Heart Palpitations

Heart Palpitations

Heart Palpitations refer to perceptions of greater intensity and speed of the heartbeat.

That feeling is considered a normal reaction of the body after intense physical activity such as exercise or heavy work.

However, palpitations may ocurr at rest, the person feels his heart beating fast, even standing still or doing an activity that requires effort. In addition to pounding may also be feelings of beats skipped or stopped. Palpitations can be felt in the chest, throat or neck.

Normally, the heart can beat 60 to 100 times per minute. The person usually does not feel these beats, much less bother. However, you can feel the heartbeat in intense moments, ie, after exercise, to feel fear or stress in these circumstances, it is normal for people to feel his heartbeat because the heart is beating faster or increased the volume of blood pumped, which beats the feeling of violence. Palpitations, however, are strong and fast beats that are easily seen by people and occur when the person is still, watching television, moving slowly, and so on. That's when it comes to heart palpitations; the heart beats 100 times a minute or so intense, for no apparent reason.

There are some medical conditions that can cause palpitations, anemia, anxiety, fever, thyroid gland problems, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), mild deformities of the heart valves, among others. In addition to these causes, also cause palpitations, consumption of caffeine in coffee, tea and carbonated beverages, alcohol and snuff, certain medications, diet pills, illegal drugs, also asthma inhalers and decongestants.

Palpitations may be normal as it happens from time to time and last only a few seconds, but more worrisome if they occur frequently and last for long as a few hours, also can be in the presence of a more severe when are accompanied by sweating, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, or pain in the chest, arms, jaw or back. Always consult a doctor, only a professional can properly diagnose these conditions.

The doctor will make all the necessary questions to make a complete medical history and perform a physical exam to have the greatest background on the possible causes of palpitations. The most common tests that can be sent to perform are an electrocardiogram and a blood test. Other tests are sometimes performed Holter monitoring or echocardiography.

As for prevention, for palpitations it is best to stop using stimulants such as caffeine and snuff. You should also stop drinking alcohol and should not be used any illegal drugs. Additionally, we recommend breathing exercises, learning to relax, exercise, being overweight and not ignore your doctor if you have to take drugs or other tips to follow.