Find out why your ticker is racing or feels like it keeps skipping beats.
Find out why your ticker is racing or feels like it keeps skipping beats.
Occasional palpitations are common, but if they distract you during the day or keep you up at night, you might want to get them checked out. Dr Goh Ping Ping, a consultant cardiologist and echocardiologist with Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, explains what those extra fast or irregular heartbeats could signal, and the respective treatment options.
Your heart palpitations could be due to… Anxiety
OTHER SYMPTOMS
Hyperventilation, profuse sweating, headaches, stomach cramps, a choking sensation, and uncontrollable trembling.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Anxiety attacks often strike without warning, but can also be triggered by phobias. Someone who is extremely stressed or despondent could also be more likely to experience such attacks.
TREAT IT
Besides taking medication to calm down, you can also learn self-help techniques, like breathing exercises that might help to prevent future attacks. For instance, inhale for five slow counts, then exhale for five slow counts. Do this repeatedly for several minutes.
Your heart palpitations could be due to… Hyperthyroidism
OTHER SYMPTOMS
Irritation, restlessness, unexplained weight loss, hand tremors, diarrhoea, and an irregular or heavy menstrual flow.
WHY IT HAPPENS
When the thyroid produces too much of the hormone thyroxine, every function of the body tends to speed up and you may feel your heart racing. This is most common in young to middle-aged women.
TREAT IT
Medication is usually given to regulate your body’s production of thyroxine.
Your heart palpitations could be due to… Pregnancy
OTHER SYMPTOMS
Nausea, vomiting and fatigue are all common in the first trimester, but palpitations can occur throughout the whole pregnancy.
WHY IT HAPPENS
In order to support the baby and prepare for childbirth, the body undergoes hormonal changes that make the blood volume increase and heart rate speed up. Palpitations occur most frequently in the third trimester, which is when your circulatory system becomes the most active.
TREAT IT
If your resting heart rate goes over 100 beats per minute (BPM) or if the palpitations are accompanied by giddiness, fainting spells or breathlessness, seek immediate medical attention. If you have a pre-existing heart condition, it’s also recommended that you go for thorough check-ups before conceiving, and alert your gynae if you are already expecting.
Your heart palpitations could be due to… Too much caffeine
OTHER SYMPTOMS
Feeling tense and jittery, muscle twitches, insomnia, and dizziness.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and leaves your body in a hyper-alert state.
TREAT IT
Everyone’s threshold of caffeine varies, so it’s best to cut down or skip it altogether if palpitations occur more frequently after you’ve had your fix.
Your heart palpitations could be due to… Arrhythmia
OTHER SYMPTOMS
Breathlessness, giddiness, fainting, chest pain, and fatigue.
WHY IT HAPPENS
A condition in which the heart beats with an irregular or abnormal rhythm, it is often caused by an underlying illness like heart disease, diabetes or hypertension. Those who have previously had heart attacks are most prone to getting it.
TREAT IT
Treatments depend on the cause. Doctors might prescribe medication to prevent blood clots from forming or to reduce stroke risk, or recommend surgery to implant a pacemaker to restore a normal heart rhythm. Regular exercise and avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol can also lower one’s risks.
