Why the heart beats fast: tachycardia, anemia and other reasons

Such a symptom can significantly disturb each of us. When we begin to feel strong heartbeats for no apparent reason with a normal pulse, we cannot understand what exactly is happening to the body. Is it dangerous? Indeed, there are many reasons why strong heartbeats can be felt. Some of them are non-pathological, some should make you wary and make an urgent visit to the doctor. We will consider the causes of this condition, their diagnosis, treatment and prevention in more detail below.

Non-pathological causes

Strong heartbeats with a normal pulse do not always indicate the development of pathology. Even in the case when the symptom developed suddenly, it bothers you with its increase. Typically, such an attack of tachycardia lasts several minutes.

If, with strong heartbeats, you do not notice pain in the chest or head, then the reason is probably the following:

• Heavy physical activity.
• High tempos when playing sports.
• Intense jogging or brisk walking.
• Strong emotional reaction: from anger to intense joy.
• Overtiredness at the end of the day.
• Binge eating. Especially in the evening, before bed.
• A large number of cigarettes smoked in a short period of time.
• Too strong coffee or tea, energy drink.
• Strong excitement, worries before an upcoming event - an exam, an important meeting, a trip to the doctor.
• A strong blow to the heart can also cause disruption of the functioning of this organ. In particular, speed up the heart rate.
• For women, this is a characteristic symptom of approaching menstruation. In some cases, strong heartbeats may indicate complications of menopause or be a consequence of menopause.

Causes of increased beating

It is worth remembering that tachycardia takes different forms in different categories of the population, and for some it may be considered the norm.

Preschool children's heart beats too quickly due to their body's sensitivity to external changes; this is normal. Such attacks are not dangerous and disappear completely with age.

On the contrary, athletes exhibit reduced heart rate (heart rate) characteristics - their heart beats slowly because it is so trained that it can pass the entire volume of blood of 50 beats through itself. In such people, the heart rate increases from 80 beats per minute.

In other groups of the population, the reasons why the heart beats strongly are as follows:

1. abuse of energy drinks and tonics containing caffeine;
2. use of certain drugs with such side effects;
3. taking drugs, smoking, alcohol intoxication;
4. a sharp increase in the amount of physical activity;
5. emotional overstrain, low stress resistance;
6. poor nutrition and, as a result, gastrointestinal dysfunction.

The symptoms of the phenomenon are also different for everyone, the only thing in common is that the heart seems to jump out.

Some of the signs are a serious reason to see a doctor:

• attacks lasting more than 5 minutes;
• loss of consciousness, severe dizziness, darkening of the eyes;
• lack of air;
• systematicity of attacks;
• beating with excessively strong knocks;
• stabbing pain in the chest and especially the heart.

What do we have to do?

If, for these reasons, a strong heartbeat bothers you from time to time, or other incomprehensible symptoms are added, you should still visit a specialist. Heart rhythm disturbances, first of all, indicate the development of pathologies of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems. It is these diseases that lead to poor circulation.

If you are bothered by strong heartbeats despite a normal pulse, reconsider your sleep schedule, try to avoid stressful situations. Normalize your diet and give up bad habits.

Strong heart beats in the sternum at rest can also indicate a mineral imbalance in the body. Therefore, it is worth donating blood for analysis. In particular, check your potassium levels. A deficiency of the element changes the rhythm of the heart and disrupts its normal functioning. This leads to tachycardia.

The recommendation here is the same - turn to a healthy diet, get plenty of rest, take multivitamin complexes, and eliminate stressful situations.

How are pathologies detected during research?

Each diagnostic method demonstrates the characteristics of the functioning of the heart.

A general blood test can determine how much hemoglobin is contained in blood cells. Its deficiency can cause weakness and create a feeling of difficulty breathing. Therefore, the patient may feel that he does not have enough air.

