16 signs your heart palpitations could be something way worse

If you already have a heart condition, any rhythm problems can be more serious. “A person with a weakened heart, or cardiomyopathy, may also be predisposed to have extra ventricular beats [from the bottom chambers of the heart],” explains Dr Lau. “When these heartbeats become frequent and fast, they are termed ‘ventricular tachycardia’, and in a weakened heart that may lead to cardiac arrest.”

Heart muscle damaged from a heart attack will have scarring, and that can also predispose you to the extra contractions of ventricular tachycardia, says Dr Lau. Dr Zeitler says such patients should be treated immediately. “I would be more aggressive in making a diagnosis and treating with either medications, procedures, or with an implantable defibrillator,” she says. Dr Hodgson-Zingman says heart disease patients should be evaluated and monitored for rhythm abnormalities regularly.

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Besides prior heart disease, other health conditions could make palpitations more dangerous – and even though common heart rhythm problems like atrial fibrillation are generally not serious, in some people they can be. “If the patient has other risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and vascular conditions, their risk of stroke may be high because atrial fibrillation may lead to the formation of blood clots within the heart that can travel to the brain and cause a stroke,” Dr Lau says. If you have other health issues, alert your doctor if you’re having palpitations.

Like many conditions, palpitations may be more common, and more serious, in older people. “Another common problem that occurs with age is the wearing out of the normal heart electrical system,” Dr Hodgson-Zingman says. “This can cause pauses or irregularity in the heart rhythm and may be a sign that you need a pacemaker.” Also, some types of heart rhythm disorders are more common as you age. “Atrial fibrillation occurs in like 20 per cent of people over the age of 80, and it’s increasingly common as we get older,” Dr Zeitler says. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare an estimated five per cent of the population aged 55 and over have AF.

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Regardless of your age, if you have a family history of sudden death before age 50 – or a family member with cardiomyopathy – you should pay close attention to any heart palpitations, Dr Hodgson-Zingman says. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and your family history.

It’s possible that your palpitations are not directly related to your heart. With anaemia, “the heart has to work extra hard to pump blood to increase cardiac output so that the body tissues can get enough blood, and therefore oxygen,” Dr Lau says. Or with overactive thyroid, for example: “Thyroid hormone can overstimulate the heart and make it beat faster,” he says. A blood workup can help identify these problems when you see your doctor about your palpitations.

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Use technology to your advantage – your doctor will likely even commend your Apple Watch for detecting an irregular heart rhythm. “Some of those commercially available tools are really good and have been validated scientifically for being accurate at detecting heart rhythm disorders,” Dr Zeitler says. “If somebody comes to me with palpitations and a tracing from their iWatch that is suggestive of a heart rhythm disorder, it’s pretty likely that I’m going to be doing a diagnostic workup.”

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Dr Zeitler advises following your intuition – if you feel like your heart is beating strangely, it’s best to get it checked out. “It’s one of those situations where you have to listen to your body,” she says. “If it feels like you’re dying or you might die, or you pass out or you have an accident because you’re passing out, those are reasons to seek attention in an emergency room. Otherwise, you can generally wait to see your primary care doctor, which would be a really good first step. Your primary care doctor can decide when the right time is to refer you to a cardiologist or a heart rhythm specialist.”

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Source: RD.com