WATCH OUT FOR PALPITATIONS!
Feeling palpitations does not always mean a person has a heart rhythm disorder or heart disease. This condition, which strains the heart muscle and weakens the heart, is generally caused by coronary artery disease, heart valve disorders or heart failure. Hypertension and congenital problems are other causes of rhythm irregularities.
Under normal conditions, healthy individuals do not feel their heartbeat when they are not exerting themselves or under emotional stress. Our heart normally beats in a regular pattern. Our heart rate averages 60–100 beats per minute. During sleep or rest, the heart rate may drop below 60 beats per minute. When a person exerts themselves or feels excited, the heartbeat may become faster and stronger and is usually felt. However, feeling palpitations without any excitement may be a sign of a heart rhythm disorder.
An accurate diagnosis of a heart rhythm disorder is important, because a patient who has palpitations from time to time during the day or at night often has none when visiting the doctor, so the arrhythmia cannot be captured. In most such cases, a 24-hour rhythm Holter monitor attached to the patient is very important for diagnosis, as it records the patient's ECG throughout the day. Possible causes of palpitations, such as anemia, thyroid diseases, hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart failure, congenital heart diseases and others, should also be investigated with blood tests and examinations such as echocardiography. Treatment is often medication targeting the cause, or one or more of the following may be chosen: coronary angiography, electrophysiological study, or ablation, in which arrhythmias are treated by burning or freezing the tissue responsible for the abnormal electrical signals.
Other Conditions Diagnosed and Treated in Our Cardiology Clinic:
- Chest pain (coronary artery disease and bypass patients)
- Treatment of patients with palpitations, rhythm disorders or a pacemaker
- Rheumatic heart diseases
- Heart failure
- Heart valve diseases
- Pericardial diseases
- Aortic diseases
- Pacemaker checks
The information on our website is not intended to direct individuals to any treatment. Do not take any diagnostic or treatment steps without consulting your doctor. The content does not contain information about İzmir Can Hastanesi's therapeutic healthcare services.
