symptoms of heart and blood vessel disorders
heart and blood vessel disorders
Palpitations
Ordinarily, people do not notice the beating of their heart. However, many people can feel their heart beating when something causes it to beat more forcefully or rapidly than usual. Such rapid, forceful beats are usually a normal response by the heart (sinus tachycardia). Causes include the following: Exercise Strong emotions (such as anxiety, fear, pain) Low blood count ( Overview of Anemia ) Low Blood Pressure None Fever Dehydration None In other cases, palpitations result from a disturbance of heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Overview of Abnormal Heart Rhythms range from harmless to life threatening. Themost common arrhythmiasinclude Atrial Premature Beats None Ventricular Premature Beats None Both of these arrhythmias usually occur in people without a heart disorder and are harmless. The premature beat itself is not felt. What is felt is the following normal heartbeat, which occurs after a slight delay and is slightly stronger than usual. Although people feel as if their heart skipped a beat, it actually did not. Other arrhythmiasthat cause palpitations and may be caused by serious heart disorders include Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT, PSVT) (PSVT) Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter or Ventricular Tachycardia None These other arrhythmias involve the heart beating much faster than normal. Arrhythmias in which the heart beats too slowly rarely cause palpitations, although some people do feel the slow rate. Some arrhythmias (for example, atrial premature beats, ventricular premature beats, or PSVT) often occur in people who have no serious underlying disorders. Others are often caused by a serious heart disorder or a disorder elsewhere in the body. include Angina , Disorders not related to the heartthat may cause arrhythmias include Overactive thyroid gland ( Hyperthyroidism ) Low level of oxygen in the blood (hypoxia) Low level of potassium in the blood ( Hypokalemia (Low Level of Potassium in the Blood) ) Low level of magnesium in the blood ( Hypomagnesemia (Low Level of Magnesium in the Blood) ) Certain drugs, including alcohol,caffeine,digoxin,nicotine, and some stimulant drugs (such asalbuterol, amphetamines,cocaine,epinephrine,ephedrine, andtheophylline) High levels of hormones produced by a tumor of the adrenal glands ( Pheochromocytoma ) Arrhythmias that cause the heart to beat too fast can cause complications (particularly in older people). If the heart goes too fast, it may not be able to pump blood adequately, and people may feel faint or pass out or develop Heart Failure (HF) . Heart failure occurs mainly in people who have previously had heart failure or a heart attack, although it can occur in other people if the heart rate is very fast or if the heart beats too fast for a long time. A rapid heart rate also increases the oxygen needs of the heart muscle. People who have narrowing of the arteries to the heart muscle ( Some arrhythmias, particularly ventricular tachycardia, are unstable and can lead directly to cardiac arrest. 