Wondering “What causes Heart Palpitation?” Then you are at the right place.
Heart palpitations are one of the most common complaints heard in both medical and emergency settings.
They can range from mild to severe and can be caused by various underlying conditions, including physiological or emotional triggers.
Knowing what causes heart palpitation is important as it helps to identify potential risk factors and allows you to take precautionary measures to reduce their occurrence.
In this article, we will look at the “11 common causes of heart palpitation” and provide tips on how to prevent them.
Overview of Heart Palpitation
Heart palpitations are feeling like your heart is pounding, fluttering, or beating irregularly, often for just a few seconds or minutes. There’s a chance you’ll have similar sensations in your neck or throat.
Heart palpitations are a sensation of feeling an excessively strong or irregular heartbeat. While they often come and go without any concerning health implications, they can be unsettling.
Causes of heart palpitation include anxiety, stress, dehydration, medications, caffeine consumption, pregnancy, low blood pressure, and more.
Heart palpitations are typically non-threatening and need no medical attention.
If you have heart palpitations along with other symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath, contact your doctor immediately as it could be a sign of a more serious condition.
So, now we hope you know, what is heart palpitation. Now, let’s see what causes heart palpitation?
What Causes Heart Palpitation?
Here we tried to list out all the important causes of heart palpitation. So, don’t forget to read till the end. We hope you like it.
Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most common causes of heart palpitation you can encountered. When you feel anxious, your heart rate increases and you may feel like your heart is racing or skipping a beat.
When you begin to feel anxiety, your body responds by releasing hormones such as adrenaline that can cause a faster and more forceful heartbeat (a.k.a. palpitations).
You may also feel short of breath, lightheaded, or dizzy. These symptoms can be frightening and may make you feel like something is wrong with your heart. However, in most cases, anxiety is not a sign of a heart problem.
Finding ways to reduce your stress levels can be beneficial for both your physical and mental well-being, which will help reduce your risk of experiencing this type of heart irregularity.
If you experience heart palpitations due to anxiety, it is important to seek help from a mental health professional.
They can provide treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), relaxation techniques, and medication if needed. Treatment can help you manage your anxiety and the physical symptoms that accompany it.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant and drinking too much can lead to palpitations. It can increase your heart rate and can causes an irregular heartbeat or heart palpitation.
Coffee, tea, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, chocolate, and even some medicines all contain caffeine. It’s important to be mindful of how much caffeine you’re consuming daily as it can affect your heart rate and cause palpitations.
If you are prone to heart palpitations, it is best to avoid or limit your caffeine intake.
If you find yourself experiencing palpitations after drinking caffeinated beverages regularly, try reducing your intake or replacing them with decaffeinated alternatives.
It is also important to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid dehydration, which can also cause heart palpitations.
Dehydration
When the body lacks adequate hydration, the heart must pump blood at a higher intensity. This can causes heart palpitation.
Dehydration can be caused by a variety of things, including heat exposure, exercise, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you’re dehydrated, drink plenty of fluids and see a doctor if your symptoms don’t improve.
In severe cases of dehydration, a doctor may need to replenish fluids with an IV.
Electrolyte Imbalance
Electrolyte imbalance is one of the most common causes of heart palpitation. When your body becomes dehydrated, it can lead to an electrolyte imbalance.
This can cause your heart to beat faster than normal, as it tries to maintain a normal balance. Electrolyte imbalances can also occur if you eat too many salty foods or if you consume too little potassium.
Electrolyte imbalance can cause the heart to beat irregularly and may even lead to cardiac arrest. It is important to stay hydrated, especially during hot weather or when you are exercising.
High amounts of caffeine and alcohol are known to cause electrolyte imbalances that may result in heart palpitation.
If you have an electrolyte imbalance, it is important to replenish your electrolytes with plenty of fluids and eat a balanced diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables.
Stay hydrated and put down the booze and coffee. Seek medical attention right once if you suspect dehydration.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is one of the most common causes of heart palpitation. There are many different types of heart disease, and each one can cause different symptoms. Some heart diseases can be cured, while others can only be managed.
Common types of heart disease include coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, and valvular heart disease.
Coronary artery disease is caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries that supply the heart with blood.
Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart becomes too weak to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
Arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat caused by electrical problems in the heart.
