Introduction
Palpitations (pal-pih-TAY-shuns) are the sensations of your
heart racing, fluttering, or pounding. They can be triggered by stress,
exercise, medication, or, in rare cases, a medical condition.
Heart palpitations can be alarming, but they're usually
nothing to worry about. Heart palpitations are occasionally a symptom of a more
serious heart condition, such as an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), which
requires medical attention.
Symptoms
Heart palpitations can make you feel as if your heart is:
- Too fast a heartbeat
- Flip-flopping
- Rapidly fluttering
- Pounding
- Beat skipping
In addition to the chest, heart palpitations can be felt in
the throat or neck. They can happen
while you're doing something or when you're not doing
anything.
When should you see a doctor?
Palpitations that occur infrequently and last only a few
seconds are usually not worth assessing. Consult your doctor if you have a
history of heart disease and are experiencing frequent or worsening
palpitations. If you have palpitations, you may need to have heart-monitoring
tests to see if you have a more serious heart problem.
If you have heart palpitations and one of the following symptoms,
see a doctor right away:
- Pain or discomfort in the chest
- Fainting
- Shortness of breath is severe.
- Severe vertigo
Causes
The cause of heart palpitations is frequently unknown. Among
the most common causes are:
- Stress, anxiety, or panic attacks are examples of strong emotional responses.
- Depression
- Exercising vigorously
- Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, and cold and cough medications containing pseudoephedrine are all stimulants.
- Hormone fluctuations linked to menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause
- Thyroid hormone levels those are too high or too low
- Heart palpitations can occasionally indicate a serious problem, such as an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia).
- Arrhythmias can cause a fast heartbeat (tachycardia), a slow heartbeat (bradycardia), a heartbeat that is different from normal, or a combination of the three.
The Factors
of risk
- Heart palpitations can be caused by a number of things.
- Stress
- Anxiety disorder or a panic attack are two terms that are used interchangeably.
- Pregnancy
- Some cold and asthma medicines, for example, contain stimulants.
- Thyroid gland hyperactivity (hyperthyroidism)
- Other heart issues include irregular heartbeats, structural heart disease, and heart failure.
- alterations, a prior heart attack, or a previous heart surgery
Complications
Possible complications for palpitations caused by a heart
condition include:
- Fainting. Blood
pressure can drop if the heart beats too quickly, causing the person to pass
out. People who have a heart problem, such as congenital heart disease or
certain valve problems, are more likely to experience this.
- Cardiac
arrest is a condition in which the heart stops beating.
Palpitations are occasionally caused by life-threatening heartbeat problems,
which can cause the heart to stop beating properly.
- Stroke. Blood
can pool and cause clots if palpitations are caused by atrial fibrillation, a
condition in which the upper chambers of the heart quiver instead of beating
properly. A clot can break loose and block a brain artery, resulting in a
stroke.
- Heart
failure is a serious condition. Certain arrhythmias can impair the
heart's ability to pump blood. Controlling the rate of an arrhythmia that
causes heart failure can sometimes help the heart function better.
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