The level of hormones produced by the endocrine system often causes the development of heart and cardiovascular diseases. There is a huge difference in the treatment of such diseases in the case of thyroid problems and in the case of other complications. Therefore, any detected anomalies have an impact on the chosen treatment method.

The absence or deficiency of nutrients can also cause rapid heart rate and difficulty breathing. Therefore, a blood test is needed that reports on the characteristics of its biochemical composition.

An ECG detects changes in the myocardium, allows you to evaluate the rate of cardiac impulses and the characteristics of the parts of the heart.

Any abnormalities detected in this case serve as a reason for further research and require treatment. Typically, an ECG should be performed if a patient with heart disease complains of worsening of the condition, or if there are plans to change activities (you need to find out whether this will cause problems). Diseases of the endocrine system also require an ECG.

Human endocrine system

Anxiety during Holster monitoring can be caused by short-term disruptions in the pulse rhythm, not detected by a regular cardiogram. During this study, it is possible to compare the characteristics of cardiac activity with situations in the patient’s life and detect those reactions that deviate from the norm. This will help in making a diagnosis.

Features of the structure of cardiac tissues and their work can be identified through echocardiography. This way you can detect a heart attack, angina pectoris, postoperative complications, etc. This method also provides the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and its timely correction.

Difficulty breathing and rapid heart rate are considered normal in some situations. But sometimes they indicate the development or exacerbation of many diseases of the heart and cardiovascular system. A timely visit to a cardiologist will allow you to detect the problem at an early stage and begin its treatment.

Do you still think that it is impossible to get rid of HEART DISEASES!?

• Do you often experience discomfort in the heart area (pain, tingling, squeezing)?
• You may suddenly feel weak and tired...
• I constantly feel high blood pressure...
• There is nothing to say about shortness of breath after the slightest physical exertion...
• And you have been taking a bunch of medications for a long time, going on a diet and watching your weight...

But judging by the fact that you are reading these lines, victory is not on your side. That is why we recommend reading the story of Natalya Pozdnyakova, who found an effective remedy for cardiovascular diseases.

Understanding the strength of your own pulse is individual. Especially sensitive people are able to notice it, even if the changes are minor.

Others, on the contrary, may not pay attention to even a serious increase, and this phenomenon can only be noticed by a cardiologist when performing an ECG.

Sometimes the heartbeat tends to get worse at night. Can this be considered normal? During sleep, a person is relaxed and calm, so the pulse should remain normal. A person may see something unpleasant in a dream, and therefore wakes up from it. What if this doesn’t happen, but your heart rate still increases?

Dangerous symptoms

At the same time, there are a number of alarming symptoms accompanying increased heartbeat, which require urgent medical attention, as they indicate serious pathologies. This is the following:

• Feeling of strong heartbeat at night. Such that you wake up from the manifestation of a symptom.
• Strong blows are accompanied by panic attacks. It seems to you that you are terminally ill and that you will die soon.
• Along with a strong heartbeat, chest pain, burning, and tingling are felt.
• The skin has become very pale or red.
• You feel that your heart is beating unevenly, losing its rhythm.
• Hand tremor is noted.

In such cases, an urgent comprehensive diagnosis is usually prescribed. It is necessary to establish what exactly is wrong with the heart in order to prescribe adequate treatment. In standard cases, the following is carried out:

• Ultrasound examination of both the heart and abdominal organs.
• Taking an electrocardiogram.
• Taking blood for analysis to determine the level of hormones, hemoglobins, proteins.
• In special cases, patients are additionally prescribed a computed tomography scan to rule out damage to the lungs and cancer.

We must also remember that palpitations are also diagnosed in such dangerous conditions as stroke, coronary artery disease, and the pre-infarction period. Here, not only the health status, but also the life of the patient depends on the timely provision of medical care.

How to improve the condition?

A person’s actions in such a situation depend on what causes such symptoms. If you have already had to consult a doctor with this problem, he will definitely provide recommendations in case of repeated cases.

