You should call your doctor if the following occurs. “People forget the electricity affects the physical part of the heart,” Darby says. Introducing stress, anxiety, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol or other stimulants into your blood system has the ability to interfere with the electric flow at any place on your heart: This causes heart flutter.Īnd this is why you might have a twinge of pain along with a palpitation: The electricity charges through your heart’s muscle fibers. At the top of the heart lives the pacemaker, a spot that sends electrical discharges through the wires in the heart, telling it when to beat.īut any area in the electrical system or in the heart tissue itself can generate an electrical discharge. Electricity flows through your heart constantly, maintaining your heart’s rhythm. “For most people, having a single, extra heartbeat that feels like a brief, intense skip can be normal and benign.” What Causes Heart Flutter (the Normal Kind) It just so happens that some people have “premature beats, also called premature atrial contractions or premature ventricular contractions,” Darby explains. Heart palpitations (a generic, not medical, term) that last a second or two and happen infrequently should not cause you to worry. I asked expert cardiologist, Andrew Darby, MD, to clarify the difference. The culprit spurring my heart to canter: stress.īut that doesn’t mean abnormal heart rhythms never indicate a problem. The EKG she gave me revealed that my heart was fine. Several years ago, when my heart started beating so loudly I couldn’t sleep, I ran to the doctor. Has your heart ever skipped a beat or hammered loudly against your chest? And has this made you wonder what causes heart flutter? Worry that your racing heart means something is terribly wrong? How do you know when to ignore something and when to get to the doctor ASAP? We break down what’s normal and what’s not in this occasional series. Aspirin can interact with other medications and should be taken only when advised by a medical professional.Abnormal heart tissue (red) and normal heart tissue (purple) of the upper left atrium, caused by afib. Take aspirin, but only if prescribed by your doctor. ![]() Take nitroglycerin, if prescribed by your doctor.If You Believe You Are Having a Heart Attack, Do Not Wait to Get HelpĬall 911 or have someone take you to the nearest hospital emergency room. Shortness of breath, even when no physical activity has been performed.Nausea, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain.Pressure, tightness, or pain in the chest.If you haven’t done anything physical to trigger that back pain, and you’re also feeling anxious or very tired along with the pain, that may mean you are experiencing a heart attack. ![]() ![]() Sometimes people who have no risk factors and are otherwise considered healthy can have heart attacks. If you smoke or have diabetes, your chances of having a heart attack increase. The best guide is to know your personal baseline and understand your risk factors. It is important to be checked if you have any unusual symptoms, have risk factors for heart attack, or have a combination of symptoms that might suggest a problem. ![]() Plus, many people disregard symptoms as something minor. Not all heart attacks are alike, and not all people have the same severity of symptoms. Heart attack-related back, neck, or jaw pain is also more diffuse, so it’s difficult to pinpoint its exact location.Ī woman’s heart attack isn’t like a man’sĭon’t ignore heart attack or stroke symptoms: Louisville-area emergency rooms are prepared While the heart may be starving for oxygen, the nerves connecting the heart to the brain also merge with those connecting the head and neck, so the signals get misinterpreted. Why would discomfort in the back be a clue to a heart attack? The answer is “referred pain.” This is when the brain is confused about the origin of the pain. (502) 891-8300 What Does Upper Back Pain Have to Do With a Heart Attack? Norton Heart & Vascular Institute specialists treat more people for heart and vascular care - about 250,000 every year - than any other provider in Louisville and Southern Indiana.
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