Valvular heart disease is caused by damage to or narrowing of the valves that control blood flow through the heart.
If you are experiencing palpitations, it is important to see your doctor for an evaluation so that they can determine if your symptoms are due to a heart condition or another medical issue.
Heart disease can often be prevented by making lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
If you have heart disease, it is important to work with your doctor to create a treatment plan that is right for you.
Medications
When it comes to heart palpitation, medications are one of the most common causes.
Many different types of medications cause heart palpitation, so it’s important to be aware of the potential side effects of any medications you’re taking.
Beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and antiarrhythmics are some of the most common types of medications that can cause heart palpitation. Other common medications include antianxiety drugs, antidepressants, and stimulants.
It’s important to speak to your doctor if you experience any type of irregular heartbeat or heart palpitations after starting a new medication, as this could be a sign of an adverse reaction.
If you’re experiencing heart palpitations, be sure to talk to your doctor about your medication list and see if any changes need to be made.
Pregnancy
There are many different causes of heart palpitation, but one of the most common is pregnancy. This is because the heart is working harder during pregnancy to pump blood to the growing baby.
Heart palpitations during pregnancy can be normal, especially in the first and third trimesters. However, if you experience frequent or severe heart palpitations, it is important to contact your doctor for a more thorough evaluation to rule out any underlying medical issues.
In some cases, further testing may be necessary to determine the cause of your symptoms. Palpitations can also be caused by anxiety and stress, which are common during pregnancy.
If you are pregnant and have heart palpitations, it is important to talk to your doctor to rule out any serious underlying conditions.
Stress
Stress is one of the most common causes of heart palpitation. It can come from many different sources, including work, relationships, and finances.
When you’re stressed, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, which can lead to an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure.
This can cause your heart to feel like it’s racing or skipping a beat.
If you’re constantly feeling stressed, it’s important to find ways to relax and manage your stress levels.
Many different relaxation techniques can help, such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises.
Thyroid Disease
Thyroid dysfunction or thyroid problem is one of the causes of heart palpitation.
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland that sits at the base of your neck. It produces hormones that regulate your metabolism, and when it’s not working properly, it can cause a variety of symptoms, including heart palpitations.
Thyroid disorders can either be overactive (hyperthyroidism) or underactive (hypothyroidism).
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid produces too much hormone, and symptoms include anxiety, weight loss, irritability, and heart palpitations.
Hyperthyroidism is one of the most common causes of heart palpitations, as it involves an overactive thyroid gland that produces too much of the hormone thyroxine in your body. This can cause your heart rate to speed up, resulting in palpitations.
Hypothyroidism happens when the thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormones, and symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, depression, and cold intolerance.
Treatment for thyroid disease usually involves medication to help regulate the hormone levels, but lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can also be beneficial.
If you think you might have thyroid disease, it’s important to see your doctor for a diagnosis. untreated thyroid disease can lead to serious health problems like heart failure or osteoporosis.
Anemia
Anemia is a condition that results from having an insufficient number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, resulting in an inadequate supply of oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues, which can causes heart palpitation.
Symptoms associated with anemia include constant fatigue, dizziness, irregular heartbeats, headaches, and more.
If you think you may have anemia, it’s important to talk to your doctor as soon as possible, as this condition can raise your risk of experiencing heartbeat irregularities such as heart palpitations.
Low Blood Pressure or Hypotension
Low blood pressure, also known as hypotension, can also causes heart palpitation.
If your blood pressure is low, the heart may try to compensate by working harder, which can cause it to beat erratically.
Low blood pressure can be caused by certain medications and/or underlying medical conditions such as anemia.
It’s important to speak with a doctor if you are experiencing symptoms of low blood pressure or heart palpitations so they can determine the best treatment plan for you.
Conclusion
Heart palpitations can be scary, and if you’re experiencing them, it’s important to know the possible causes. In this article, we covered nine of the most common causes of heart palpitations.
Some of these include stress and anxiety, an overactive thyroid gland, certain medications and drugs, electrolyte imbalance, and more.
If your heart palpitations last longer than a few minutes or are accompanied by chest pain or shortness of breath then it is best to seek medical attention right away.
Knowing the potential causes can help you better understand what might be causing your symptoms so that you can take steps to address them appropriately.
