What are palpitations? |

Causes and Symptoms

Individuals experiencing palpitations often describe a slight discomfort and
uneasiness accompanied by a flutter or sudden change in heart rate. Palpitations
are often harmless, although they may be a symptom of an abnormal heart rhythm
known as an arrhythmia. Arrhythmias involve a change in the electrical
activity of the heart resulting in a chaotic or irregular contraction of the heart
muscle. The location of these arrhythmias within the heart muscle determines the
type, duration, and intensity of the palpitations.

Palpitations are common among many people, regardless of age or gender. They are
often diagnosed by cardiologists using several techniques aimed at measuring the
electrical activity of the heart. Such tests include electrocardiograms (ECGs), Holter monitoring, and stress
tests. Most palpitations do not indicate the presence of a serious cardiac
problem. Instead, they are often the result of one cause or a combination of
several causes. Several underlying causes of heart palpitations include a high
caffeine intake, alcohol and tobacco use, stimulant medications, extreme physical
exertion, stress and anxiety, fever, or hormonal changes due to pregnancy or
menopause.

Palpitations have not been shown to cause any damage to the heart muscle. Extended
palpitations, however, may lead to decreased blood flow to areas of the brain,
heart, or other parts of the body. This decreased blood flow can create oxygen
deficits in these areas, leading to dizziness, loss of consciousness, chest pain,
or shortness of breath. Patients experiencing palpitations with any other these
other symptoms should seek medical care. Palpitations accompanied by such symptoms
may be a sign of other structural problems of the heart muscle or surrounding
blood vessels and may be diagnosed with the use of an echocardiogram (an
ultrasound technique) or invasive catheterization. Occasionally, palpitations are
the sign of more serious health problems, such as hyperthyroidism, tachycardia, or
bradycardia.

Treatment and Therapy

Most palpitations are treated by removing the underlying causes. Decreasing intake of caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco products often succeeds in lowering the frequency and severity of palpitations. Reducing levels of physical and emotional stress while maintaining proper diet and sleep patterns has also been successful in treating palpitations. Medications such as beta-blockers or calcium-channel blockers or other methods such as surgery or implantable defibrillators may be used to treat palpitations in more severe cases.

Perspective and Prospects

Advances in medical technology have shown heart palpitations to be much more common than once thought. Today, heartbeat irregularities perceived as palpitations are rarely considered to be a sign of serious disease and are often easily treated or prevented.

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