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Heart palpitation is a condition in which you feel like your heart is pounding in your chest. Some health conditions, medicines, and stress can trigger heart palpitations. Generally, it is not a serious condition, but sometimes it can indicate a serious underlying health condition.
If you have a prolonged complaint of heart palpitations, you should consult your healthcare provider soon as it can occur due to some heart condition. For expert advice, you can consult with a Cardiologist in Lahore.
What Are The Symptoms of Heart Palpitations?
Heart palpitations feel like your heart is pounding in your chest. Palpitations that occur for seconds and do not occur repeatedly do not need to be evaluated. However, if you have a history of heart disease, you should visit your healthcare provider soon. Sometimes you may have a feeling of pressure over your chest. It may also show up as:
- Fluttering rapidly
- A heart beating too fast
- Flip-flopping
Heart palpitations may also feel like in your throat, neck, or chest. They can occur at rest or in movement. But they are felt more when you are at rest, especially when lying down.
When Should You See A Doctor?
Generally, heart palpitation is not a serious condition. But sometimes, it can be an indicator of some serious underlying health condition. Palpitations that occur for seconds and do not occur repeatedly do not need to be evaluated. However, if you have a history of heart disease, you should visit your healthcare provider soon. Do not delay your visit to the cardiologist as palpitations can be a sign of arrhythmia- a serious heart condition.
You should seek immediate medical attention if heart palpitations are accompanied with:
- Difficulty in breathing
- Fainting
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
What Are The Causes of Heart Palpitations?
The exact cause of heart palpitations is sometimes unknown. Palpitations that occur for seconds and do not occur repeatedly do not need to be evaluated. However, if you have a history of heart disease, you should visit your healthcare provider soon. But it may occur due to health conditions, such as:
- Depression
- Strenuous exercise
- Depression
- A strong emotional response such as panic attacks, anxiety, or panic attacks
- Fever Depression
- Strenuous exercise
- Depression
- A strong emotional response such as panic attacks, anxiety, or panic attacks
- Fever
- Hormone changes during periods, pregnancy, or menopause
- Consuming too much caffeine through tea, coffee, or caffeinated beverages
- Hormone changes during periods, pregnancy, or menopause
- Consuming too much caffeine through tea, coffee, or caffeinated beverages
- Consuming CNS stimulants, such as amphetamines, cold and cough medication containing pseudoephedrine
- Hyperthyroidism- too little thyroid hormone or hyperthyroidism- too much thyroid hormone
- Having anemia- a lack of enough healthy red blood cells
What Are The Risk Factors For Heart Palpitations?
Factors that can increase the risk of heart palpitations are:
- Being too much stressed
- Having an anxiety disorder or panic attack
- Pregnancy
- Taking cold and cough medications containing pseudoephedrine, or inhalers and medicines for asthma
- Being hyperthyroid- having too much thyroid hormone
- Having heart problems such as arrhythmias, a history of heart attack, having valvular heart defects, or a history of previous heart surgery.
What Are The Complications of Heart Palpitations?
Usually, heart palpitations do not cause any such complications. Palpitations that occur for seconds and do not occur repeatedly do not need to be evaluated. However, if you have a history of heart disease, you should visit your healthcare provider soon. But if you have any heart condition, they can lead to the following complications:
Fainting
Heart palpitations, if occur due to valvular heart defect, can lead to fainting. It happens because, due to palpitations, your blood pressure drops.
Cardiac Arrest
Very rarely, heart palpitations can lead to cardiac arrest. It can happen when heart palpitations occur due to arrhythmias and stop beating effectively.
Stroke
Sometimes, arrhythmia can cause the pooling of blood and cause a clot to form. Palpitations that occur for seconds and do not occur repeatedly do not need to be evaluated. However, if you have a history of heart disease, you should visit your healthcare provider soon. If the clot loses and breaks in the artery of the brain, it can disrupt the blood supply to the brain, leading to stroke.
Heart Failure
Arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation can affect the pumping ability of your heart, leading to heart failure. Palpitations that occur for seconds and do not occur repeatedly do not need to be evaluated. However, if you have a history of heart disease, you should visit your healthcare provider soon. Sometimes, controlling arrhythmias can help improve the pumping functions of your heart, improving heart failure.
Treatment
The healthcare providers will perform basic investigative tests to know the exact cause of heart palpitations. If they suspect that it is occurring due to arrhythmias, they may do the following tests:
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram
- Holter monitoring
- Event recording
If you have a complaint of heart palpitations, you should visit a healthcare provider soon. For expert advice, you should consult with a Cardiologist in Karachi.