Most often, a strong heartbeat can be calmed by washing your face with cool water, and also lying down in bed and trying to relax.

Taking a deep, slow breath followed by a sharp exhalation also reduces your heart rate. Coughing has the same effect. If your doctor has recommended any medications for such cases, they can also be used.

But if the cause is unknown, or the attack is very severe, then you should call an ambulance, not expecting that the alarming symptom will disappear on its own. Sometimes, a strong heartbeat at night can be a sign of an impending heart attack or stroke.

It is best to undergo annual examinations with a cardiologist. Then any heart problems will be noticed immediately. You should see a doctor as soon as possible if increased heart rate at night has become a common occurrence. Additional symptoms should cause even more anxiety: pain in the heart and chest, weakness, lack of air, shortness of breath, etc.

The most dangerous signs:

• excessive force and intensity of heart rate;
• frequent pulse over a long period of time;
• increase in rhythm with small external influences;
• increased heartbeat for no reason;
• uneven heart rate.

These symptoms most often indicate the presence or development of a serious disease, which must be detected and treated.

Endocrine diseases

If you often notice that your heart beats strongly, this may indicate the beginning of the development of endocrine diseases. The connection here is that with a pathological, inflamed state of the thyroid gland, the hormonal balance that ensures the normal functioning of the vital systems of the body is disrupted.

In addition to very strong heartbeats, the patient notes the following symptoms:

• Chronic fatigue.
• Increased sweating.
• Memory problems.
• Increased body weight.
• Susceptibility to depressive conditions.
• Flabbiness and dryness of the skin, the appearance of rashes on it.

In particular, rapid heartbeat and arrhythmia are observed with hypothyroidism. Because of this, a person cannot work at full capacity, do household chores, or devote time to his favorite hobbies. Consultation with an endocrinologist is required.

Treatment here consists of taking medications that relieve the cause of the disease and normalize hormonal levels. Artificial, synthetic analogs of hormones are also prescribed in the required volume. When taken periodically, they normalize well-being and even out the patient’s condition.

Possible complications caused by heart palpitations

If the pain is not related to illness, complications are unlikely to arise. If they are caused by heart disease, the following complications may occur:

1. Periodic fainting caused by sudden changes in pressure. This often occurs in people suffering from congenital heart defects or malfunctioning heart valves.
2. Arrhythmia (decreased efficiency of cardiac function).
3. Stroke. The rapid beating of the heart causes a deviation in the functioning of the upper chambers of the heart, as a result of which the blood stagnates, forming blood clots.
4. Heart failure. It is expressed in prolonged atrial fibrillation caused by arrhythmia.
5. Myocarditis. Inflammation of the heart muscles. Diagnosing this disease is difficult, so to detect it in a person who has not previously consumed alcohol, it is necessary to collect an anamnesis. If the disease is long-term, swelling may appear.
6. Heart attack. Stress often causes an influx of adrenaline and, as a result, vascular spasms, due to which the access of oxygen and blood to the heart is blocked. If, after prolonged stress, the body loses the ability to quickly adapt, sooner or later a heart attack may occur.

Unstable blood pressure

Strong heartbeats at rest can also occur with unstable blood pressure. With a sharp decrease in blood circulation, the blood circulation quickly slows down. To re-normalize the flow of oxygen to the organs, the brain forces the heart to work harder. As a result, a person notices stronger beats while maintaining a normal pulse. This may also be accompanied by a feeling of ringing in the ears.

What causes the jump in blood pressure itself? Among the main factors are:

• Copious blood loss.
• Dehydration of the body.
• Allergic reactions.
• Vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Periodic strong heartbeats are subsequently accompanied by the following:

• Decreased appetite.
• Nausea.
• Drowsy state.
• General weakness.

You need to see a therapist or cardiologist. Treatment here is aimed at normalizing blood pressure, maintaining it within working limits with the help of medications. A review of the patient's diet is also required - he needs to consume more protein foods, fruits, and clean water.

