What Are the Treatments for Heart Palpitations?
Your heart works hard to supply your body with the blood, oxygen and nutrients it needs for normal functioning. A healthy heart beats about 60 to 100 times per minute. Your heart beats in response to electrical signals sent by the pacemaker of the heart which is called the SA node. The rate at which the SA node sends signals depends on your activity level. When you are resting, the signals become slower. When you are active they speed up. There is a constant monitoring process that tells your heart how often to beat. However, in some cases, this system can malfunction and your heartbeat becomes irregular. One form of irregular heart beat is called palpitations. Understanding the cause of heart palpitations and the treatments available will help you to manage your condition.
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Identification
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There are different types of heart palpitations. Palpitations are basically sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. Patients describe feeling rapid, fluttering or pounding heartbeats. They may occur when there is no heart disease present and the cause may remain unknown. In other cases, palpitations can be the result of abnormal heart rhythms called arrhythmias. There are three kinds of arrhythmias. Tachycardias occur when the heart beats faster then 100 beats per minute during inactive periods. Bradycardias occur when the heart beats less then 60 beats per minute. Fibrillations are diagnosed when there is an irregular heart rhythm. Heart palpitations can be triggered by stress, exercise, medication or sometimes an underlying medical condition.
Lifestyle Changes
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In most cases, no medical intervention is needed to control your palpitations. Your doctor may suggest that you become aware of things that trigger your palpitations and then take steps to manage your situation. Reducing physical and emotional stress can help to reduce or minimize your palpitations. If you smoke, you should consider quitting. Cutting back on alcohol and caffeine consumption also will help you to manage your palpitations.
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Treating Underlying Conditions
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If you have coronary artery disease or other heart condition, you and your doctor will need to work together to manage your symptoms. Eating healthy, losing weight and getting regular exercise should be a part of your treatment plan. Taking the necessary medical steps to manage fever, abnormal thyroid hormone levels and low oxygen levels in blood is required, as these can all trigger irregular heart rhythms. Cold and cough medications that contain pseudoephedrine and some asthma inhaler medications that contain stimulants can also be triggers that need to be addressed by your health care provider.
Medication
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There are medications that are specifically designed to help alter your heart rate. Calcium channel blockers and beta blockers work by slowing down the rate at which the heart beats. These drugs are effective in managing tachycardias. There are also anti-arrhythmic medications such as quinidine, pronestyl, cordarone which help by correcting heart rhythm disturbances. Slow heartbeats or bradycardias may be the result of hypothyroidism, which needs to be addressed. If this is not the case, you may need a pacemaker.
Defibrillators and Heart Surgery
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If you have a severe irregular rhythm that could be life threatening, your doctor may want to surgically implant a defibrillator or pacemaker These devices sense the onset of an irregular heart rhythm and can deliver an artificial jolt or electrical impulse to the heart to convert it back to normal rhythm.
In some patients, palpitations can be the result of damage to the heart or its valves. In this case, you may need to consider valve repair surgery or other procedures to correct the structural deformity.
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Resources
- Photo Credit http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/heartworks/heartbeat.aspx
