PADI certified scuba diver.
I am a retired ER physician and father of many. After graduating from Chicago Medical School in 1990, I embarked on a 23-year career in Emergency Medicine. Medical interests include wilderness medicine, addictionology, and trauma psychology. I currently teach health and medicine online. DISCLAIMER: Accept all medical advice with a jaundiced eye. Before following my suggestions, do your own research and consult with your physician first. Enjoy & Learn!
What I Am All About
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Palpitaions, or My Heart is Beating Too Hard
Friday, October 25, 2019
My Heart Beats Too Hard
My Quora Answer to:
Michael Mangold, M.D. Medicine and Healthcare & Psychiatric Treatment, Rosalind Franklin University of Health Sciences (1990)
You need to see a physician and get an EKG.
The reason I say that is because there are both benign and malignant causes of palpitations, or the feeling that your heart is beating too fast or too hard. One example of the former is an arrhythmia called Supraventricular Tachycardia, which is very common. Ironically, at least in relation to your Question, is that taking a deep breath in, holding it, then bearing down like you are having a constipated bowel movement, is actually the cure for this. It is called the Valsalva Maneuver, which is a reflexive response your body produces when it thinks you are under water. Plunging your face into ice water will do the same thing.
Malignant causes include frequent Premature Ventricular Contractions and Atrial Fibrillation. Untreated, they can lead to significant morbidity (disabling events like strokes and an enlarged heart or cardiomyopathy) and even death. Which is why you need to get that EKG. Stat.
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