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Heart Palpitation
By peace | October 20, 2005
Heart Palpitation
Palpitation of the heart is the name given to attacks that come on by day or night, often suddenly. The person who has the attack suddenly flushes up ; there is distress in the chest, and the heart becomes exceedingly rapid. True palpitation is always of this character, though slight disturbances with intermittences of the pulse and fluttering of the heart may happen in less well-defined attacks. Sometimes the person describes a feeling as if the heart turned over in the chest.
Palpitation is often a sign of serious disease; again, it may happen in persons who are upset by indiscretions of diet, abuses of tea or tobacco, or in those who are enfeebled by lack of exercise or other debilitating conditions. Palpitation of a troublesome kind is often seen in people who have hardening of the arteries, and when these attacks are accompanied by wind on the stomach and indigestion, the’ true cause may be overlooked, but the attacks are never overcome till the hardening of the arteries is treated.
A person who is subject to attacks of palpitation should build up his general health in every way, and having found the cause of these attacks should seek to have it removed.
There are some cases, however, in which there does not appear to be any discoverable, under-lying cause. This seems to happen most often in families in which nervous tendencies are a characteristic; it also seems more apt to occur in people with low blood pressure. The attacks often terminate suddenly, and a curious fact is that during the attack the pulse is frequently exactly twice as rapid as it is in the intervals.
There is no satisfactory treatment for an attack of palpitation; sometimes the attack yields to a certain treatment; another time, when the same treatment is tried, the attack continues. Among the things to be tried are the drinking of cold water, deep respirations, changes of position from standing up to lying down, lowering the head, etc. emetics, bromide of ammonia, bicarbonate of soda, or an ice bag over the heart.
If the attacks can be traced to other conditions, of course, these are to be treated. Such palpitation may occur after typhoid fever, in which case particular care should be exercised, and the heart should be examined later to see if any permanent damage has remained from the fever. When palpitation occurs after an attack of diphtheria, it may be serious.
In heart disease proper a rapid pulse is frequently observed. Persons who are subject to palpitation learn by experience what helps the most. The attacks seldom last more than a few hours, and it is better to remain perfectly quiet and wait for the attack to pass off. These attacks are not ordinarily dangerous tho, of course, they are alarming.
Any one who has charge of the nursing of a patient with palpitation of the heart must learn to reassure the sufferer and patiently apply the various remedies already suggested ; but a physician should always be summoned unless one has already given instructions.
The important thing to learn about palpitation is that it must not be allowed to interfere with attention to the general health of the patient.
What is a Heart Palpitation?
Heart palpitations are sensations that feel like pounding or racing. Sometimes it feels like your heart skipped or stopped beats. Palpitations can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck.
If you have heart palpitations, you should contact your doctor to make sure it is not caused by a serious condition. Your doctor will perform tests to determine the cause and whether the heart palpitations are treatable or not.
Heart palpitations are also called:
-Heartbeat sensations
-Irregular heartbeat
-Palpitations
-Rapid heart rate
-Racing heart
-Tachycardia
What Causes Heart Palpitations?
There are many causes of heart palpitations. The most common causes are:
- exercise
- anxiety
- stress
- heart disease
- Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, diet pills
- fever
- Hyperventilation
- Overactive
- thyroid
- Anemia
- Low levels of oxygen in your blood
- Medications
- Mitral valve prolapse
Can Heart Palpitations be Prevented?
Whether or not heart palpitations can be prevented will depend on the cause. Reducing stress and anxiety can help lessen your heart palpitations.
Emergency Symptoms
Call your doctor immediately if:
-You have fainted or someone you are with loses consciousness.
-You have shortness of breath, chest pain, unusual sweating, dizziness, or lightheadedness.
-You feel frequent extra heartbeats
-You have risk factors for heart disease like high cholesterol, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
-You have new or different heart palpitations.
-Your pulse is more than 100 beats per minute (without exercise).
