Palpitations & Weight Loss

Also known as heart arrhythmias, heart palpitations occur when your heart beats out of time---either vary rapidly or slowly. While palpitations rarely cause pain, they can indicate the presence of a more serious condition. Weight loss can be a factor in addition to heart palpitations or may help to treat heart palpitations---knowing when to seek medical attention for your heart palpitations can ensure you maintain a healthy heart.

Identification

Heart palpitations can feel different to each person, according to the Mayo Clinic. If your heartbeat feels like it is fluttering in your chest or beating too fast, this can be a sign of heart palpitations. The heart palpitations may occur in the throat, neck or chest. The heart also may feel like it is skipping a few beats and you are having trouble catching your breath.

Diagnosis

A physician can test your heart rhythm utilizing a test known as an electrocardiogram, according to Heart Point, a physician-written website. This painless diagnostic test can evaluate your heartbeat for any abnormalities. If your doctor suspects a heart abnormality, a chest X-ray or echocardiogram to better view the heart's structures can help, according to the Mayo Clinic. Most heart palpitations are not cause for concern, according to Medline Plus. However, your physician may be able to make recommendations as to how to reduce these occurrences.

Complications

Heart palpitations combined with other risk factors can signal a more serious condition, according to Medline Plus. Heart palpitations coupled with sudden, significant weight loss could signal the need to seek medical attention. Other complicating factors associated with heart palpitations include shortness of breath, pain in the chest, neck or shoulders, headaches or sweating.

Diet

If you are trying to lose weight, a low-calorie diet may lead to heart palpitations, according to "Total Health for Women" by Ellen Michaud. Consuming less than 1,000 calories per day can lead to fewer nutrients in the body needed to maintain a regular heartbeat including calcium and potassium. Instead, you should aim to follow a diet plan that emphasizes a healthy rate of weight loss. Set a realistic goal to lose between one and two pounds per week in order to reduce the incidence of heart palpitations. If you are taking diet pills to encourage weight loss, these also can contribute to heart palpitations, according to Medline Plus. Cease using these pills if you experience adverse symptoms.

Solution

In some instances, your physician may recommend weight loss as a means to reduce heart palpitations, according to Heart Point. Because stress can be a trigger of heart palpitations, exercise can help to relieve this stress. Weight loss also may help to reduce heart palpitations, because it reduces the strain on the heart in obese persons. This can result in heart palpitation incidences.