![]() These “butterflies” are usually nothing to worry about when they happen now and then, and usually last a few seconds at most. Your heart “skipping a beat.” We’ve all had the feeling that our heart skipped a beat. I generally break them down into three categories: 1. Which arrhythmias require medical attention?Īs I mentioned before, there are different types of arrhythmias, and not all of them require a doctor’s care. Risk factors for arrhythmias depend on the type of arrhythmia but may include aging, having high blood pressure, being overweight, smoking, drinking too much alcohol, having other diseases or conditions that weaken the heart, or a family history of arrhythmia. In my practice, I see patients of all ages with arrhythmias - from teens to people in their 100s. In some cases, people are born with heart defects that may show up as arrhythmias. Their arrhythmias may have been found incidentally during testing for other medical conditions. However, some of my patients with arrhythmias have few or no symptoms. A pounding or fluttering sensation in their chest (known as palpitations).Many experience some of the following symptoms: When this impulse misbehaves or is disrupted, it can cause an arrhythmia, which affects how well your heart pumps blood to your body. This node is sometimes called the heart’s natural pacemaker. The electrical impulse that “kick-starts” each heartbeat comes from the sinoatrial (SA) node. What is a heart arrhythmia?Ī heart arrhythmia occurs when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. ![]() I think it’s helpful to first understand the basics of arrhythmias. While that was an extreme arrhythmia case, I tell my patients it’s important to have some insight into which arrhythmias are nothing to worry about, versus those that might need treatment or close monitoring. Thankfully, Eriksen’s life was saved, and he ultimately received the care he needed, including a surgical placement of a cardiac defibrillator, to help manage his condition. Others can be serious or potentially life-threatening if left untreated, as was the case with Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during a match in the summer of 2021. Some kinds of heart arrhythmias are harmless. You Might Be Autistic if You Have These Thoughtsġ0 Autistic Signs in My Childhood that Got MissedĪutism Knows No Limits for These Mountain Hiking TwinsĪutistic Special Interest vs.As a cardiac electrophysiologist - a physician who deals with the electrical system that controls the heart’s rhythm - I work with a lot of patients who are experiencing irregular heartbeats, also called heart arrhythmias. Is a Blood Pressure Reading of 140 over 85 Bad? What Causes High Blood Pressure in Skinny Adults? How to Overcome Obsessing About Your Blood Pressure Readings She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.ġ10 Over 60 Blood Pressure: Can this Ever Mean Trouble? Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. ![]() Hedgepeth also serves as a physician in the cardiovascular division and arrhythmia service at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, plus is an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Think of your arteries as conduits, kind of like if you were to place your hand on a metal water pipe inside your bedroom wall and feel it vibrating, but the source of the vibrating is a water generator down the street. In summary, there is nothing to be alarmed about if you feel your pulse anywhere or “everywhere” on your body. ![]() “This ‘heavy’ beat can often be felt in the temple, head or neck.” “Many patients feel a skipped and ‘heavy’ beat because the heart is ejecting significantly more blood volume. “PVCs are commonly associated with this sensation, as they cause a premature firing of the heart’s electrical system. “Patients frequently describe feeling their palpitations in different parts of the body,” says Dr. The aorta is the body’s largest blood vessel, originating from the heart and extending down the abdomen where it eventually branches off into the femoral arteries that supply the legs with oxygenated blood. “Normal pulses can also be felt in the wrist (radial artery), temple (temporal artery) and even the stomach with deep palpation (aorta).” Pulses can be felt in the large arteries of the neck (carotid artery) and leg (femoral artery). “Importantly, all the arteries in the heart conduct the pulse wave started in the heart. Hedgepeth, III, MD, PhD, Executive Chief of Cardiology at Care New England. “Feeling of the pulse at different locations in the body can be completely normal,” says Chester M. ![]()
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