Is a Heart Palpitation Worrisome?

Heart palpitations are a symptom related to many different heart conditions. You may notice a feeling that your heart is fluttering or that it’s beating erratically war with much more intensity than normal. Should you be worried if this happens? Is it a reason to schedule an appointment with your doctor?

Heart palpitations are not always a need for concern. Sometimes they can be related to excitement, physical activity, or caffeine. However, you may want to head to the hospital if you’re experiencing heart palpitations in addition to chest pain, breathing difficulties, dizziness, faintness, and/or profuse sweatiness. 

Heart palpitations can happen to anyone, whether or not you have a heart condition. It’s important to know when it can be a sign that you need medical attention or when it’s not to fret over. After all, worrying about something that isn’t harmful to you can create additional stress which does put more of a strain on your heart.

First, let’s go over what heart palpitations are and what can cause them. Then we’ll dive into how to know whether or not your heart palpitations are a need for concern and what you can do for them.

What are Heart Palpitations?

When you’re having heart palpitations, it can feel like your heart is skipping a beat, fluttering, beating rapidly, or beating intensely. There are many reasons that can cause this to happen, both good and bad. If you ever feel like your heart is beating a little differently than usual, there’s no reason to panic, as this can make palpitations more pronounced. Try to stay calm so the feeling can subside.

However, if there is no apparent reason for your heart palpitations and you’re concerned they could be a sign of a heart condition, it would be a good idea to schedule an appointment with your doctor.

What Can Cause Heart Palpitations?

Have you ever been terrified before a public speaking engagement? You may have felt your heart racing with fear. That’s one example of a heart palpitation that can be harmless. Have you ever felt like your heart stopped briefly as you anticipated receiving important news, such as an email or phone call that would tell you if you were being accepted into your college of choice or offered your dream job? That’s another example of a benign heart palpitation.

Some of the possible causes of heart palpitations are:

• Excitement
• Stress
• Excessive caffeine or alcohol
• Low blood sugar
• Dehydration
• Medications
• Hyperthyroidism
• Heart disease

Excitement can cause heart palpitations of the best kind. We don’t usually feel worried when we experience these.

Stress has many side effects, including heart palpitations. Usually, you don’t need to be too concerned with these as long as the palpitations subside.

Excessive caffeine or alcohol can aggravate anxiety as well as your heart rhythm.

Low blood sugar can also stimulate anxiety and irregular heartbeat.

Dehydration results in a mineral imbalance that can affect the rhythm of your heart.

Medications can impact the electrical signals in the heart which can throw off your heartbeat. Those most known to cause heart palpitations are asthma medications, antidepressants, thyroid medications, antibiotics, and over-the-counter medications for cold, cough, and allergy symptoms.

Hyperthyroidism can cause a rapid heart rate due to overstimulation of the thyroid and as noted above, the medications for thyroid conditions can also result in heart palpitations.

Heart disease can sometimes be related to heart palpitations. If you’re not experiencing palpitations that could be related to any of the above causes, you may want to contact your doctor to see if they may be an indication of heart disease.

What Should You Do if You’re Having Heart Palpitations?

If you’re having heart palpitations, there are some things you can do to help settle them down.

Here are some things you can to help calm your heart palpitations:

• Do some relaxation exercises.
• Stimulate the vagus nerve.

Do some relaxation exercises to decrease your heart rate. You could try some slow, deep breathing exercises, do yoga, meditate, or follow along with a tai chi video.

Stimulate the vagus nerve regulate your heartbeat, using the power of the brain to calm your heart. Cold water can be very helpful for this. Try splashing cold water on your face, taking a cold shower, or placing an ice pack on face for 30 seconds.

How Can You Reduce or Prevent Heart Palpitations?

There are some things you can do to decrease the occurrence of heart palpitations. Certain foods and beverages can increase your heart rate and lead to anxiety or panic attacks. There are also some lifestyle factors that can make heart palpitations more frequent or intense.

Some of the changes you can make to reduce the frequency of heart palpitations are:

• Caffeine, alcohol, and sugar can trigger heart palpitations so cutting back on these can decrease your chances of having reoccurrences.
• Stress can also lead to heart palpitations so take measures to decrease stress in your life where you can. Try practicing breathing exercises and yoga to slow down and regulate your heart rate and your stress level.
• Quit smoking since this can be a trigger.
• Regular exercise can strengthen your heart so it’s helpful to stay active. However, check with your doctor before engaging in exercise to find out which intensity is appropriate for you.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol levels since unhealthy levels can cause heart palpitations.

When Should You Be Concerned About Heart Palpitations?

Most of the time, heart palpitations are not a reason to be concerned. However, they can sometimes be an indicator of a heart condition.

If you experience heart palpitations that don’t appear to be related to the external factors listed above like excitement, stress, caffeine, alcohol, or low blood sugar, it would be best to meet with your doctor to get your heart checked out. A doctor can perform an exam that can help determine if a heart condition could be causing your heart palpitations.

It’s important not to ignore heart palpitations that may be related to a heart condition because of possible complications like:

• Fainting episodes
• Stroke
• Cardiac arrest
• Heart failure

Preventative care is your best defense against a heart condition so practice good self-care and work together with your doctor to support your heart health.

Summary

Now you know how heart palpitations can be harmless most of the time and how you can manage them. You also know the signals your body may be sending out to tell you that it needs some additional support for your cardiovascular health. You’ve seen how easy it can be to make diet and lifestyle changes to support a healthier heart. Making a few changes your daily habits can help alleviate or prevent some of the symptoms of poor cardiovascular health.

While a healthy diet and lifestyle are extremely helpful for a strong cardiovascular system, it’s important to seek out professional care if the problem persists. If you’re experiencing symptoms of poor cardiovascular health that don’t respond to diet and lifestyle changes, contact us today to book an appointment.