Fastheart Rate Diagnostic Tests
Your physician wants to determine if you’re affected by tachycardia, explains the Mayo Clinic. This is a type of heart rhythm condition in which your heart has a higher-than-normal rate while you’re resting.
Your doctor will perform one or more tests that are helpful in diagnosing tachycardia. An electrocardiogram is a commonly performed test that uses small sensors attached to your arms and chest. These devices record your heart’s electrical functions, which enables the doctor to find patterns that can help determine the tachycardia’s source.
Your physician may also ask you to wear a portable EKG device that records your heart’s activity for a certain period. A Holter monitor records heart function for 24 hours, while an event monitor records longer-term activity, but only for a few minutes at a time.
Is Surprising Or Sudden Weight Gain Serious
Dramatic, unexplained changes in weight can be a sign of a serious health problem. For example, weight loss can be a sign of cancer, while weight gain may be a warning sign of heart failure or thyroid issues. If you experience new bloating or distension in your midsection that is persistent, it could be a sign of ovarian cancer, says Dr. Baechler. Ovarian cancer is uncommon, yet bloating is often one of the first symptoms.
If you have weight gain along with swelling in both of your legs and shortness of breath when you lie flat, you could be showing signs of heart failure, says Ashley Simmons, MD, medical director of the University of Kansas Hospital’s Adelaide C. Ward Women’s Heart Health Center in Kansas City, Kansas. Rapid weight gain, swelling, and retention of fluid can occur when your heart doesnt pump fluid as efficiently as it should.
Potential Etiologies Of Pots
There appears to be no single mechanism that satisfactorily explains the clinical findings of POTS, rather a combination of possible processes that manifest with decreased blood return to the heart and with similar symptoms. In adults, POTS is seen secondary to other conditions such as chronic diabetes mellitus, chemotherapy, or lupus. However in adolescents, POTS is usually a primary disease process. Having discussed the pathophysiology of POTS related to specific organ systems and physical processes, we now pull everything together to consider the overall etiologies of POTS.
There are a number of possible etiologic mechanisms that have been identified.
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Diagnosing The Root Of The Symptoms
A doctor will try to narrow down the possible causes headaches and heart palpitations by discussing your symptoms, your family history, and your health history. They will then conduct a physical exam.
They may order tests following your first appointment. If your doctor suspects a condition related to your heart, you may need to get an electrocardiogram , stress test, echocardiogram, arrhythmia monitor, or other test.
If a doctor suspects anemia or hyperthyroidism, they may order a blood test.
Symptoms Of Heart Muscle Disease
Many people with heart muscle disease, or cardiomyopathy, have no symptoms or only minor symptoms, and live a normal life. Other people develop symptoms, which progress and worsen as heart function worsens.
Symptoms of cardiomyopathy may occur at any age and may include:
- Chest pain or pressure
- Swelling of the lower extremities
- Fainting
- Palpitations
Some people also have arrhythmias. These can lead to sudden death in a small number of people with cardiomyopathy.
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Canheart Palpitations Cause Nausea
Heart palpitations can be a sign of arrhythmia, or an abnormal heart rhythm, explains PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. Although arrhythmia can occur without any symptoms, you could also experience well-defined symptoms that will likely get your attention.
Besides palpitations, other arrhythmia symptoms include a slow or rapid heartbeat. You could also feel a fluttering sensation, as if your heart skipped several beats in a row.
If you feel like you’re ready to faint, you’re having a pre-syncope episode. This condition can cause dizziness or lightheadedness, and tunnel or blurred vision might also occur. Headache, mental confusion and sweating are possible. Be prepared for potential nausea or a stomach ache as well.
Heart Attack: Main Symptoms
Chest discomfort in some form is typical during a heart attack. But its not always a sudden sharp pain, as its often portrayed in movies and on television. Many patients have described the sensation not as chest pain, but as chest pressure.
And while we tend to associate heart attack pain with pressure or tightness in the center of the chest or just left of center, its possible to feel discomfort on the right side of the chest or across the chest from armpit to armpit.
The discomfort may start in the chest and spread to other parts of the body. And keep in mind that every heart attack is different. One person may have excruciating pain, while someone else may have only mild pressureso slight that he or she may not even think to call 911.
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History And Definition Of Pots
Adolescent fatigue is not new. For millennia, teenagers have experienced bothersome fatigue. Since at least the mid-1800s, fatigue was commonly diagnosed,36 and old descriptions of this condition overlap significantly with what we now call either chronic fatigue syndrome or POTS. Fatigue in conjunction with orthostatic intolerance was reported in adolescents who otherwise would have served in America’s Civil War.37 The diagnoses of chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome seemed to grow in popularity during the second half of the 20th century, and popular etiologic explanations varied from chronic mononucleosis to depression to hypoglycemia. The advent of an awareness of fatigue with orthostatic intolerance being linked to autonomic dysfunction came in 1993 when POTS was first described.38 POTS was then reported in teenagers in 1999. This led to hope that there was a physiologic basis for fatigue and orthostatic intolerance in some chronically tired teenagers and offered the potential of improved recovery with targeted treatment regimens. Anecdotally, however, some physicians still doubt that POTS is a legitimate diagnosis.
