Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitation is a condition when you feel your heart beating in the chest too fast. It can also be called a pounding heart. You may feel like your heart is beating too fast with a feeling of pressure on the chest. It can occur due to stress, exercise, medications, or some other health conditions.
In most cases, they go away on their own. However, if they persist, you must consult with your healthcare provider. Rarely they can become life-threatening. Often they occur due to stress or anxiety. But sometimes, they can be a symptom of some serious health condition, especially of the heart, such as arrhythmias. Therefore you should not take them lightly.
Heart palpitations can also occur due to too much caffeine intake, alcohol consumption, and some medications. However, if they persist, you must visit the health care provider to rule out the cause. For expert advice, you can visit Cardiologist in Lahore.
What are the symptoms of Heart Palpitations?
Heart palpitations can make you feel like your heart is:
- Pounding
- Skipping beats
- Beating too fast
- Fluttering rapidly
- Flip-flopping
A pounding heart can also be felt at the neck or throat.
When Should You See a Doctor?
In rare conditions, palpitations can occur due to serious heart issues. Therefore if it comes with any of the below-mentioned symptoms, you should visit the emergency room.
- Difficulty in breathing
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Fainting
Your healthcare provider will take your complete health history. Make sure you tell them about all the medicines you take for any health conditions. They will then order tests to know about the cause of heart palpitations. Moreover, they may also prescribe medications that can help control heart palpitations.
What are the Causes of Heart Palpitations?
The causes of heart palpitations can be:
- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Too much stress
- Feeling too emotional
- Strenuous exercise or physical activity
- Intake of stimulants such as amphetamine, caffeine, cold and cough medications containing pseudoephedrine.
- Hormonal changes due to menopause, pregnancy, and other conditions
- Fever or any infection
- Thyroid disorders when your thyroid gland produces too much or too little thyroid hormone
- Anemia- especially after eating a heavy meal
What are the risk factors for Heart Palpitations?
Factors that can increase the risk of heart palpitations are:
- Being too much stressed
- Getting panic attacks or having an anxiety disorder
- Being pregnant
- Taking asthma medications or inhalers
- Taking cough or cold medication that contains amphetamine
- Hyperthyroidism- an overactive thyroid gland
- Abnormal electrolyte levels
- Fever
- Having a history of heart disease
- Intake of herbal or nutritional supplements
Heart conditions that can cause palpitations are:
- Prior heart attack
- Heart valve problems
- Heart muscle problems
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart failure
What are the complications of Heart Palpitations?
Heart palpitations that occur due to other reasons than heart disease seldom cause complications. Often they settle on their own. But those occurring due to heart diseases can cause:
Fainting
You may faint due to heart palpitations because when your heart beats too fast, your blood pressure drops, resulting in dizziness and fainting. It happens because of some congenital heart disease or valvular problems.
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest due to palpitations happens rarely. Sometimes life-threatening arrhythmias can cause your heart to stop beating.
Stroke
If heart palpitations occur due to atrial fibrillation, it can lead to the development of blood clots. A blood clot can lead to stroke.
Heart failure
If palpitations occur due to atrial fibrillation, it can lead to heart failure- a condition in which the heart has difficulty pumping blood.
Conclusion
Palpitations can occur due to various reasons. Therefore it is essential to visit the healthcare provider. They will perform a complete examination and diagnose the condition. For an expert opinion, you can visit Best Cardiologist in Islamabad.
