Your heart may skip a beat for more than just love. Even though irregular heartbeats can be scary, they are usually safe. There are different reasons why they happen. What kinds are most common, and when should you worry?
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Palpitations
Your heartbeat usually keeps a steady rate. When you’re active, it beats faster, and when you’re resting, it beats slower. But many people have pulses, which are strange feelings in the chest. People usually say that their heart feels like it skipped a beat, is racing, or is pounding.
Peoples who wear smartwatches with heart rate monitors may be more aware of their normal heart rhythms. People with a resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute worry when it goes up to 90, but that’s still in the normal range.
Ectopic Beats
When the heart’s upper chambers (atria) or lower chambers (ventricles) contract a little earlier than usual, it can also feel like your heart skipped a beat.
During the next beat, the atria take a more extended break so the heart can return to its regular rhythm. The lower chambers of the heart, called ventricles, then squeeze hard to get rid of the extra blood that builds up during the pause. They can also get tighter than usual, making you feel like your heart stopped for a moment and then started again.
These early contractions are called ectopic beats and can feel like a harsh pounding. But it would be best if you didn’t worry about this. “I usually tell my patients that feeling these beats means their heart is healthy. A weak, sick heart can’t beat with much force, “Dr Buxton says.
AV block and bundle branch block
Your heart pumps because of electric impulses. They move through your heart’s right and left sides. But sometimes, the impulses move more slowly or strangely. This is called an AV block. There are different levels of AV block, some of which are harmless and some linked to dangerously slow heart rates.
A bundle branch block is another problem with the way electricity flows. This happens when the ventricles, which squeeze blood out of the heart and into the rest of the body, don’t work right. Most of the time, there aren’t any apparent signs of right bundle branch block. It can be seen on an ECG, and it may just be the heart’s conduction system getting older over time. But a right bundle branch block can also be caused by damage to the heart caused by a heart attack, inflammation or infection of the heart, or high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries.
A left bundle branch block can happen on its own, or several problems can cause it. The left bundle branch block can sometimes cause the left ventricle to work wrongly, which can sometimes be fixed by special pacemakers.
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the atria quiver out of sync. An electrical problem in the atria can cause it. This problem with the heart’s rhythm is often called afib. It can last for only a few minutes, days, or even longer. And while some people with afib feel like their chest is fluttering or have a fast, irregular heartbeat, others don’t have any symptoms.
Some smartwatches that can take a short ECG may be able to find afib. But Dr Buxton says they aren’t sensitive or specific enough to diagnose the problem accurately. “Sometimes the watch says you have afib when you don’t or that you don’t have afib when you do,” he says.
The heart rate monitor, on the other hand, could be helpful. Afib can cause the heart rate to go up to 170 beats per minute or higher in people younger than 65. But the heart rate usually doesn’t get that high in people in their 70s and 80s, who are more likely to have afib.
When should you be concerned about irregular heartbeats?
Most of the time, a heartbeat that races, flutters, or skips a beat is harmless. Even when palpitations are frequent and bothersome, which doesn’t happen very often, reassurance may be all that’s needed to help.
But you should contact your doctor if you notice other symptoms accompanying an unusual heartbeat, such as feeling.
- Chest pain
- Dizzy
- Lightheaded
- Tired
- Breathless
People told me they have a bundle branch block and may need to get ECGs regularly to check their health. They should also watch for signs like dizziness or fainting, which can happen if the blockage gets worse, occurs on both sides, or slows down the heart rate.
Read More: Family Medical History