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome that is relevant to adolescents is a chronic clinical condition characterized by chronic fatigue and intermittent intolerance of upright positions associated with postural tachycardia of greater than 40 beats per minute.
You Have A Cold Or Fever
If your pounding heart is accompanied by typical signs of a cold or fever, like an elevated temperature, coughing, and sneezing, this is likely the culprit. Battling an infection requires your body to work harder than usual, and that includes making your heart beat faster in order to fight for homeostasis and kick the infection to the curb, Dr. Mills-Frazier says.
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Preparing For Your Appointment
To prepare for your appointment, see the topicMaking the Most of Your Appointment.
You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:
- What is your major symptom, lightheadedness or vertigo?
- How long have you had your symptoms? Do they come and go, or are they always present?
- What were you doing when your symptoms started?
- How often do you experience dizziness?
- What makes your symptoms better or worse?
- Do you have other symptoms that may be related to your major symptom? Symptoms may include:
- Changes in vision, such as blurred or double vision, halos, or spots.
- Chest pain.
Youre Not Getting Enough Sleep
When you sleep, your body isnt doing as much, so your heart can slow down. Sleep is your time to reset. If youre not getting that recovery phase, your adrenaline levels during the day can be higher, Dr. Mills-Frazier says. Excess adrenaline charging through your system during the day can lead to a faster heartbeat. The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night. If you have trouble clocking those restful minutes, check out what might be getting in the way.
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So The Big Hints For Oi Or Oh As A Cause Of Headaches Are:
- Occasional lightheaded sensation or woozy spells just after standing up.
- Fatigue after meals especially bigger meals or high carbohydrate meals.
- Occasional fatigue, poor mental functioning, poor memory or confusion.
- The association of intense neck muscle pain or chronic stiffness.
Often times symptoms can improve, albeit temporarily, when exercising. This is because constriction of muscles during exercises helps pump more blood from the muscles themselves into the circulation thereby increasing the blood flow to the brain
OH can get substantially better after increasing the amount of salt and decreasing the carbohydrate intake in your diet. Salt increases your blood volume and makes it easier to maintain adequate blood flow o the brain. The reduced carbohydrate intake allows your autonomic nervous system to recover and more properly control blood flow to the brain.
Think about your headache pain. Does it occur more in one time of the year over another ? Do you seem to get sinus infections more commonly than your friends or family? Does the pain start in the back of the head or at the temples? Or do you also wrestle with chronic fatigue, have intermittent lightheadedness or intense neck muscle pain?
If you answered yes to any of these, you may need to rethink your diagnosis of migraine headaches.
When Heart Palpitations And Headache Occur Together
Heart palpitations and headaches are two common symptoms that most people will experience at some time they can occur on their own, with other symptoms, or together. Heart palpitations are heartbeats that are more noticeable than normal and may involve a fluttery sensation in the chest or a more rapid heartbeat, which can cause worry.Occasionally, headaches and heart palpitations may occur together. In most cases, this is nothing to be concerned about here well look at some potential causes, ways to manage these symptoms, and when it may be time to speak to your doctor.
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Dizziness Lightheadedness And Rapid Heart Rate
- Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Reviewed on 7/13/2021
These symptoms of dizziness, lightheadedness and a rapid pulse can be seen with many types of medical conditions. Examples include heart rhythm disturbances and dehydration. These symptoms can also occur with anxiety disorder or panic reactions, which can produce physical symptoms. Keep track of all your symptoms. If you are experiencing these or other worrisome symptoms, seek the advice of a doctor.
While the list below can be considered as a guide to educate yourself about these conditions, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms and signs. Here are a number of those from MedicineNet:
When To Call The Doctor For Out
The size, feel, and look of your breasts are as individual as you are, and breasts often change predictably throughout the month. Some women normally have lumps others get a lump every month before their period. But something outside of your usual breast condition could be a symptom of a health problem, says Rachel Freedman, MD, MPH, a medical oncologist at the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
Look for anything new that persists, such as a mass, skin change, or rash that doesnt go away in a day but sticks around, Dr. Freedman says. Breast cancer can appear as an unusual redness of the skin that looks like an infection, swelling, lumps, bumps, or nodules. Other potential symptoms include nipple discharge thats bloody , and breasts that become unusually asymmetrical.
