How To Recognize Heart Palpitations?

Answer 1

Heart palpitations is that uncomfortable sensation of noticing your own heartbeat. It’s an unpleasant feeling that the heart is either pounding, racing or beating in an odd way either with extra beats or skipped beats. Most people have these palpitations from time to time during their lifetime. Most of the time they are not serious, but a benign arrhythmia of the heart. They can be something serious when someone has them on a regular basis.

If the palpitations occur more frequently than normal, your doctor should be told. He may order some tests including wearing a heart monitor for 24 hours. This way the doctor can study the monitor and will know what you were doing when the palpitations occurred.

No matter how unusual or uncomfortable heart palpitations may be, they are very common symptoms. Even when you feel like you are all alone with this feeling, there are millions of other people who experience the same symptoms now and then. They can be frightening, however, most of the palpitations are not life threatening and are not associated with Heart disease.

Most causes of the heart palpitations are some type of cardiac arrhythmia. Many arrhythmias cause palpitations and the most common ones are premature atrial complexes (PACs), premature ventricular complexes (PVCs), atrial fibrillation and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).

The dangerous arrhythmias including ventricular tachycardia can be life threatening. People who have underlying heart disease will have more dangerous arrhythmias. People who are also at high risk for heart disease such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a family history, being overweight or a sedentary lifestyle need to have their palpitations identified as to what is causing them to occur.

The thyroid can also cause heart palpitations. People who suffer with hyperthyroidism can experience a racing heartbeat. This is caused by the effect of a thyroid hormone on the heart. Hypothyroidism can also cause heart palpitations, but they are much more obvious in hyperthyroidism. This means that if someone doesn’t know that they even have a thyroid problem, they won’t even realize that is what’s causing the heart palpitations. A doctor could test for hyperthyroidism, have it treated properly, and the palpitations will diminish.

It is still best to see the doctor if the palpitations occur too frequently. This is the best way to avoid a serious problem.

Answer 2

When you have palpitations, the best possible things to do are: Sit down on a chair and lean back, Close your eyes, Breathe slowly and deeply, in through your mouth, out through your nose. Breathe in deeply, and then push the air out of your nose really hard, pushing from your chest, as if (sorry to be vulgar, but there is no other way to say it) you are trying to push out a stool. Keep on breathing slowly and gently, eventually your heartbeat will slow down. Have a drink of cold water, or hold an ice cube or something else cold against the side of your neck.

Answer 3

If you are panicking it takes time but it slows down so let it do it's thing because a panic attack can't cause heart failure