Heart palpitations: causes what to do

In normal adult heart beats 70 to 90 times per minute. The more frequent the heartbeat is called tachycardia. This condition can have both physiological and pathological – a disease (not just heart) are accompanied by palpitations.

Causes of palpitations

The heart is the main organ of the cardiovascular system. He, like the pump, pumps blood through the vessels, delivering oxygen to tissues, energy and building material, hormones and other biologically active compounds.

If a person is healthy and calm, his heart doing 70-90 beats per minute and covers the needs of every cell of the body. If the organism develops the disease process, the heart immediately responds by acceleration or deceleration rate. In this regard, the doctors during examination of patients to determine the frequency of the pulse (it corresponds to the heart rate) – this is the easiest way to evaluate the functionality of the heart.

However, as mentioned above, the reason for the tachycardia is not always a pathological process, often in adults, so-called physiological tachycardia.

The main physiological reasons for increased frequency of contractions of the heart include:

• Emotional stress and stress. Stressful situations are always accompanied by increased synthesis of biologically active compounds. These substances and make the heart beat faster. Once hormonal balance returns to normal, heartbeat normal.
• Exercise. Working muscles need more oxygen and energy, so the body gives the heart a signal to beat faster and it beats.
• Overeating. A full stomach pushes on the heart and lungs, causing shortness of breath and tachycardia.
• Pregnancy. Many expectant mothers in the first months of waiting for a baby to suffer from low blood pressure, which can cause palpitations.
• Climax. Hot flashes, tachycardia, dizziness are the most frequent companions of menopause.
• The influence of the environment. The heart begins to decline more rapidly under conditions of high temperature and lack of oxygen, for example, in a stuffy room or in transport.
• Drinking beverages with caffeine. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant, including the heart. Several cups of strong coffee drunk in a row, can make your heart beat 100 or more times in a minute.
• The increase in body temperature. Every extra degree of temperature of the body is approximately 10 heartbeats. Accordingly, a person with a high fever (over 39 degrees), heart rate may reach the target of 120 per minute and above.

Diseases in which the heart beats more often

Now consider the causes of pathological tachycardia. They are divided into two groups:

• Noncardiac – not related to the heart.
• Intracardiac – all kinds of cardiac pathology.

To extracardial include the following reasons:

• Anemia. Anemia blood carries to the tissues lack oxygen, so the heart reflex begins to decline faster, trying to fill this gap.
• Hypovolemia – significant reduction of circulating in the body blood. The blood is less, so it must often pass blood circuits, respectively, pumping her pump needs to shrink faster.
• Hypovolemic condition is most often the result of acute blood loss, which is not always easy to see. Therefore, the appearance of the patient’s tachycardia may indirectly indicate a hidden internal bleeding.
• Hypotension – decrease of pressure in the arteries.
• Hyperthyroidism – excessive synthesis of thyroid hormones.
• Respiratory failure. The mechanism of development of tachycardia in this pathology is similar to that for anemia.
• Autonomic disorders. The activity of the heart, like all other internal organs, regulates the autonomic nervous system. If it fails, disturbed functioning of the body. Clinically it is manifested by tachycardia, high or low blood pressure, shortness of breath, panic attacks, gastrointestinal disorders and a host of other symptoms.
• A side effect of certain drugs.

Intracardiac causes of palpitations are not numerous, but affect them in most cases is much harder. Cardiac causes of tachycardia include:

What are the risks of heart palpitations?

If the heartbeat quickens rarely and then under the influence of various physiological factors, experience is not necessary – malfunctioning of the body will not. If tachycardia occurs frequently and lasts a long time, sooner or later the problems begin.

With too frequent reduction heart is not filled with blood, respectively, over one cardiac output less enters the blood stream. That is, cardiac activity is gradually becoming defective, the heart cannot perform its function of providing the body with oxygen and nutrients, and all the tissues start to suffer from this.

First the lack of oxygen feel the brain and cardiac muscle (it is supplied through arteries extending from the aorta). Moreover, the expression of tachycardia, the myocardium is harder: he has to work harder and therefore needs more oxygen, but it is not. Therefore, in such circumstances, the blood supply increases significantly the risk of acute myocardial ischemia – infarction.

What to do with palpitations

First of all, you need to sit down, relax, have a drink of water. If after 10-15 minutes, the heartbeat is not normal, you should consult a physician or cardiologist. If palpitations are accompanied by chest pain, a feeling of “lack of air”, pronounced weakness, it is better to call an ambulance.

Until the arrival of medical personnel must do the following:

• To open the window below there was a constant flow of fresh air.
• Wash in cold water. You can put a towel wrapped in ice on the forehead or the nape of the neck.
• Sit or lie down. On the feet you can’t stay in this position the heart beats a little faster. In addition, there is a risk of falling and trauma.
• Loosen the tie, unbutton the collar.
• To put under language a tablet of Validol or accept the instructions of sage, Valerian.
• Close your eyes and gently push on the eyeballs. Take a deep breath and try naturalise in the toilet. These methods are called vagal samples. They are effective in some types of tachycardia.

People suffering from tachycardia, should always carry medications that they are prescribed by a doctor for cupping.

Examination during tachycardia

To determine the cause of palpitations, the patient must consult a cardiologist and pass a comprehensive examination:

In controversial cases (when the complaint of the patient is, and all tests and studies relative to the norm) may require Holter monitoring – daily record ECGs. This diagnostic method allows to detect the attacks of tachycardia, which are not always revealed during a visit to the medical institution.

Principles of treatment of palpitations

Physiological tachycardia usually goes away by itself. But the tactics of treatment of pathological palpitations determined the cause of this condition. In some situations (e.g., when the patient detects a serious cardiac pathology) to significantly improve the health of the patient is possible only through operational – mainly used in minimally invasive surgery.

Cupping palpitations doctors prescribe patients anti-arrhythmic drugs.

They are of three classes:

• To first include Procainamide, Lidocaine, Propafenone and other drugs that block sodium and activate potassium channels in the myocardium.
• The second class is a large group of beta-blockers (Atenolol, Bisoprolol, etc.).
• The third class is Amiodarone.

These drugs are prescribed strictly individually after the discovery of the causes of tachycardia and confirm the diagnosis. Do not self medicate!