Heart Palpitations?

Question

I have been getting them for over a month now on and off... But when I do get them they last for a while, more than half an hour, is it dangerous.... What could be causing them?

Sorry for the little info on myself... I am 24yo, I do smoke but not heavy, mainly at weekends when I go out, I'm not on any med at the min, just vitams B and Omega 3 Fish Oil.. I drink about 2 cups of coffee a day...

Answer 1

It could be smokig related if you smoke, or ashma. You should go to the doctors to be in the safe side.

Answer 2

Palpitations can occur normally when your heart is working hard. For example, you might feel a rapid or irregular heartbeat when you have just exercised, have a fever, or are feeling anxious. At these times your heart may pump faster or increase the amount of blood it pumps with each beat. This is a normal response to lifting weights, walking up a hill, or becoming emotionally excited. Often you may not even notice this increased heart activity.

Medical conditions that can also cause palpitations include:

1) Anemia
2) Anxiety
3) Some thyroid problems
4) Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
5) Mitral valve prolapse, a mild deformity of one of the valves in
your heart
6) Diet is another possible cause

Palpitations may feel like your heart is (Symtoms) :
1) Jumping around your chest
2) Skipping a beat
3) Fluttering
4) Pounding
5) Racing

Occasionally, you may feel lightheaded or short of breath when you have palpitations. Usually, however, palpitations occur without other symptoms. Generally they last for a few seconds to a few minutes.

The best way to prevent palpitations is to avoid overuse of stimulants, such as cigarettes or caffeine-containing coffee, tea, or soda.

anyway you should do a medical check up or blood test for thyroid

Answer 3

You may want to check this out with a cardiologist. Palpitations like those you describe can be stress or anxiety, but could also be a heart arrhythmia called SVT (SupraVentricular tachycardia), caused by an extra abnormal electrical circuit in the heart.
Mild cases can be treated with medication like beta-blockers. More bothersome symptoms can be ablated in a hospital based procedure. They are not necessarily dangerous, unless you also have accompanying symptoms of dizziness, lightheadedness, or actually passing out.
A cardiologist can diagnose this, and then may refer you to an Electrophysiologist who specializes in this kind of thing.
Try the Heart Rhythm Society website for more information.
Good luck :>)

Answer 4

I have had it on and off for years. I got every test there is in trying to find out the causes - blood tests, treadmill, EKG, ultrasound. They found nothing. I sometimes think stress is got a lot to do with it. Obviously, too much coffee or things like that may cause it too.

My cardiologist said something like some misfire of some "wire'' near the heart may cause palpitations too.

Answer 5

Whats your pulse rate? Check it when its normal and when you have the palpitations.
Go to your docs. They will take a blood sample and do an ECG.(as well as listening to your heart, and checking blood pressure)
Hopefully that will show there is nothing serious.
They will prob suggest cutting down smoking, stopping the caffine intake (tea, coke, and chocolate count too unfortunately!)
They may well put you on Beta Blockers or Anti-depressants to slow your heart rate and stop the palpitations.
But take it seriously, you've only got one heart!!
Good Luck!

Answer 6

I have had this happen quite a bit. I have found that if I have some kind of virus or bacterial infection that I do not know about, like a sinus infection, it will do it a lot. I also smoke and drink coffee which also does it. Dehydration will do it and so will over the counter antihistamines. I have had mine checked before and the test is simple. Get it checked!!

Answer 7

I have had exactly the same thing. I am 34.
I had to wear a 24 hour heart monitor but there was nothing wrong.
The specialist explained to me in very simple terms that 99.9% of the time our heart beats and we are not aware of it beating. If we were, it would drive us crazy. The heart re-sets itself all the time without us knowing it but sometimes when it does re-set itself we notice it for the first time and understandably get scared.
It is so normal you wouldn't believe it. All it is is that you are noticing it on occasions.
Keep off caffeine as much as you can as this can exacerbate it.
Go for the tests to put your mind at rest but I think you'll be just fine.
I still get my symptoms and just accept it now instead of panicking (which is natural). It makes it go much quicker.
Good luck.

Answer 8

Are you eating enough? I thought I had a heart problem because of palpitations and dizzyness, and I found out it was low blood sugar. Good luck at the doctor's!

Answer 9

Anxiety, idiopathic sinus tachycardia, transient atrial fibrillation. None of these is life threatening. Also WPW syndrome, but since this is recent onset probably not.

Answer 10

First of all see a doctor. Heart is always an indicator of your vitality. No self medication please. Try heard not to smoke and "drink".