I don’t have Covid-19 but a fast heartbeat is dangerous?

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan – resident in Dinh Hoa, Thai Nguyen went to the doctor because recently he often felt his heart beat faster, nervous and tired. Sometimes, he feels his heart palpitations and his mind is always nervous and worried. He measured the heart rate on the Spo2 machine up to more than 100 times / minute.

Mr. Tuan said he did not have Covid-19. Initially, the symptoms were similar to those of post-Covid-19 but many times the test was still negative. When he went to the doctor, the doctor said he had an arrhythmia.

The case of patient Vu The A, 32 years old, from Thanh Hoa, often suffers from palpitations, shortness of breath, chest tightness, fatigue… The symptoms are very familiar after Covid-19. Mr. A. even his family had Covid-19 but he was negative despite testing many times.

These symptoms appeared for a while, he was always worried and when he went to the doctor, Mr. A. found out that he had a rare heart rhythm disorder in young people.

The doctor examined by electrocardiogram for 24 hours continuously, found many episodes of atrial fibrillation during the day. The patient continued to be tested for common risk factors related to atrial fibrillation such as echocardiography, thyroid hormone, etc.

As for the case of Ms. Le Thi Hang – Dong Da, Hanoi, she went to the doctor because she often felt nervous and had palpitations. Every time I was nervous, my heart rate got faster. When going to the cardiologist, the doctor did not have any abnormalities, so the doctor referred Ms. Hang to a psychiatric facility for examination. During the neuropsychological examination, Ms. Hang was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, causing the patient to be in a state of nervousness, palpitations and speeding up the heart rate.

Illustrated photo.

According to Dr. Nguyen An Phap – Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, the heart palpitations cannot be underestimated. If the patient’s heart rate is often rapid, ie more than 100 times / minute, even when you are at rest, you need to have a cardiovascular examination and related problems.

There are many causes of heart palpitations, including non-cardiac causes.

However, persistent conditions of tachycardia, even if the cause is not cardiac, can have an adverse effect on your heart in the long run. Because, if the heart beats too much, it has to work too hard to maintain a fast and heavy contraction for a long time, the heart will soon be “exhausted” and can not be healthy for long.

In addition, the rapid heartbeat will also make the patient reduce the ability to exercise, quickly feel tired when exercising.

Not only fast, if your heart is beating slower than 60 times per minute, and you are not an intense exerciser, this could be a sign of heart disease. Diseases that lead to bradycardia can include: conduction block, sinus node failure syndrome, etc.

If the patient still feels nervous, palpitations are also very vigilant. Because the symptom of palpitations is a subjective feeling of the patient, causing the patient to feel the heart beating fast and strong, some people describe “the heart beats like someone beating a drum in the chest”.

The feeling of palpitations at rest is often accompanied by cardiac arrhythmias (tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, etc.). However, not all cases of palpitations are associated with cardiac disease. Other causes of palpitations include: psychological state (panic, anxiety disorders, etc.), certain drugs that cause rapid heart rate, or stimulant use (tobacco, etc.) coffee, energy drinks, etc.)

If you often have a feeling of palpitations or notice a rapid, slow or irregular heartbeat, you need to see a heart doctor soon. Do not self-medicate in these cases.

To prevent cardiovascular disease, Dr. An Phap said that people need to adopt a moderate and healthy lifestyle; exercise regularly; have a reasonable diet, do not drink alcohol (these stimulants can worsen cardiac arrhythmias)…; have time to rest, avoid stress, absolutely do not smoke.

Khanh Chi