Causes

Palpitations can occur against the background of emotional stress.
From the introduction of the article it becomes clear that a strong heartbeat can be physiological or pathological. The reasons for the appearance of one or the other variant are different.

The following factors can provoke the occurrence of physiological tachycardia:

• physical activity: lifting weights, physical work, sports or physical education;
• emotional stress: joy, fear, anxiety, irritation, excitement, fright, etc.;
• binge eating;
• environmental influences: heat, polluted air, lack of oxygen at altitude, ground-level ozone after a thunderstorm;
• drinking caffeinated drinks;
• allergic reactions;
• fever (for example, with influenza or acute respiratory viral infection);
• hormonal changes at the beginning of pregnancy, early toxicosis or menopause.

As a rule, after eliminating the provoking factor, physiological tachycardia completely disappears and the general condition does not suffer in any way. If this does not happen, then a person should think about the need to see a doctor and find out the reasons for the deterioration in health.

Pathological strong heartbeat can be caused not only by problems with the heart or blood vessels, but also by diseases or pathological conditions of other organs and systems:

• cardiosclerosis;
• IHD;
• arrhythmias;
• myocardial dystrophy;
• myocarditis;
• exudative or adhesive pericarditis;
• cardiomyopathy;
• heart defects;
• arterial hypertension or hypotension;
• acute heart failure;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• anemia;
• blood loss;
• dehydration;
• acute pain attacks (for example, colic);
• regular overload of the nervous system (chronic fatigue, stress, lack of sleep, etc.);
• endocrine diseases (hyperthyroidism, myxedema, increased production of adrenaline in pheochromocytoma);
• obesity;
• poisoning;
• purulent infections;
• lack of calcium and magnesium;
• overdose of certain medications, alcohol, narcotic substances;
• mental disorders;
• tumors;
• severe and long-term illnesses.

It is possible to identify the exact cause of pathological strong heartbeat only through comprehensive diagnostics. The doctor carefully examines the pulse (its strength, frequency, filling, rhythm), listens to the patient’s complaints and studies his medical history. To exclude pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, the patient is prescribed:

• ECG (regular and 24-hour Holter monitoring);
• Echo-CG;
• X-ray of the chest organs.

If pathologies of the heart or blood vessels are detected, the study can be supplemented with other diagnostic methods, and in the absence of such deviations, the patient is prescribed consultations and further examination with other specialized specialists (neurologist, endocrinologist, hematologist, etc.). In some cases, the patient is recommended to consult a psychotherapist to identify mental disorders.

Fetal heart palpitations

When performing an ultrasound at 5 weeks of pregnancy, the doctor can detect signs of tachycardia in the fetus. The number of heartbeats is an important indicator of the development of the unborn baby, and the appearance of such a symptom should always serve as a reason for further examination of the woman and the appointment of the necessary therapy and lifestyle correction.

Strong heartbeat in the fetus can be caused by the following reasons:

• intrauterine hypoxia;
• chromosomal abnormalities (trisomy 13, Patau syndrome);
• intrauterine infection;
• finding the expectant mother in a stuffy room;
• pathologies of the respiratory organs or cardiovascular system in the mother;
• hyperthyroidism and other endocrine disorders in a pregnant woman;
• disturbances in water-electrolyte balance during toxicosis;
• unbalanced nutrition and hypovitaminosis in a pregnant woman;
• anemia in the fetus or mother.

