Palpitations can occur to any person when he or she undergoes anxiety or tension unexpectedly. It causes the heartbeats of the affected people assume an irregular pattern. The people undergoing the condition may describe their heartbeats as thumping, racing or pounding.
Causes of Palpitations
The most prevalent causes of palpitation are stimulants like nicotine, alcohol and caffeine. It may also be triggered by stress. People may also suffer from the symptoms of this condition because of their intake of some drugs. Apart from that, people suffering from a hyperactive thyroid gland, a cardiac disorder or depression may face this condition from time to time.
Types of Palpitations
People who face palpitation use different terms to describe the irregular pattern of their heart beats. According to the nature of heart beat rhythms, palpitations can be classified into some categories.
The first type of palpitation makes the people feel as if their heartbeat has stopped for a moment before resuming with a thumping sensation. As a matter of fact, this feeling is triggered by an additional heartbeat. This is called extrasystole in clinical terminologies.
In another variant of palpitation, people may feel a regular and rapid fluttering sensation in their chest. The affected persons may also feel a pounding sensation in their necks. There are many people who feel what is commonly called a minor palpitation. In this variant, the heart gets the sensation of skipping a beat.
Symptoms of Palpitations
In most of the instances, the people feeling palpitations can only feel the irregular heart beat pattern. But in some cases, palpitations can be accompanied by other symptoms like breath shortness and a feeling of tightness in the chest. The feelings of dizziness might also occur in some people.
Symptoms described above may be prolonged or temporary depending on the nature of heart beat pattern. If the palpitations are accompanied with blackouts then the patients should seek expert medical advice because it may indicate some serious cardiac complications lying underneath.
The diagnosis of the disease is often done based on the description of a person’s condition. It is important to take note of the circumstances which triggered the palpitations and the age of the person. His intake of coffee or tea is also considered. The timing of starting and termination of the sensations are extremely important in this context.
Even though it may not be possible to conduct an ECG test when the sensation is taking place this test can be useful in detecting any irregularity in the heart beat rhythm. Thyroid tests can also be conducted on an affected person as a hyperactive thyroid gland leads to palpitations.
Often the patients are made to undergo 24 hour ECG monitoring. Investigating the structure of the heart can also prove to be beneficial for some patients of palpitation. Occasionally, few people facing palpitation may have problems in their valve structure. An echocardiogram may be conducted to document the structure of the affected person’s heart.
Cure for Palpitations
The treatment for Palpitations depends on the cause that has triggered the event. For example if a person suffers from palpitation after drinking coffee, he should refrain from the drink to prevent its recurrence.
If workload and stress is leading a person to face this condition then he can opt for stress management programs. However, it is very important to examine the underlying cause and treat patients accordingly. Women about to enter menopause may face palpitations if their diet lacks magnesium.
Such women should take adequate amounts of magnesium coupled with calcium. If a person is suffering from this condition due to panic attacks and anxiety he may consult a psychologist to reduce the mental trauma.
It also needs to be watched if the person is facing the condition due to the side effects of any particular medicine. In that case, he should stop taking that medicine. To prevent severe palpitation a type of drugs called beta-blockers can be applied.
