Before speaking about the topic let's discuss when it is not a problem if your heart beats faster:
When you are in a state of happiness(even you know this!!)
It is definitely not a problem unless it causes other symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, or shortness of breath.
If there is no history of heart disease and if you do not have symptoms mentioned above then it is not a problem, it is just a minor change in heart rate.
When you have an illness (take an example of fever) then also it may beat faster.
Physical exercise for a long time can cause rhythm changes of heart.
In case of pregnancy minor changes in heart rate is most common, but in case of a history of heart disease, it could be a concern.
Well if you have an irregular heartbeat or fast heart rate or racing heartbeat, all three are same then it is called as tachycardia.
If you want to know about irregular heartbeats then you should have an idea of tachycardia, arrhythmia and bradycardia, let me clear that tachycardia and bradycardia are types of arrhythmia.
Let's discuss these three terms because you must clearly know what the problem is, without knowing the problem it would be foolish to try to get to solutions.
Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia in simple language refers to an irregular heartbeat which means heart could beat too fast or too slow or too early.
Arrhythmias occur when the electrical impulses to the heart that coordinate heartbeats are not working properly. For instance, some people experience irregular heartbeats, which may feel like a racing heart or fluttering is because electrical impulses happen too fast or too small.
Many of the times arrhythmias are harmless; however, if they are a result of a weak or damaged heart, then arrhythmias can cause serious and potentially fatal symptoms.
Let's discuss quick facts on arrhythmias:
Slow or fast heartbeat is not a sign of illness.
Most of the time symptoms of arrhythmias include dizziness, short breaths and palpitations.
They have no associated symptoms.
Arrhythmias are classified into flutter or fibrillation(Irregular heartbeat), premature contraction(early heartbeat), bradycardia(slow heartbeat) and tachycardia(fast or racing heartbeat).
Arrhythmia most of the times isn't fatal but at certain times it could predispose an individual to stroke or cardiac arrest.
Well, the factors that can cause arrhythmia are:
These are one of the main symptoms, even if you get symptoms other than this, it is good to discuss with a doctor.
alcohol abuse( this should be seriously avoided as it could lead not only to heart beat faster but also to fatal problems.)
diabetes ( statistically two-thirds of diabetes patients die prematurely from stroke or heart disease. The life expectancy of a person with diabetes ranges five to ten years shorter than other common people's. Diabetes is a serious disease and it needs to be controlled.)
drug abuse
excessive caffeine consumption( for example, coffee)
history of heart disease like congestive heart failure
hypertension which could be due to high blood pressure
hyperthyroidism(an overactive thyroid gland)
mental stress, depression and anxiety
scarring of the heart, often resulting in a heart attack
smoking
some dietary supplements
some herbal treatments
some medications
heart structural changes
First of all, if you do have symptoms of arrhythmia it is not necessary that it leads to a serious problem and sometimes even if you do not have symptoms your doctor could notice arrhythmia during a routine test or during an ECG.
Symptoms of tachycardia
Tachycardia is when the heart beats faster than normal. Symptoms of tachycardia include :
shortness of breath
dizziness
fainting, or nearly fainting)
chest fluttering and pain
lightheadedness
sudden weakness
Symptoms of bradycardia
Bradycardia is when the heart beats slower than normal and its symptoms may include:
chest pain
trouble concentrating
confusion
difficulties during exercise
dizziness
tiredness(fatigue)
palpitations
shortness of breath
syncope (fainting or nearly fainting
sweating
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is other important things you must know. Atrial fibrillation occurs when the upper chambers of the heartbeat in an irregular pattern and out of synchrony with the lower chambers. Symptoms often develop rapidly, even though sometimes, there are no symptoms occurring: Well, some of the symptoms are
angina (chest pain)
shortness of breath
dizziness
palpitations
syncope (fainting, or nearly fainting)
weakness
Treatments for arrhythmia
Treatment for arrhythmia is required in the case if the condition is putting the patient at risk of a more serious arrhythmia or a complication, or if the symptoms are very severe.
Treatments for bradycardia
If bradycardia is caused by an underlying condition, that condition needs to be treated first. If no underlying problem is found, then a doctor may advise implanting a pacemaker.
Well, a pacemaker is a small device which is placed under the skin of the chest or also abdomen to help control abnormal heart rhythms. Pacemakers use the mechanism of electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal minimum rate.
Treatments for tachycardia
There is a number of several different treatments for tachycardia:
Vagal manoeuvres - certain movements that the patient can do themselves might stop some types of arrhythmia that start above the lower half of the heart.
Medications - these will not cure the problem entirely, but are usually effective in reducing episodes of tachycardia and can help with proper electrical conduction of the heart.
Cardioversion - doctors might use an electric shock or medication to reset the racing or slowing heartbeat to its regular rhythm.
Ablation therapy - one or many catheters go through blood vessels into the inner heart and they are placed in areas of the heart that are thought to be the source of the arrhythmia and destroy small sections of those tissues.
ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) - The device is implanted near the left collarbone and monitors heart rhythm; if it detects an abnormally fast rhythm, it stimulates the heart to return to a normal rhythm.
Maze procedure - a series of surgical incisions are made in the heart which then heal into scars and form blocks. These blocks guide the electrical impulses thus helping the heart to beat efficiently.
Ventricular aneurysm surgery - Sometimes, an aneurysm (bulge) in a blood vessel which leads to the heart causes an arrhythmia. If other treatments do not work then a surgeon may remove an aneurysm.
Coronary bypass surgery - arteries or veins from elsewhere in the patient's body are grafted normally to the coronary arteries to bypass any regions that have become narrow, and improve the blood supply to the heart muscle (myocardium).
Actually, we need to start taking everything seriously, we shouldn't take any problems lightly because if it becomes serious it could destroy our life which makes an impact not only to us but also our parents, friends and our well wishers too.
And let me discuss the diagnosis of arrhythmia
The doctor will normally try to find out what triggers the patient's arrhythmia. So it's important to consult a doctor if you have the above symptoms. Thus to find out the triggers doctor will involve a detailed interview, which may include the patient's medical history, family history, diet, and lifestyle.
The following tests might be ordered:
ECG(Electrocardiography
echocardiogram
Holter monitor - a wearable device that records the heart for 1-2 days
blood and urine tests
heart catheterisation
tilt-table test
electrophysiologic testing (or EP studies)
chest X-ray
Thus just make sure that if you do get the following symptoms consult a doctor before it gets worse.
It is good that you have got an idea of what good or bad can happen if the heart beats faster so unless you won't share it with others there won't be sharing of knowledge because you yourselves know how many people would know about it.
Before concluding let me share some good facts too:
For a person with a healthy heart, they should have a heart rate of between 60-100 beats per minute normally when resting.
The more fit a person, lower is his/her resting heart rate.
Olympic athletes, for example, will usually have a resting heart rate of under 60 beats per minute because their hearts are very efficient.
And what do I mean or why did I mention this at last, yes only because I want you to have a heart rate of 60-100 beats per minute and this can be achieved also if you are not an Olympic athlete.
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