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels

With a normal pulse, a rapid, strong heartbeat is provoked by the following vascular and heart diseases:

• Arrhythmia. An accelerated pulse may be noted. The heart beats unevenly due to disrupted electrical impulses in the cells of the heart tissue. Atrial fibrillation indicates that the heart loses its rhythm and beats in fits and starts. It strains unevenly: sometimes it works half-heartedly, sometimes with double strength. This may also be accompanied by shortness of breath and pain.
• Extrasystole. The disease overtakes people who expose themselves to significant physical exertion, systematically sharply changing the position of the body in space. As a result of this negative impact, the heart is forced to make extraordinary contractions and work at an increased rhythm.
• Infectious diseases. In particular, myocarditis and endocarditis. In addition to strong heartbeat, there is fever, changes in the condition of the mucous membranes and skin, and disruption of the functioning of other organs.
• Changes in the condition of cardiac tissue. It makes sense to talk about cardiosclerosis or myocardial dystrophy.
• Heart disease. Both congenital and acquired.
• Hypertension. Chronically elevated working blood pressure (more than 140/80).
• Paroxysmal tachycardia. There is a significant acceleration of the heart. The blow speed can reach up to 110-170 per minute.

Psychological diseases

Frequent neuroses and psychoses also have a negative impact on the activity of the heart muscle. Frequent changes in emotional states and prolonged depression are also not beneficial.

We must not forget about overdoses of medications prescribed to people with psychological problems. A side effect here may be an increase in heart rate.

First aid

If you wake up at night with a strong heartbeat, you may panic due to the unexpectedness of the symptom and its unknown causes. You can help yourself by taking these simple measures:

1. Wash your face with cool water. Rinse your hands up to the elbows with it.
2. Drink a few sips of iced water or sweet tea.
3. Walk around the room, try to cough a little - this will help stimulate the movement of blood in the body.
4. Take mild sedatives. For example, tincture of valerian, Corvalol, Valocordin.

If these measures do not help, you begin to feel other symptoms that worry you, then it makes sense to immediately seek medical help.

Important signs of falling in love

A person in love can be seen from afar , because outwardly falling in love looks like a mild nervous disorder. Any phone calls, an unexpected knock on the door, make the lover quickly jump up on the spot, hoping that it is his beloved who is delivering the long-awaited news!

Scientists have convincingly proven that biochemical processes are the cause of falling in love , and it is completely useless to resist it. A person in love begins to actively produce the hormone dopamine , which stimulates surges of strength, energy and poetic inspiration. However, at the same time, excess adrenaline is formed in the body, causing an alarming feeling. When he sees his beloved, or when he receives any news about her, the lover’s knees begin to tremble and his heartbeat increases. Lovers become very talkative, sharing their emotions with others, constantly smiling for no reason.

Read also: The effect of resistance on voltage

Diagnostics

To determine what happened to the patient, the doctor first conducts a visual examination of the patient. Asks him questions about disturbing symptoms and the duration of the pathological condition. Blood pressure, pulse, heart rate are measured.

In addition, the following diagnostic measures are prescribed:

• Electrocardiogram.
• Ultrasound examination of the heart and nearby organs.
• General blood analysis.
• Donating blood for hormonal analysis.
• Keeping a diary of blood pressure and heart rate throughout the day.

Treatment

Palpitations are not a disease in themselves. This is a symptom, a sign of a certain pathology. To eliminate it, you need to fight the cause - the disease itself. As you have seen, the reasons can be very different. If a strong heartbeat is caused by problems with the cardiovascular system, then the patient will be prescribed the following drug treatment:

• Drugs from the group of cardiac glycosides. These are Digoxin, Korglikon, Novodigal.
• Beta blockers. "Atenolol", "Metoprolol", "Bisoprolol".
• Special antioxidant complexes. "Preductal", "Tridukard".
• Sedatives. Tincture of valerian, peony, motherwort, “Sedaphyton”.

Tachycardia and alcohol

Many people notice that their heart beats strongly after drinking alcohol or having a hangover. At the same time, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between alcoholism, which has formed as a disease, with all its manifestations, and episodic alcohol consumption. That is, if a person has taken a certain dose of alcohol, not a toxic dose that causes ethyl alcohol poisoning, but one at which he usually feels normal and his heart begins to beat strongly, this is the usual effect of alcohol, which increases blood pressure and heart rate.

