It is perfectly normal for your heart to race during a heavy workout or a stressful moment. However, for a small group of people, an electrical "short circuit" in the heart's upper chambers causes their pulse to skyrocket for no obvious reason—sometimes hitting 200 beats per minute.
This condition is known as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). While it sounds frightening, it usually isn't life-threatening. Dr. Paul Zei, a specialist at the Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital, notes that patients often describe it as a sudden fluttering or pounding in the chest. These episodes can occur unexpectedly, but they can also be triggered by stress, exercise, stimulants like caffeine, or even something as simple as bending over.
What exactly is PSVT?
Your heart’s rhythm is usually controlled by its natural pacemaker, the sinoatrial node. In PSVT, an "errant" electrical signal from above the ventricles takes over, forcing a series of rapid-fire beats. Because the heart is beating so fast, it doesn't have enough time to fill with blood between contractions. This can lead to a drop in blood flow to the rest of the body, causing lightheadedness, shortness of breath, or even fainting.
The timing of these episodes is unpredictable. Some people experience them daily, while others go years between bouts. The racing might last only a few seconds, though in rare cases, it can persist for days.
Why it is often misdiagnosed
PSVT is relatively rare, affecting about three in every 1,000 people. It strikes all ages, but half of those diagnosed are between 50 and 64, and women make up about two-thirds of cases.
Because the symptoms, racing heart and breathlessness, mimic anxiety, many primary care doctors misdiagnose it, particularly in female patients. To get an accurate diagnosis, a doctor needs an electrocardiogram (ECG) while the episode is actually happening. Since the racing often stops before a patient can get to a clinic, doctors usually suggest wearing a portable monitor for a few weeks or using a smartwatch with ECG capabilities to catch the rhythm in the act.
Managing an episode
If you feel your heart start to race, there are a few physical maneuvers that can stimulate the vagus nerve and reset your rhythm:
Coughing or gagging.
You can also try applying an ice-cold towel to your face.
The "modified Valsalva maneuver": Sit up and blow into a straw for 15 seconds, then lie flat and raise your legs to a 45-degree angle.
If these tricks don't work and the racing continues, a trip to urgent care is necessary for a corrective injection. (Note: The FDA recently approved a nasal spray, etripamil, as a new at-home treatment option).
A permanent "Cure"
For those tired of dealing with frequent episodes, a procedure called catheter ablation is often the best solution. Performed under mild sedation, a doctor threads a tiny tube to the heart and uses radiofrequency energy to "zap" the small piece of tissue responsible for the rogue signals.
"It’s one of the few cardiac procedures where we can almost always tell patients they’ve been cured," says Dr. Zei. With a 98% success rate, it offers a permanent fix for a problem that can otherwise feel like a ticking clock.
Photo by Yasser Hernandez from Pexels
Good report. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIf you have even small problem with heart please go to cardiologist. Its for You safety.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness I am not prone to these things.
ReplyDelete