Palpitations & arrhythmias

extra heartbeats are common and often, when the heart is otherwise healthy, do not mean a serious problem.

Their importance depends on how common they are, the symptoms they cause, and whether there is underlying heart disease.

They may be due to extra heartbeats, tachycardia, or simply a heightened perception of normal heartbeats.

Because different conditions may feel similar, when the symptom recurs it is valuable to record the heart rate at the time it occurs.

At rest and especially when we are lying down we are often more aware of the heartbeat.

This does not in itself mean that an arrhythmia is present. However, if it is a new, severe or frequent symptom, it needs an evaluation.

In most adults the resting heart rate is usually between 60 and 100 beats per minute.

But there are normal exceptions. For example, a fit person can have a lower heart rate without a problem.

Not necessarily.

Physical fitness, sleep and certain medicines can lower the heart rate. It is particularly important to know whether a slow heart rate is accompanied by dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath or fainting.

Yes. Stress, lack of sleep, caffeine and alcohol can affect your heartbeat.

However, a new or persistent symptom should not be attributed to anxiety without assessment.

People respond differently to caffeine. Moderate coffee consumption is usually well tolerated, but some people notice more palpitations or extra beats.

If there is a clear link with coffee, reducing your intake and assessing the difference may help.

When the symptoms appear intermittently and are not recorded on the simple electrocardiogram.

It is often used for palpitations, extra heartbeats, episodes of tachycardia, dizziness or fainting episodes.

The simple electrocardiogram records only a few seconds.

An arrhythmia that occurs occasionally may simply not occur at the time. The Holter monitors the heart for a much longer period of time.

It is a common arrhythmia in which the heart rhythm becomes irregular.

It can cause palpitations, shortness of breath or fatigue, but some people feel nothing.

It needs proper evaluation and monitoring.

In some patients, it increases the risk of stroke, so we evaluate whether special treatment is needed to prevent it.