You need to understand the basics of the influence of alcohol on the activity of the cardiovascular system and the body as a whole, which with frequent alcohol consumption boils down to the following effects:

• Arrhythmogenic – the frequency of arrhythmias increases significantly;
• Cardiomyopathic – severe degeneration of the heart muscle, accompanied by fat deposition in the heart cells;
• Immediate direct toxic effect on the myocardium: contrary to the general opinion about the high calorie content of alcohol, it is an energetic intracellular poison that causes energy starvation of the myocardium;
• With frequent and long-term alcohol consumption, the risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death increases significantly;
• Metabolism in the body is disrupted due to alcohol-induced pathology of the pancreas and liver, which leads to disruption of the heart.

And these are just the main effects of alcohol, which lead to the fact that the heart beats strongly and frequently. The most effective method of combating these manifestations is a complete abstinence from alcohol, and if the body has not yet been completely destroyed, it will certainly and quickly recover.

If the heart beats strongly with a hangover, you need to understand the reasons for this phenomenon, and then the methods of dealing with tachycardia and hangover in general will be clear:

1. Intoxication caused by drinking alcohol and its breakdown products is treated by drinking fluids and increasing diuresis; gastric lavage is acceptable.
2. Electrolyte imbalance is relieved by using saline solutions: Regidron (one of the best options), mineral water.
3. The metabolism of alcohol in the body requires a large amount of B vitamins, which are also needed for the functioning of the heart; they can be replenished with vitamin complexes (Neurobeks Neo, Neuromultivit), foods rich in vitamins of this group (bread, tomatoes, meat), fermentation products - kvass.
4. High blood pressure and pulse, which are a direct result of alcohol consumption and its breakdown, can be treated with appropriate medications (Captopril, Lisinopril, Atenolol and others).
5. Excessive excitability, which also causes tachycardia, is treated with Motherwort, Valerian, and in severe cases, the doctor administers Diazepam, Realanium.
6. Headache can be caused by various reasons, including the above, but only after all the above manipulations is it permissible to use painkillers - Aspirin, Citramon.

Alcohol has a destructive effect on the body, and while we often see chronic alcoholics, which exerts powerful psychological pressure in favor of giving up alcohol, cases of acute alcohol poisoning and death from it are rarely made public. It must be remembered that alcohol occupies a leading place in the structure of mortality from external causes; you should not get carried away with it, and if there are signs of alcohol poisoning and severe symptoms, when the heart beats strongly and frequently, and consciousness is confused or absent, you should seek medical help.

Folk remedies

Proven folk remedies can also be used as an auxiliary therapy. But only with the permission of your attending physician. For example, the following:

• Remedies that help combat the unpleasant symptom of strong heartbeat, strengthening the myocardium. This is a decoction of the following herbs: St. John's wort, rose hips, motherwort, hawthorn. The course of treatment here is 10-14 days. The decoction is drunk several times a day. You can sweeten it slightly with honey.
• Mild sedative effect. Refer to decoctions of valerian root, chamomile, and lemon balm.

Preventive measures

Now you know why strong heartbeats sometimes worry us for relatively no reason. Here are some general tips for preventing this condition:

• Turning to an active life - long walks in the fresh air, swimming, dancing, physical therapy.
• Regular use of mild sedatives. For example, tinctures of valerian, Sedaphyton, Persena.
• Give up a sedentary lifestyle. Try to walk at a comfortable pace for 1-2 hours every day.
• Do breathing exercises or yoga.
• Create a proper diet. There is no need for overeating or exhausting diets.

All this together will strengthen the heart muscle. Gradually, the frightening attacks of palpitations will leave you. The body learns to cope with additional stress during stress, physical and emotional stress. For prevention purposes, it is necessary to have your blood tested annually to check potassium and hemoglobin levels.

Strong heartbeats are not an independent disease. They can be the result of a non-pathological condition or a serious pathology. Therefore, if you periodically suffer from this symptom, there is no need to postpone a visit to the doctor.