Heartbeat Irregularity – Causes and Symptoms

HeartbeatYour heart is the powerhouse of your body, an incred­ible pumping engine that pushes gallons of blood through your veins and arteries every day. A complex system of electrical currents drives your heart to beat in its proper rhythm. When the rhythm slows down, speeds up, or is interrupted, it's called arrhythmia. As you age, you're more likely to develop arrhythmia.

Irregular heartbeats happen every day. Just taking a breath causes your heart to slow down and then speed up again. When you exercise, feel stressed, or get emo­tionally excited, your heart speeds up. When you relax deeply or sleep, it slows down. You may feel your heart skip a beat occasionally or feel it flutter. It may beat fast and strong for a few moments, a condition known as pal­pitation. All these heartbeat irregularities happen within a healthy, normal heart and are generally harmless. But others may not be.

If your heartbeat is too slow, too fast, too strong, or too weak, you may have an underlying disease you need to discover and treat.

It's time to see your doctor if you have an irregular heartbeat and:

  1. Chest pain, heaviness, or tightness
  2. Pain that radiates from the chest to arms, back, jaw, neck, or stomach
  3. Sweating
  4. Clammy skin
  5. Coughing, shortness of breath
  6. Nausea, vomiting

These symptoms suggest you may be having a heart attack. Call for help or go to an emergency room or hospital immediately.

  1. Excessive thirst and urination
  2. Nausea, vomiting
  3. Low energy levels
  4. Constipation

Your symptoms signal that you have too much cal­cium in your blood. This is an emergency. Get medical care immediately.

  1. Tingling or numbness in your hands and feet
  2. Leg or other muscle cramps or spasms
  3. Seizures

In this case, you may have too little calcium in your blood. This also is a medical emergency.

  1. Very fast or very slow heartbeat
  2. Weakness and fatigue
  3. Feeling disturbed and confused
  4. Paralysis of arms or legs

If this describes your condition, you may have an imbalance of potassium in your body. This is an emergency situation; get to a doctor or hospital immediately.

  1. It feels like a fluttering in your chest
  2. Faintness and weakness
  3. Breathing difficulty
  4. Tiredness

You may have atrial fibrillation, in which your heart beats irregularly and too fast. Your heart may feel as if it's flopping around in your chest. This type of irregular heartbeat may resolve itself, but it is usually dangerous if left untreated, so you need to see your doctor.

  1. Very slow heartbeat (60 or fewer beats per minute)
  2. Sudden weakness or fatigue
  3. Dizziness or fainting

These are the symptoms of bradycardia, or slow heartbeat. With this condition, your heart may slow down too much and just stop beating. Bradycardia is normal in a well-conditioned ath­lete, but not in most other people. It may mean you have an underlying disease, or your heart medicine (such as a beta-blocker) is slowing your heart rate too much.

  1. Confusion
  2. Leg or muscle cramps
  3. Weakness
  4. Swelling

These symptoms suggest you may have too little or too much sodium in your blood. Since a sodium imbalance may signal an underlying disorder, see your doctor as soon as possible.

  1. Decreased sweating, appetite, and tolerance for cold
  2. Chest pain
  3. Weight gain
  4. Sleepiness or trouble sleeping
  5. Depression/memory problems

These symptoms might mean you have hypothy­roidism, an underactive thyroid. Although hypothyroidism is generally easy to treat with thy­roid replacement drugs, it can cause life-threaten­ing complications in rare cases, so it is important to see your doctor.

  1. Weakness and fatigue
  2. Unexplained weight loss
  3. Hyperactivity
  4. Generally feel warm or hot
  5. Bulging eyes

You may be suffering from hyperthyroidism, also called thyrotoxicosis, toxic goiter, or Graves' dis­ease. This is a relatively common disorder caused by an overactive thyroid.

  1. Breathing difficulty
  2. Fatigue
  3. Fever
  4. Chest pain

When these symptoms accompany shortness of breath, they point to myocarditis or pericarditis, an inflammation of your heart or tissues around your heart. This condition can result from illness, surgery, radiation therapy, or a bad reaction to a drug.

  1. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, especial­ly when lying down
  2. Weakness, fatigue, or faintness
  3. Cough
  4. Swollen stomach, legs, and ankles

Together, these symptoms may indicate congestive heart failure, which is usually a complication of other illnesses such as heart or lung disease.

  1. Tension headaches
  2. Sweating
  3. Shortness of breath
  4. Loss of appetite
  5. Poor sleep
  6. Stomach pain
  7. Have recently undergone a major life upset or change

These symptoms, along with rapid heartbeat, chest pains, and a feeling that something bad is about to happen, often signal stress, general anxiety, or even a panic disorder. These are physical symptoms of an underlying emotional or psychological problem. You need to see your doctor for help in coping with your anxiety.

  1. Chest pain
  2. Shortness of breath
  3. Rapid or pounding heartbeat of 150 to 300 beats per minute
  4. Feeling that you're going to die

These are the symptoms of rapid heartbeat, or tachycardia.