What Causes Heart Palpitations?
What Causes Heart Palpitations?
Common causes of heart palpitations or that feeling of the heart skipping a beat
Except for any noted source material, content copyright, Neva. J. Howell, all rights reserved
As a perimenopausal woman, I am experiencing heart palpitations. I do not have hot flashes now or that “racing heartbeat” that some women going through menopause go through but I do have that “heart just skipped a beat” thing going on and, quite frankly, it’s a little scary.
I didn’t realize menopause could cause heart palpitations but, apparently, it’s quite a common menopausal symptom and is caused by hormone fluctuations, which can happen very suddenly in the menopausal woman. However, I also learned that this condition can occur during menustration and during pregnancy as well, so any time a woman’s body is going through hormonal changes it appears that heart palpitations may happen as well.
Other causes of heart palpitations can be ingesting too many stimulants like caffeine or diet pills, or drinking too much alcohol.
Someone with panic disorder or anxiety disorder can experience heart palpitations as a result of stress, fear or anxiety.
Certain heart conditions, including mitral valve prolapse can cause heart palpitations as well.
Of course, most illegal drugs can affect the heart adversely including causing rapid heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, arrythmia, etc.
Additional considerations if you are having heart palpitations: Smoking, stress and certain medications (talk with your doctor about any you are taking if you develop heart palpitations).
You should also rule out thyroid problems that can sometimes create heart palpitations as well as ruling out anemia.
Hyperventilation can bring them on as well, as can exercising too long or too intensely for your current level of endurance.
Proper diagnosis to rule out heart disease or other heart problems can be indicated but, in my case, I really feel it’s menopausal and caffiene-related along with stress in some cases. What I’ve learned about myself is that it doesn’t really matter if it’s what I would call good stress or the type of stress that is induced by worry, fear, or struggle.
I am just as apt to get these heart palpitations after a wonderful, fun but very tiring day of shopping, eating out and visiting with my friends as I am to get them out of any anxious state. The key for me is to not overdo the caffiene, to take frequent breaks during very busy days and most of all, to be sure I drink enough water and eat enough protein.
February 2nd, 2008 at 08:36
Don’t forget adrenal fatigue, as this can cause palpitations and/or the heart to go into tacchycardic states. I experience this for several months and it took several doctors before I was diagnosed. Apparently, adrenal fatigue is not a recognized disease to Western medicine doctors. What a mistake.
February 3rd, 2008 at 02:08
Thanks so much Lindy. Yes, I am sure mine is a partial list and I so appreciate others adding in their own wisdom. It’s kinda what I dreamed this site would be about….all of us adding our piece to this puzzle of illness and creating a picture that would help us all achieve better health.
I will do some research on adrenal fatique as that is a new term for me. I have studied adrenal exhaustion before but it’s been so long…..I did not remember heart palpitations being a symptom so thanks, again, for adding that information and I hope you’ll visit often.
Neva
February 3rd, 2008 at 04:39
ps. In reading a little bit about adrenal problems, including adrenal fatique and also adrenal exhaustion, or hypoadrenia, it quickly becomes apparent that there are a lot of different symptoms of this particular health challenge. It’s troubling to me that adrenal fatique is not accepted as a medical condition from the medical community but if you look at how long it took them to recognize fibromyalgia as a true health challenge, I guess it fits a sort of pattern.
Among the symptoms I found listed on various websites (by the way, Lindy, none have listed heart palpitations yet but I just started looking tonight) are:
Joint Pain
IBS
Nerves and Anxiety Problems
Cravings for Carbs
Muscle Pains and Aches
Fatique (of course)
A lot of people who have hypoadrenia report an overall “just not feeling well” sense.
There’s also some info on the link between diabetes and adrenal fatique. One site I visited stared that adrenal fatique could contribute to the development of adult onset diabetes: http://www.suffernomore.com/Pain/AdrenalFatigue.htm
For more on diabetes, I have a list of articles on my site and will probably, in the future, be adding one on adrenal fatique too. http://www.askahealer.com/diabetes.html
September 6th, 2008 at 04:19
Update….since this post and the comments added, I did indeed research adrenal fatique. Have 3pages on the site about that now:
http://www.askahealer.com/adrenal-insufficiency.htm
General info on adrenal fatique
http://www.askahealer.com/adrenal-fatigue-diet.htm
Dietary guidelines for folks with adrenal insufficiency
and
http://www.askahealer.com/adrenal-fatigue-treatments.htm
Information about medical and alternative medicine approaches to treating this health challenge