Heart Palpitations, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

By Kenneth Kee

This book describes Heart Palpitations, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

Heart Palpitations are feelings or sensations that the heart is rapidly pounding or racing.

The palpitations can be sensed in the chest, throat or neck.

These sensations have been felt by every human at one time or another.

People young and old may feel their heart thumping away as they watch a frightening movie and comes into contact with something fearful.

There may be strong emotional responses such as:
1. Stress,
2. Anxiety or
3. Panic attacks
4. Somatization disorders
5. Depression
6. Fear
7. Nightmares

Even excessive stimulants to heart rate in food or medicines can cause heart palpitations such as:
1. Strenuous exercise
2. Stimulants, including nicotine (smoking), cocaine, heroin, amphetamines
3. Cold and cough medicines that contain pseudoephedrine
4. Certain medicines such as those used to treat asthma, high blood pressure, or heart problems
5. Caffeine: cola, coffee, tea, Red Bull
6. Diet pills
7. Excess alcohol use

There may be Systemic Disorders such as:
1. Fever
2. Hormone changes associated with menstruation, pregnancy or menopause
3. Too much or to little thyroid hormone
4. Postural orthostatic hypotension syndrome.
5. Pheochromocytoma
6. Hypovolemia (Shock)
7. Dehydration
8. Electrolyte abnormalities (Abnormal blood level of potassium)
9. Low blood sugar
10. Anemia
11. Low levels of oxygen or carbon dioxide in the blood
12. Blood loss

Of course heart palpitations also occur in structural heart disease such as:
1. Valvular pathology: mitral valve prolapse, aortic or mitral regurgitation, mechanical valves.
2. Cardiomegaly or hyper-trophic cardiomyopathy
3. Congestive heart failure
4. Congenital heart disease
5. Ischemic heart Disease

Heart palpitations occur also in abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) such as:
1. Very fast heart rate (tachycardia, fibrillations)
2. Abnormally slow heart rate (bradycardia, heart block)
3. Extra-systoles (ventricular or supra-ventricular)
4. Irregular heart rhythm (Wolff Parkinson White syndrome)

Heart Palpitations is a symptom that depicts the sensation that happens when a person can feel an abnormality in the normal beating and rhythm of the heart.

These palpitations may be a one-off extra beat or they can happen together and persist for prolonged periods of time.

The heart's rhythm can be normal or unusual when the patient has palpitations.

The heart beats normally 60 to 100 times per minute.

The heart rate may fall below 60 beats per minute in people who exercise regularly or take medicines that decrease the heart rate.

When the heart rate is fast (over 100 beats per minute), this is termed tachycardia.

A heart rate that is slower than 60 is termed bradycardia.

An occasional extra heartbeat is termed as extra systole.

These disorders make the patient more likely to have an abnormal heart rhythm:
1. Known heart disease
2. Significant risk factors for heart disease
3. An abnormal heart valve
4. An electrolyte abnormality in the blood such as a low potassium

Examination of the heart and an ECG will always help in the evaluation of palpitations when they are present.

Other tests such as holter monitor, echocardiogram, electrophysiology study are important to determine the heart’s electrical function.

Unless the doctor determines that the patient have a heart disorder, heart palpitations have seldom need treatment.

If the cause is stress experienced by many in this Covid-19 era, a tranquilizer and reassurance will help.

A beta blocker may be given in people with a fast heart beat.

Treatment of the underlying cause will resolve the palpitations.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Hear

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenneth Kee
• Release date: Jun 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463704875

Kenneth Kee

Medical doctor since 1972.Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009.Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993.Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 74However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours inthe afternoon.He first started writing free blogs on medical disorders seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com.His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiography account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.comThis autobiography account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com.From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 1000 eBooks.He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books.He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures.Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.The later books go into more details of medical disorders.He has published 1000 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter.The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health disorders and not meant as textbooks.He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke.His clinic is now relocated to the Buona Vista Community Centre.The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall.He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) startingwith the Apple computer and going to PC.The entire PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core.The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive.He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance.His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner.The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned.This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale.Dr Kee is the author of:"A Family Doctor's Tale""Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine""Case Notes From A Family Doctor"

