If you are experiencing a racing, pounding, rumbling or flopping feeling in your chest or if you have been fainting, having repeated dizzy spells, feeling lightheaded or you are extremely fatigued, it's time to see a doctor to discuss your heart health.
Skipped Beats
Though it may feel like the heart has skipped a beat, a premature heartbeat occurs when the heart's regular rhythm is interrupted by an early or even extra heartbeat. If the beat arises from locations in the atria (upper chambers) it is called premature atrial contraction (PAC). If it arises from the ventricles (lower chambers), it is called premature ventricular contraction (PVC). In most cases, neither is considered serious.
Slow Heartbeat
Slow heartbeat (heart rate), called bradycardia, is an arrhythmia, or disorder of the heart’s rhythm. Each day, a normal heart beats about 100,000 times, at a rate anywhere from 60 to 100 times a minute. Changes in heart rate caused by activity, diet, medications, and age are normal and common.
Syncope (Fainting)
Fainting (syncope) is a sudden transient loss of consciousness. It most often happens when the blood pressure is too low (hypotension) and the heart does not pump enough oxygen to the brain. Typically, a fainting spell lasts only a few seconds or minutes, and then the person regains consciousness. Fainting is common and a single spell usually is not serious.
Risk Factors For Arrhythmias and Heart Disease
Even people who look healthy and free of heart disease can have arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), but those with heart disease are at the highest risk. So, reducing heart disease is important to lowering the risk of arrhythmias. Since the cause of an arrhythmia is not always clear, the best course of action is to prevent and treat heart problems, such as atherosclerosis ("clogged" arteries) and high blood pressure.
The following conditions can increase the chance of developing arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms:
- Coronary artery disease (blockage in the arteries/pipes of the heart)
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- High cholesterol
- Obesity/overweight
- A high-fat diet
- Excessive use of alcohol (more than 2 drinks per day)
- Drug abuse
- Stress
- Family history of heart disease
- Advancing age (getting older)
- Sleep apnea
- Certain over-the-counter and prescription medications, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies