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Palpitations

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When you experience heart palpitations, you can feel frightened and disoriented. What is going on?

Palpitations They can feel like fluttering, and many people have them occasionally, while the symptoms are frightening and can cause dizziness, most of the time they are not life-threatening.  and they may not be worrisome. They can be brought on by stress, anxiety, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, recreational drugs, energy drinks, certain medications, electrolyte imbalances, or hormonal changes.

 

Sometimes, heart palpitations can be a sign of a more serious arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeats) that could indicate other issues that need to be checked out. CVG’s board-certified cardiologists care for your heart by providing the latest cardiac testing and treatment technology. We can conduct simple non-invasive tests so a heart doctor can to discover if your palpitations are serious or don’t require treatment dangerous or innocent.

 

You may also wish to discuss lifestyle changes with your doctor, such as reducing stress, reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, quitting smoking, and practicing relaxation techniques. These can improve lifestyle changes improve your health and often reduce the frequency of the palpitations.  give you a positive foundation to build.

 

Your CVG cardiologist is your wellness partner. Read on to learn more about heart palpitations and the tests and treatments we offer. Learn how CVG provides the best heart care to thousands of people in Atlanta.

Heart Palpitations Can Indicate More Serious Heart Issues.

Heart palpitations, though usually harmless, can be a sign of a serious heart condition. If you experience these palpitations, it’s best to be checked out by a doctor.

Risk Factors For Heart Palpitations

There are several health conditions, along with your lifestyle, age, and family history that can increase your risk for heart palpitations. There are many cardiac which can increase your risk of heart palpitations.

 

It’s important to lower your risk by monitoring the factors you can control, such as smoking, physical activity, poor diet, and overconsumption of alcohol. Health conditions that can also be monitored include stress, anxiety disorder, and hyperthyroidism. It’s also best to avoid medicines that contain stimulants.

Causes Of Heart Palpitations

Heart palpitations can be caused by a variety of factors, and will typically go away on their own. They can be caused due to stress and anxiety, or overconsumption of caffeine, nicotine, energy drinks, or alcohol. They can also occur during pregnancy. A common reason for heart palpitations is experiencing a panic attack, as this will cause the body to work against itself due to high anxiety.  Panic attacks can often trigger palpitation

 

Vigorous physical activity is also a contributing factor. There are certain medical conditions diseases unrelated to the heart disease that can also trigger heart palpitations, such as thyroid disease, low blood sugar, anemia, low blood pressure, fever, and dehydration. Some medications, such as diet pills, decongestants, and asthma inhalers can also be a cause.

 

If heart palpitations are an indicator of a more serious heart problem, they can be due to previous heart attacks (also known as myocardial infarctions), coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, heart valve problems, or heart muscle problems. It’s important to see your doctor when experiencing heart palpitations to determine the cause and see if any treatment is required.

How To Test Palpitation Causes

There are multiple tests available that your doctor may conduct order to determine the cause of your heart palpitations.

An electocardiogram (EKG) may be performed to determine the issue. During a resting EKG, you’ll lie flat while a computer records your electrical impulses as they move through your heart, and this will create a picture of the electrical activity. A stress test can also be conducted, where the same test is administered to check your heart rate while you records the EKG during exercise.

A holter monitor is a portable/wearable EKG that monitors the electrical activity of your heart 24/7 over the course of 1 to 2 days. patch, like a thick band-aid,  that records all the hearts electrical activity for 24-48 hours.  This test may be suggested if your doctor suspects that you have an irregular heart rhythm or heart palpitations, or low blood flow to the heart. During this test, you can go about your daily routine even exercise and showering. You’ll record You document your activities and any symptoms you noticed during this time.

An event monitor is a less intensive test that is used for occasional symptoms. This device has a button you can press whenever you notice symptoms, which will record your heart’s electrical activity for a few minutes. Because of the low frequency involved with this test, you may need to wear the device for weeks or even months. is similar to a holter monitor but only records when the patient experiences symptoms and pushes a recording button.  Because the recording is only intermittent, an event monitor may be worn for up to 30 days. 

 

A chest X-ray may also be recommended, as this will check for changes in your lungs that may be due to other heart problems. If your doctor finds fluid in your lungs, it may be a sign of heart failure.

