Anxiety? Caffeine? More serious?
Running the last few minutes of a race, preparing for a major presentation, or watching “Stranger Things” in the dark may make your heart race. Daily living shouldn’t raise your heart rate. Your heart’s rhythm is controlled by a finely calibrated mechanism. It’s natural to worry when your heart rate suddenly speeds up.
First, How Do Experts Typically Define A “Healthy” Heart Rate?
According to the US National Library of Medicine, most individuals have a “normal” resting heart rate of 60–100 beats per minute. Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to important organs at these speeds. Runners may have lower resting heart rates (sometimes as low as 40 beats per minute).
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According to the Mayo Clinic, cardiovascular activity helps your heart pump more blood at a slower pace. A resting heart rate of 100 or less (if you’re not an athlete) may indicate a health concern.
What Are The Most Common Causes Of A Fast Heart Rate?
Feeling Very Stressed
Let’s face it—you’re probably stressed with everything going on around the globe. Camille Frazier-Mills, MD, a Duke Electrophysiology Clinic cardiologist, tells SELF that stress releases adrenaline or norepinephrine. This trigger increases heart rate through cardiac receptors.
Deep breathing exercises might help you feel better in the present if you can’t quickly remedy what’s stressing you. The Mayo Clinic recommends inhaling and exhaling through your nose to feel your stomach rise instead of your chest. Focus on your breath and the abdominal rise and fall throughout.
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RELATED: Are Heart Rate and Blood Pressure the Same? No, Here’s Why.
Had A Lot Of Caffeine
Overdoing caffeine might raise your heart rate. “Several patients come to see me with a raised heart rate, then they tell me they consume many highly caffeinated drinks daily,” Dr. Mills-Frazier explains. “They’re revving.” If you’re caffeine-sensitive, even modest doses may cause this.
According to the FDA, adults may safely consume 400 mg of caffeine per day or four to five cups of coffee. Since caffeine sensitivity and metabolism vary, it may seem like a lot. Pregnancy and several drugs might make you more sensitive to caffeine. If you want to avoid caffeine withdrawal symptoms, consider cutting down on caffeine gradually to see if it slows your heart rate. If that fails, call your doctor.
Smoking
A 2015 Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics research found that smokers—tobacco, cannabis, and marijuana—have greater resting heart rates than nonsmokers. Smoking may raise heart rate and cause cardiovascular issues, including heart attacks, but experts don’t know why.
Cold- Or Flu-like Symptoms, Like A Fever
If you have a fever, coughing, and sneezing, a viral disease may be the cause of your racing heart. Dr. Mills-Frazier believes your heart beats quicker to battle illness and maintain equilibrium.
Taking Some Kind Of Medication That Affects Your Heart
Decongestants aren’t the only drugs that can keep your heart rate up. Dr. Shephal Doshi explains that several drugs raise adrenaline and induce heart palpitations. “Whether it’s related to osteoporosis, allergies, ADHD, or another condition, a lot of medications will increase circulating adrenaline and cause someone to feel like their heart is racing,” he says. Your medicines and medical history may cause a speeding heart. Only a doctor knows.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Sleep resets. Sleeping allows your heart to calm down. Without a recovery period, adrenaline levels might rise over the day. Daytime adrenaline may raise your heart rate. The National Sleep Foundation suggests individuals sleep seven to nine hours every night.
An Anxiety Disorder
Panic attacks cause abrupt, paralyzing dread. During a panic attack, your heart may race. It might be stressful to feel like you can’t breathe, have chest aches, sweat excessively, or even die. The APA defines the panic disorder as recurring, abrupt episodes that alarm you.
Don’t hide panic attacks. You start producing more adrenaline, and it becomes a vicious cycle. It may be hard to tell whether a fast heartbeat causes a panic attack or vice versa. Talk to a primary care doctor or therapist to find out which therapy can help you prevent these terrifying occurrences.
Pregnancy
Your pounding heart is an early pregnancy symptom, so get a test. People don’t usually notice a beating heart as a pregnancy indication. We imply that while your body changes throughout pregnancy, your heart rate may rise. Pregnancy is a physical and emotional roller coaster. Your blood volume increases to support the developing fetus. Your heart needs to work harder to pump out that additional blood, occasionally raising your heart rate. This is typical, but if you’re worried or simply feel off, see your ob-gyn.
Your Thyroid Is In Overdrive
The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland at the base of your neck generates hormones, including thyroxine and triiodothyronine, which impact many physiological systems, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hyperthyroidism causes the thyroid to overproduce thyroxine, which speeds up metabolism. Rapid or erratic heartbeat increases hunger, and quick weight loss might follow. Beta-blockers to slow your heart rate are among the several hyperthyroidism treatments.
Anemia
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines anemia as low blood oxygen levels (NHLBI). If you don’t have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin, the iron-rich protein that transports oxygen from your lungs to your body, this may happen. Dr. Doshi says your heart beats faster because it needs to work harder to get blood to all your organs. Anemia has other symptoms. This blood condition causes lethargy, dizziness, headaches, and pale skin.
Anemia therapy depends on the cause and severity; however, it may involve iron, vitamin B12, or bone marrow stimulants. Blood testing can help your doctor detect anemia. The NHLBI recommends bone marrow testing and colonoscopies to rule out other chronic diseases.
Heart Arrhythmia
Heart arrhythmias are caused by electrical problems in the heart. Arrhythmias may make your heart beat fast or oddly. Many arrhythmias are not life-threatening. “They may be with higher-risk individuals, but they’re frequently treatable.” The American Heart Association says arrhythmias may cause dizziness, nausea, fainting, chest discomfort, and shortness of breath.
POTS
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a frequent disorder that raises your heart rate by 30 beats per minute while standing. Women have this illness five times more often than men. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, blood circulation issues create this illness. When POTS patients stand up, their blood vessels don’t constrict to pump blood to the upper body. This may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, headaches, and fainting (or nearly passing out). The heart beats quicker as “fight or flight” hormones continue to constrict blood vessels.
POTS causes lightheadedness and a fast heart rate while standing, but not lying down. Many POTS patients have persistent digestive disorders such as diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, or constipation, suggesting an autonomic nervous system dysfunction.
When To See A Doctor About A Racing Heart Rate
Racing heartbeats are seldom emergencies. If you have a fast heart rate, chest discomfort, feeling weak, lightheaded, or short of breath, contact 911 (don’t drive to the hospital)—you may have a heart attack or heart failure.
Trust your intuition on increased heart rate. It doesn’t matter how healthy you are or believe you are. Get a checkup if your heart feels wrong.
