I do to prevent these symptoms?
- what tests are needed?
- what to avoid during the occurrence of the symptoms?
- should I go to a specialist?
- do I need serious treatment?
- are there any daily activities or routine suggestions for me?
Lifestyle and home remedies you can choose
The most appropriate way to treat palpitations at home is to avoid the triggers that cause the symptoms and exaggerate them.
- Reduce stress. Avoid mental stress, and try to keep a relaxing phase. Involve yourself in activities that reduce mental stress and Try relaxation techniques, such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing. (inhale and exhale )
- Avoid stimulants. Caffeine, nicotine, and some cold medicines trigger the symptoms of heart palpitations and can make the heart beat too fast or irregularly.
- Avoid illegal drugs. Certain drugs, such as cocaine and amphetamines, can cause palpitations and make them worse so avoid them if you’re taking them.
Conclusion
Heart palpitations are rarely harmful, but certain symptoms are serious to focus on and need medical attention. keeping your lifestyle according to a healthcare provider’s prescription can improve or eliminate the palpitations symptoms.