Have A Racing Heart?
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Your heart beats from 60 to 100 beats a minute; that’s between 86,400 and 144,00 beats a day. If your heart beats more than 100 times per minute, it’s known as tachycardia. It might sound serious, but it’s unlikely to be a sign of a heart attack. Here are some possible reasons your heart is racing.
Stress
Stress triggers the release of hormones like adrenaline or cortisol, and they drive up heart rate and blood pressure, which results in an elevated pulse. This is a normal response to stress and resolves itself when you deal with the stress.
Pain
Acute pain triggers a stress response that can lead to increased blood pressure, faster heart rate, dilated pupils, and higher blood levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Treating the underlying cause should return the heart to its normal rate.
Dehydration
When you are dehydrated, what’s known as your effective blood volume decreases, which can lower blood pressure, and in some instances, raise it. Either way, it can increase the strain on your heart as the muscle tries to compensate.
Anxiety
Anxiety increases stress hormones that increase heart rate and blood pressure. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting an estimated 40 million adults.
Stimulants
Stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and medicines for ADHD can also increase blood pressure and give you a racing heart. If these are triggers for you, stick to a healthy diet and limit your intake of caffeine.
Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep increases stress hormones, which drive up your heart rate and blood pressure. It is recommended that adults should get seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, a woman’s heart is under increased demands due to the needs of the fetus. By the end of pregnancy, the uterus is receiving one-fifth of a mother’s blood supply, and the amount of blood pumped by the heart increases by 30 to 50 percent.
Cold or fever
If you have signs of a cold or flu, like a high temperature, sneezing, and coughing, your heart rate may increase. This is because your body needs to work harder than usual to fight the infection.
Thyroid issues
Your thyroid gland pumps out a variety of hormones that control and direct your major organs. Insufficient thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) can slow your heart rate, while excess thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism) increase your heart rate.
This article is for general information purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your physician if you experience any symptoms related to this article.
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Clearwater – (727) 726-1962
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