 

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of your heart that may be conducted, as this shows detailed information about your heart’s structure and function. ordered to look for enlargement in the heart chambers or valve abnormalities  that can trigger abnormal beats. 

Treatment For Heart Palpitations

If your heart palpitations go away Palpitations frequently resolve of their own accord, they are considered harmless and will do not require any treatment. If your doctor cannot find a cause, the first step is to avoid things that may trigger the palpitations. This can include easing anxiety and stress, lifestyle changes such as a healthier diet or cutting out substances such as alcohol, caffeine or nicotine, and avoiding certain medications.

 

If these changes don’t relieve the problem, your doctor may prescribe you medications such as beta-blockers or calcium-channel blockers. However, if your doctor does find a the cause for of your heart palpitations, they will focus on treating that cause to alleviate the symptoms. This may include procedures surgery, other or medications, or cardiac rehabilitation.

Symptoms Of Heart Palpitations

Heart palpitations can present as the heart beating too fast, pounding, or skipping beats. It may be a sign of a more serious issue if these symptoms occur along with chest pain, fainting, shortness of breath, or intense dizziness. Palpitations caused by a heart condition can lead to cardiac arrest, stroke, or even heart failure. Call 911 immediately if you experience multiple symptoms.

 

Palpitations can be caused by heartbeat problems in the hearts electrical system, known as arrythmias, which   Some arrhythmias can cause the heart to stop beating effectively and is are potentially life-threatening. If palpitations lead to atrial fibrillation, this can cause blood clots which can limit the amount of blood to the heart and brain, to form, possibly causing a stroke. Palpitations can reduce the heart’s pumping ability, which if it goes on too long, can turn into heart failure.

Why Choose CVG?

In addition to heart palpitation testing and treatments, you’ll find that our cardiologists offer genuine compassion. They understand that heart issues can cause anxiety, and they will be your ally throughout your healthcare journey.

 

Heart palpitations are one condition we treat; we can also help you with various other issues. Our team is highly capable and prepared to treat all heart conditions, including heart disease and AFib. CVG’s doctors are experts in performing various heart operations, cardiac procedures including cardiac catheterization. Our doctors serve the entire Atlanta metropolitan area and surrounding communities, so you’ll always be able to find care close to home at our eleven locations. Whichever CVG location you choose, from Lawrenceville to Buford to Loganville and more, you’ll be treated by highly skilled professionals who care about your heart health.

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Invasive therapies may also be used to treat an abnormal heart rhythm, such as electrical cardioversion which sends electrical impulses through your chest wall and allows normal heart rhythm to restart, or catheter ablation which disconnects the pathway of the abnormal rhythm. If your doctor determines that electrical devices are the best course of action, you may be given a permanent pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or biventricular (B-V) pacemakers and defibrillators.

How CVG Can Help

CVG offers a variety of services that can check and treat abnormal heart rhythms. At CVG, we perform stress tests that will observe blood flow and test for atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias. There are three types of stress tests that we perform:

 

A treadmill test is a test in which you will walk on a treadmill that gets faster and steeper every 3 minutes. This will stress your heart so that our nurse or doctor can determine your EKG and blood pressure.

 

An echo test is performed before and after your treadmill test to determine how well your heart pumps blood.

 

A nuclear stress test is a treadmill test that is prefaced by an injection of medicine that shows the flow of blood to your heart.

 

We also offer cardiac catheterization, in which a catheter is inserted into the heart in order to take pictures and conduct tests. This procedure allows doctors to gain more information about your condition and suggest treatment options.

 

If these tests determine a problem, we offer treatment solutions to fix several conditions. Learn more about our services here, or schedule an appointment to talk to our doctors.

Loactions That Treat Arrhythmias

Office Buford

4745 Nelson Brogdon Blvd. Suite 300 Sugar Hill, Georgia 30518

Office Duluth

3855 Pleasant Hill Road Suite 250 Duluth, Georgia

Office Dacula

2108 Teron Trace Suite 100, Dacula, Georgia

Office Grayson

1132 Athens Highway Suite 207 Grayson, Georgia

Office Snellville

1608 Tree Lane, Building C Snellville, GA

Office Suwanee

1120 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard Suite 208 & 209 Suwanee, Georgia