Are heart palpitations dangerous? Well, yes. Heart palpitations are normal, and everyone experiences it at some point. But it can also be a sign of heart problems which can even cause death. So, learn what type of palpitations needs medical attention and when you should see a doctor for heart palpitations. Get a consultation with the best cardiologists in Brooklyn.
What Do Heart Palpitations Feel Like?
A palpitation may feel like your heart is racing, pounding, thumping, flopping, or fluttering. This sensation may even rise in your chest, throat, or neck. You may even feel like your heart’s rhythm is off, that it’s skipping a beat or beating too hard or too fast. This feeling may occur when you’re active, sitting still, or lying down.
Heart palpitations are very common and usually harmless and mostly go away on their own. However, it may be alarming, especially when you don’t know the cause. That’s why when your heart palpitations feel severe or go on for a long time then you should notice your signs and immediately seek medical attention.
What type of palpitations need medical attention?
While heart palpitations can occur for many reasons such as:
- Anemia
- Low blood sugar
- Thyroid disease
- Low blood pressure
- Strong emotions including stress, anxiety, and depression
- Intense exercise
- Hormone changes during menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause
- Cold or cough medicines that contain pseudoephedrine.
- Stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, and cocaine.
You should seek medical help when you experience heart palpitations frequently for a longer time or are accompanied by these symptoms:
- Dizziness
- Loss of consciousness
- Chest or upper body pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Excessive sweating for no reason
- Shortness of breath
Here are some heart palpitations that can cause dangerous heart rhythms that require immediate medical attention. It includes:
- Atrial fibrillation: This type of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) happens when the upper chambers of the heartbeat work irregularly and can interfere with blood flow to the ventricles and may cause serious clotting problems or stroke. Sometimes it doesn’t cause any symptoms at all or may cause chest pain, palpitations, or shortness of breath.
- Supraventricular tachycardia: This type of arrhythmia causes your heart rate to rapidly fast which occurs from above the ventricles (lower heart chambers). It may cause symptoms such as an overly fast pulse and dizziness.
- Ventricular tachycardia: This also causes rapid heartbeat from the ventricles. However, it is also associated with structural heart disease. So, you may cause loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest or sudden death.
- Atrial flutter: This causes the heart to beat quickly in a fluttering pattern from the upper chamber of your heart.
Diagnosing and treating these causes is important because if left untreated it may lead to stroke, heart failure, or even death.
When to see a doctor?
While everyone can experience heart palpitations at some point in their lives the majority of them are harmless. However, if you feel that heart palpitations last longer than a few seconds, occur frequently, cause other symptoms mentioned above, or just something feels off with your heart, you should visit a doctor.
If you’re healthy, you should not worry about your heart palpitations. But it’s a promising idea to monitor your palpitations and keep track of how often they occur and their duration. This makes it easier to make an accurate diagnosis when you visit a doctor.
Heart palpitations are generally harmless and pass quickly, however, if they occur frequently and last longer then it can be an indication of an underlying health condition. People who experience certain symptoms along with heart palpitations should seek medical attention to rule out the cause before it can lead to severe complications.
If you have a heart condition, a family history of heart disease, or other risk factors you should consult a doctor for proper diagnoses and management of the heart palpitations.
Need help with your heart palpitations? Come visit our cardiology clinic to get professional medical help for your heart. Call us to get a consultation. The Cardiologists at Doral Health & Wellness consistently have outstanding patient satisfaction ratings. The professionals at Heart Specialist Brooklyn are able to greatly improve their patient’s health and quality of life because of their vast training and experience. New Yorkers can get the greatest medical, surgical, and cardiovascular care at Doral Health & Wellness Brooklyn. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212. You can reach us at (347) 868-1012 or +1-718-367-2555 to schedule a consultation.
