Heart palpitations is a general term used to describe an irregular heartbeat. So, if you’ve noticed that your heart is beating pretty fast, flip-flopping, fluttering, or pounding, the chances you’ve had heart palpitations are high. However, there isn’t a mathematical way of defining a specific number of beats per minute. So, when to worry about heart palpitations? Read on to find out more.
What Causes Heart Palpitations?
Your heartbeats are responsible for sending oxygen-rich blood and nutrients needed to every single part of your body, as well as sending the carbon dioxide to your lungs to expel it. And, whenever a glitch occurs, you may experience heart palpitations.
Still, numerous other reasons can lead your heart to go a little wrong and most of these aren’t anything serious. Namely, increases in adrenaline or activities requiring your heart to work harder are the most common causes of heart palpitations. Some examples include:
- Excessive caffeine consumption
- Stress, anxiety, or a panic attack
- Sleep deprivation
- Sleep apnea
- Cold or flu
- Medications containing stimulants
- Vigorous workout
- Pregnancy
When to Worry About Heart Palpitation?
Even though you may experience heart palpitations as a result of common causes that aren’t serious, there are some times when you should take heart palpitations quite seriously. For instance, when these irregular beats are caused by arrhythmias – short circuits in the electrical system of the heart.
People suffering from arrhythmias may notice that their heartbeats are irregular and feel strange, accompanied by symptoms like dizziness, weakness, fainting, light-headedness, chest pain, or shortness of breath. So, if you’ve experienced heart palpitations together with some of these symptoms, you’d better seek medical help as sometimes arrhythmias can be life-threatening.
Moreover, heart palpitations can also indicate an issue within a different organ, not the heart. For instance, palpitations can be a sign that your thyroid gland is on overdrive, i.e. that you have hyperthyroidism meaning that the organ produces too much thyroxine which accelerates metabolism and leads to unintentional weight loss.
Another cause of heart palpitations that should be taken seriously is having a physical heart abnormality, like a weaker or larger heart than normal. These abnormalities are often left undiagnosed as they can be identified only during specific kinds of medical exams. That said, if you are having heart palpitations, consult your medical care provider and ensure you get your heart checked.
When to Seek Professional Medical Help?
If you experience heart palpitations once in a while, you probably don’t have anything to worry about. On the contrary, if you experience them regularly or every time during a specific activity, get yourself evaluated.
So, once again, let’s have a look at the symptoms you should watch for:
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Fainting
- Light-headedness
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Shortness of breath
If you notice any of these when experiencing heart palpitation, seek immediate medical help – call 911 or head to the ER, especially if you already have a medical history of heart disease.
In addition, if you still want to be on the safe side although you don’t experience heart palpitations regularly, you can also ask your doctor to run some tests to ensure everything’s ok. These tests may include an electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram, Holter monitoring, or event recording.
If everything turns out fine, you can address heart palpitation triggers and save yourself the stress by avoiding coffee or chocolate consumption, practicing stress-reduction and relaxation techniques, eating healthily, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.