Everyone may have experienced heart palpitations such as when they are panicking or anxious. Heart palpitations in medical terms are called palpitations. Then, what exactly causes heart palpitations?
A person is said to have palpitations when the heart beats more than 100 times per minute.
Heart palpitations are normal, especially when you are doing physical activities such as sports and can subside on their own. But you should also be aware if your heart is pounding even though you are not doing any activity.
Heart palpitations when accompanied by other symptoms can be caused by certain diseases. Here are some things that can cause heart palpitations even if you are not on the move.
Anemia is a condition where the number of red blood cells in the body is very low or also often known as a lack of red blood cells. Red blood cells themselves have an important role to carry oxygen supply in the body.
One of the causes of anemia is iron deficiency. Iron has a function to form hemoglobin, a protein that functions to deliver oxygen to the rest of the body.
When the amount of hemoglobin is low, the oxygen supply is also low so that the body becomes weak. In addition, the heart will also work harder to pump oxygen so people with anemia can also experience heart palpitations.
In addition to heart palpitations, people with anemia also usually feel other symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and pale face. These conditions should not be ignored because they can risk causing heart disease.
The next cause of heart palpitations could be because you have hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is a disorder that occurs when the thyroid gland produces excessive levels of thyroid hormones.
In addition to playing a role in metabolic processes, thyroid hormones also have a role in controlling heart rate. When these hormones are overproduced, it can cause the metabolism to work faster and the heart to beat faster.
This condition should not be underestimated because it risks causing heart problems such as arrhythmia to heart failure.
Some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism that you need to be aware of include palpitations, difficulty sleeping, sweating easily, feeling anxious or restless, experiencing tremors, and decreased concentration.
Hypoglycemia is a condition where a person's blood sugar levels are below normal levels. The body's normal blood sugar level is around 70 to 140 mg/dL.
Usually, this condition occurs in diabetics although it does not rule out the possibility that non-diabetics can get hypoglycemia.
As you know, blood sugar is the source of a person's energy so that they can move. Low blood sugar in the body can cause a person to become weak, tingling, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, excessive hunger, and palpitations.
The cause of heart palpitations in people with hypoglycemia is because the performance of the autonomic nerves is disturbed so that the heart beats faster.
Heart palpitations when you are sedentary can also be caused by dehydration or lack of body fluids.
When the body is deprived of fluids, the blood can become thickened, because of which blood circulation is hampered and the heart has to work extra so you feel your heart pounding.
Some of the causes of dehydration include lack of drinking, diarrhea, fever, and extreme dieting. In addition to heart palpitations, dehydration can also be characterized by concentrated urine, thirst, dry lips, weakness, headaches and fainting.
You can overcome heart palpitations caused by dehydration by fulfilling your daily water intake.
Arrhythmia is a heartbeat rhythm disorder that causes the heart to beat very fast, very slowly or irregularly. A person experiencing this disease can feel palpitations.
Apart from heart palpitations, arrhythmia is also usually followed by other symptoms such as dizziness, pain in the chest area, lightheadedness, easy fatigue, and shortness of breath.
Someone who experiences the above symptoms may not necessarily have an arrhythmia. To be sure, if you experience the above symptoms, you can check with a hospital that provides a Cardiac Center such as Persada Hospital.
Although classified as normal, you should be aware if this condition occurs repeatedly because it could indicate a serious problem with your heart. Arrhythmia itself can be caused by several things such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, congenital heart disease, and coronary heart disease.
Fever is a condition where the body temperature rises above 38 degrees Celsius in response to an infection such as a bacterial or viral infection. Even if you are sedentary, when you have a fever, your heart may race.
That's because when you have a fever, your body's metabolism and heart rate increase, so you can feel your heart beating fast.
When you have a fever, you can usually also feel other symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, joint pain, nausea and stomach pain. Some diseases characterized by fever include dengue fever, flu to tuberculosis.
The cause of heart palpitations even though you are not doing activities can occur due to panic attacks or panic attacks. A panic attack is an attack of fear that occurs suddenly, causing a person to feel extreme fear.
Panic attacks are similar to heart attacks. The difference is that heart attacks usually occur due to strenuous activity.
Whereas a person can have a panic attack without any particular trigger including when you are not doing any activity such as sleeping.
Symptoms that can be felt when someone has a panic attack include heart palpitations, nausea, difficulty breathing, fear of death, trembling and sweating. The condition can usually subside on its own after a few minutes.
Apart from certain problems or diseases in the body, heart palpitations can also be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.
Some unhealthy lifestyles that can cause heart palpitations include smoking, drug consumption, and excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption.
To overcome this, you need to adopt a healthy lifestyle such as stopping smoking, limiting caffeine consumption, exercising regularly and eating nutritious foods.
Also Read: How to Maintain Heart Health from an Early Age
Heart palpitations are not always caused by heart disease, it can be caused by several things ranging from panic attacks, lifestyle, anxiety, to certain diseases.
If you have hyperthyroidism, arrhythmia or a condition of repeated palpitations accompanied by other symptoms such as pain in the chest area, shortness of breath, and cold sweats, you should go to the hospital.
One of the hospitals you can visit is Persada Hospital Malang, East Java. Persada Hospital has a Cardiac Center with technology and a competent medical team that is ready to help handle your heart palpitations.
Those are some of the causes of heart palpitations even though you are not doing any activity. Under normal conditions, heart palpitations can indeed subside on their own. But if the heart palpitations are caused by certain diseases, you should immediately do a self-examination.
Check the schedule of heart doctors Persada Hospital building A to make a consultation visit at the heart clinic Persada Hospital.
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