Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular risk factor and underlies heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease. Hypertensive heart disease can manifest as cardiac arrhythmias. Supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias may occur in the hypertensive patients.
High blood pressure.
This condition increases the risk of developing coronary artery disease. It may also cause the walls of the left lower heart chamber (left ventricle) to become stiff and thick, which can change how electrical signals travel through the heart.
Common triggers for an arrhythmia are viral illnesses, alcohol, tobacco, changes in posture, exercise, drinks containing caffeine, certain over-the-counter and prescribed medicines, and illegal recreational drugs.
Stress, exercise, medication or, rarely, a medical condition can trigger them. Although heart palpitations can be worrisome, they're usually harmless.
Talk to your doctor or call 911 to seek immediate medical care if you notice any of these things about your irregular heartbeat: Happens frequently or for no apparent reason. Fast heartbeat when you are at rest (more than 100 beats per minute) Slow heartbeat (fewer than 60 beats per minute)
DON'T go overboard on alcohol
Alcohol is similar to caffeine — some people with irregular heartbeats can tolerate it, while others cannot. Erica tells patients, “Limit your alcoholic drinks to one to two per night, and drink even less if your arrhythmia is caused by a weakened heart or previous heart attack.”
For example, you may be able to stop an arrhythmia by holding your breath and straining, dunking your face in ice water, or coughing. Vagal maneuvers don't work for all types of arrhythmias. Cardioversion. This method to reset the heart rhythm may be done with medications or as a procedure.
Many arrhythmias are temporary and not life threatening. They can be caused by anxiety or consuming high amounts of alcohol or caffeine. In more serious cases, an abnormal heart rhythm can be a sign of heart disease or other medical conditions.
While medications are used to control abnormal heart rhythms, ablation procedures can cure some types of arrhythmia completely. Once treated, whether through ablation or ongoing medications, most patients with a heart rhythm issue can return to their normal activity levels.
It's possible to have a high or low heart rate without it affecting your blood pressure, and having high blood pressure doesn't necessarily mean your heart rate is too high or too low. But there are some relationships between the two, and understanding those can help you protect your heart for the long term.
Atrial fibrillation (A-fib)
In this condition, the chambers of your heart aren't properly coordinated, which causes your heart to beat irregularly and fast. Older adults and people with high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes or other health problems are more likely to develop A-fib.
What are the risk factors for atrial flutter? You're at a higher risk of atrial flutter if you're older, assigned male at birth or you have: Other heart issues, like heart failure or a valve issue. High blood pressure.
Heart Palpitations and Anxiety. Heart palpitations due to anxiety feel like your heart is racing, fluttering, pounding or skipping a beat. Your heartbeat can increase in response to specific stressful situations. You may also have palpitations due to an anxiety disorder (excessive or persistent worry).
Common arrhythmia treatments include medicines, surgery to implant devices that control your heartbeat, and other procedures to treat problems with electrical signals in your heart.
In general, the consensus seems to be that sleeping on your left side is better for most people. It may reduce GERD and sleep apnea more than sleeping on your right side. The only exception is that people with congestive heart failure or heart palpitations might benefit from sleeping on their right sides.
You should see a doctor if: Your symptoms persist or frequently return. You have diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure or family history of heart disease. You feel lightheaded, have chest pain and/or have difficulty breathing.
Our advice is - if yours does identify an irregularity - you should see your doctor and explain what has happened. They will be able to determine whether you have the disorder, and refer you for an electrocardiogram if necessary.
Occasional palpitations during periods of emotional or physical stress are normal and are nothing to worry about. However, an irregular heartbeat can be a sign of an abnormal heart rhythm, or another heart condition. Talk to your doctor if you feel your heart beating too fast, too slowly or irregularly.
With the right precautions, exercise can increase your confidence and improve your heart health. If your heart beats faster and irregularly at times, but not at others (paroxysmal AF), it's better to exercise when this isn't happening, as you may become more breathless or feel discomfort in your chest.
Low calcium levels, or hypocalcemia (which can be secondary to low vitamin D levels), can cause irregular heartbeat.
Flecainide, sotalol (also a beta blocker) and amiodarone are also commonly prescribed for arrhythmias. They have the ability to terminate an arrhythmia and are usually given to prevent the abnormal rhythm from occurring or reduce its frequency or duration.
Skipping, racing, and pausing
At its core, an arrhythmia is a problem with the electrical system that controls the pumping of your heart, which can lead to irregular or abnormal heart rate. To you, this may feel like fluttering, skipping, or racing.
Drinking water is also a stimulus to the vagus nerve, and may immediately stop a run of supraventricular tachycardia. Not having enough fluid (what people think of as “dehydration”) is another stimulus for fast heart rates, so some additional fluid is a second reason that water may help, though not instantly.
Without treatment, atrial fibrillation (A-fib) can lower a person's life expectancy due to the risk of serious complications. However, with proper treatment, people with A-fib can often lead long, healthy lives. Heart rhythm involves a synchronized pumping action, or beating, of the four chambers of the heart.
One difference with afib though, is that the irregular heartbeat symptoms start and stop suddenly. With a panic attack, your heart rate slowly returns to normal. Another difference is that your heartbeat in atrial fibrillation is totally erratic.