Heart palpitations are sensations or feelings of having quick,
pulsating or pounding heartbeats. There are many factors that can lead to trigger of heart palpitations. In majority of the cases, they can often cause concern due to the feeling of skipping heartbeats, they are usually no cause for alarm, since the heart is still working efficiently. Seldom is there an underlying medical condition, such as arrhythmia.
Heart palpitations and arrhythmia, although commonly associated with each other, are different from one another. Palpitation is a subjective feeling of the heart fluttering or skipping a beat, oftentimes increased in heart rate. Arrhythmia is an objective, irregular heart rhythm, usually signifying an underlying disease. Arrhythmias can be diagnosed by an electrocardiogram (ECG). Palpitations can occur as a result of arrhythmias.
Causes of Heart Palpitations
A healthy heart beats at a rate of 60 to 100 times per minutes. Many things can be attributed to causing heart palpitations. Nonetheless, about one out of seven cases are of no identifiable cause. Some of the most common causes of heart palpitations are:
- Panic attacks
- Stress and anxiety
- Fear
- Nervousness
- Overexcited
- Lifestyle
- Strenuous exercise
- Rich, spicy food
- Excessive amounts of alcohol and caffeine
- Nicotine use
- Recreational drugs
- Medical conditions
- Heart problems, such as arrhythmia and coronary heart disease
- Asthma
- Dehydration
- Anemia
- Hypoglycemia
- Panic disorder
- Medications, as a side effect
- Asthma inhalers
- Decongestants
- Beta blockers
- Hormonal changes
- Pregnancy
- Menstruation
- Menopause
Symptoms of Heart Palpitations
The sensation of heart palpitation can be felt in the chest.However, they can also be felt in the neck and throat. They may occur while at rest or at active moments. They can even occur at any position, standing, seated or lying down. Sometimes, some of the symptoms include:
- Pounding feeling or pumping harder than usual
- Fast heartbeat
- Skipped heartbeats
- Fluttering heartbeats
- In severe cases, one may better opt to seek medical advice. When one experiences the following, it may be better to seek a doctor:
- Trouble breathing
- Dizziness
- Confusion and lightheadedness
- Chest discomfort or pain
- Fainting
Treatment for Heart Palpitations
In majority of the cases of heart palpitations are not serious and disappear on their own. Therefore, no treatment is required. Treatment is usually dependent on the underlying cause. More importantly, if palpitations occur in particular activities, foods, beverages, it is better to avoid these to prevent palpitations from recurring.
- If one is in a stressful situation, leave and relax. Calm one’s self from anything causing the palpitation.
- Reduce alcohol and caffeine intake.
- Avoid tobacco products.
- Do not take illegal drugs.
- If possible, avoid the medications that cause palpitations.
Heart palpitations are almost always never a call for emergency. However, if it can be avoided, prevention is the best key. First aid training comprises of learning to recognize symptoms and giving proper and adequate training in scenarios that help may be needed, especially if severe, and heart palpitations are no excuse.