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When To See A Healthcare Provider
The symptoms most commonly caused by heart disease can also be produced by other medical conditions, from very serious to entirely benign. If you experience any of the above symptoms, you need an evaluation by your healthcare provider to identify the cause. These are symptoms that should never be ignored.
Additionally, if you’re having any difficulty getting an erection, especially if the problem has been gradual, this is nearly always one of the first signs of either heart disease or diabetes in men. Be sure to see your healthcare provider as soon as you notice any problem with erectile dysfunction.
If you have a family history of heart disease or you’re worried about your risk for developing it, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider. Staying proactive where your heart health is concerned can help you detect any problems early, giving you a better potential outcome.
Heart Disease Doctor Discussion Guide
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Typical Presentations Of Pots
Each patient with POTS is unique, but their stories often sound similar.26 There is no quantitative system for scoring symptoms to diagnose POTS, but POTS can be considered as a diagnostic possibility when an adolescent has chronically bothersome fatigue associated with dizziness and, often, a constellation of other symptoms including nausea, pain, and a sense of altered mental clarity .
Age
POTS can occur throughout adolescence, but the majority of affected individuals report symptoms beginning within a year or two of the beginning of puberty . Similarly, symptoms often fade or resolve by the end of the process of the physical changes of puberty.
Genetics
Anecdotally, POTS is more common in Caucasians than in adolescents of other races. In addition, approximately 15% of affected adolescents have a close relative who had similar symptoms during adolescence or young adulthood. This suggests that there might be a genetic predisposition toward POTS in at least some individuals, but no differentiating gene has been identified.
Physical Features
Many adolescents with POTS have hyperextensibility, and some are thought to have benign joint hypermobility syndrome or EhlersDanlos syndrome.46 It is not clear whether the elastic soft tissues actually predispose to the development of POTS or if the lax tissues simply allow further increases in vasodilatation that make it more likely for hyperextensible individuals to report more venous pooling and dizziness when they get POTS.
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Worsening Shortness Of Breath Could Be A Sign Of Heart Disease
Dont ignore shortness of breath by assuming its from a lack of conditioning or recent weight gain. If you experience shortness of breath after exertion that progressively gets worse, it could be a sign of a heart disease like aortic stenosis or coronary artery disease . Check with your doctor if you have shortness of breath that suddenly gets worse.
Sudden Vision Changes May Be Signs Of A Stroke
As you age, its normal for your vision to progressively worsen. But dont ever ignore visual changes that affect only one eye, the sudden onset of double vision, or the inability to see the center of what youre looking at.
Vision changes that occur suddenly can be signs of a stroke. Theyre particularly alarming if they come with other warning symptoms of stroke, such as numbness on one side of the body, or difficulty speaking or finding the right words. More subtle variations on these symptoms could indicate a transient ischemic attack, commonly called a mini-stroke. Getting them checked out could prevent a larger stroke later, Baechler says.
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When To Contact A Doctor
A person should go to the emergency room or call 911 immediately if they notice these symptoms in themselves or someone else. Delaying care can result in death.
There is no safe home treatment for a stroke. A doctor may perform surgery, admit a person to the hospital, or recommend long-term care, such as physical or speech therapy.
What Does Having Both Chest Pain And Headache Mean
Experiencing chest pain and a headache at the same time may be related to the heart, the immune system, or psychological factors.
The cause is usually not serious, but people may be concerned that these symptoms indicate a problem with high blood pressure or a heart attack.
In this article, we look at conditions that can cause chest pain and a headache. We also explain whether or not they are serious and when to see a doctor.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America , anxiety can cause both headaches and chest pain.
A panic attack can often feel similar to a heart attack, which can further increase a persons anxiety. Symptoms of a panic attack include:
Panic attacks can arise spontaneously and without warning, or can occur as a result of a stressful event. Learning to recognize the symptoms of a panic attack can ease a persons worry when they arise.
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Urgent Advice: Call 999 If:
You have sudden chest pain that:
- spreads to your arms, back, neck or jaw
- makes your chest feel tight or heavy
- also started with shortness of breath, sweating and feeling or being sick
- lasts more than 15 minutes
You could be having a heart attack. Call 999 immediately as you need immediate treatment in hospital.
Organization Of Care For Patients With Pots
Patient and family education is vital in the care of adolescents with POTS and must be incorporated into the multidisciplinary programs where POTS patients are evaluated and treated. This is especially important as the treatment plan for POTS needs to be multidisciplinary and no single medication or treatment is adequately effective. Patient education must be designed to improve the family’s knowledge of POTS along with promoting teen health behavior change. Patients and their parents often express feelings of isolation and lack of social support. Thus, education must focus on self-management and fostering social support that will empower the family to initiate a recovery plan where the teen and family re-engage in normal life activities
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