Book preview

Heart Palpitations,

A

Simple

Guide

To

The Condition,

Diagnosis,

Treatment

And

Related Conditions

By

Dr Kenneth Kee

M.B.,B.S. (Singapore)

Ph.D (Healthcare Administration)

Copyright Kenneth Kee 2020 Smashwords edition

Published by Kenneth Kee at Smashwords.com

Dedication

This book is dedicated

To my wife Dorothy

And my children

Carolyn, Grace

And Kelvin

This book describes Heart Palpitations, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases which is seen in some of my patients in my Family Clinic.

(What You Need to Treat Heart Palpitations)

This e-Book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader.

If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Introduction

I have been writing medical articles for my blog: http://kennethkee.blogspot.com (A Simple Guide to Medical Disorder) for the benefit of my patients since 2007.

My purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of my patients.

Health Education was also my dissertation for my Ph.D (Healthcare Administration).

I then wrote an autobiography account of my journey as a medical student to family doctor on my other blog: http://afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com.

This autobiography account A Family Doctor’s Tale was combined with my early A Simple Guide to Medical Disorders into a new Wordpress Blog A Family Doctor’s Tale on http://kenkee481.wordpress.com.

From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 800 eBooks.

Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple.

For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients.

The later books go into more details of medical disorders.

The first chapter is always from my earlier blogs which unfortunately tends to have typos and spelling mistakes.

Since 2013, I have tried to improve my spelling and writing.

As I tried to bring the patient the latest information about a disorder or illness by reading the latest journals both online and offline, I find that I am learning more and improving on my own medical knowledge in diagnosis and treatment for my patients.

My diagnosis and treatment capability has improved tremendously from my continued education.

Just by writing all these simple guides I find that I have learned a lot from your reviews (good or bad), criticism and advice.

I am sorry for the repetitions in these simple guides as the second chapters onwards have new information as compared to my first chapter taken from my blog.

I also find repetition definitely help me and maybe some readers to remember the facts in the books more easily.

I apologize if these repetitions are irritating to some readers.

Chapter 1

Heart palpitations

What are Heart Palpitations?

Heart Palpitations are feelings or sensations that the heart is rapidly pounding or racing.

The palpitations can be sensed in the chest, throat or neck.

Heart Palpitations is a symptom that depicts the sensation that happens when a person can feel an abnormality in the normal beating and rhythm of the heart.

These palpitations may be a one-off extra beat or they can happen together and persist for prolonged periods of time.

The patient may:

1. Have an unpleasant awareness of the heartbeat

2. Feel like the heart skipped or stopped beats

The heart's rhythm can be normal or unusual when the patient has palpitations.

The heart beats normally 60 to 100 times per minute.

The heart rate may fall below 60 beats per minute in people who exercise regularly or take medicines that decrease the heart rate.

When the heart rate is fast (over 100 beats per minute), this is termed tachycardia.

A heart rate that is slower than 60 is termed bradycardia.

An occasional extra heartbeat is termed as extra systole.

Heart Palpitations are not dangerous most of the time.

Sensations indicating an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) may be more dangerous.

These following disorders make the patient more likely to have an abnormal heart rhythm:

1. Known heart disease at the time the palpitations begin

2. Significant risk factors for heart disease

3. An abnormal heart valve

4. An electrolyte abnormality in the blood such as a low potassium level

What are the causes of Heart Palpitations?

Causes

Often the cause of the heart palpitations can not be detected.

Frequent causes are:

A. Strong emotional responses such as:

1. Stress,

2. Anxiety or

3. Panic attacks

4. Somatization disorders

5. Depression

6. Fear

7. Sleep apnea

8. Lack of sleep and nightmares

B. Systemic Disorders such as:

1. Fever

2. Hormone changes associated with menstruation, pregnancy or menopause

3. Too much or to little thyroid hormone

4. Postural orthostatic hypotension syndrome.

5. Pheochromocytoma