According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a quarter of American high school students are drinking at least one soda a day. This increase in caffeine intake among the entire population is leading to more and more occurrences of caffeine side effects including heart palpitations. The CDC also reports as many as 32 million Americans are diagnosed at some time with asthma and many of these take albuterol for asthma treatment. A side effect of this medication is also heart palpitations.
Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations, or arrhythmia, can cause a sensation that makes you feel as though your heart is racing or pounding. It can also include irregular rhythms, missed, stopped or skipped beats and be felt in your chest, throat or neck. Palpitations are not usually serious, but there are certain conditions that can put you at risk, including heart disease and risk factors for heart disease, abnormal heart valves and electrolyte abnormalities. They can also be cause by anemia, caffeine, medications like albuterol, stress or anxiety and nicotine.
Caffeine
According to MedlinePlus, caffeine is a natural substance that can be found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate. It has many effects on the body, including the heart and the central nervous system. For most people, two to four servings a day is safe, however, some people have symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety or heart palpitations if they consume too much. A 2011 study published in the "Journal of Medical Case Reports" shows that with the increasing popularity of energy drinks with high caffeine amounts, physicians need to be aware of the risk they pose. After looking at two teenage boys who reported heart palpitations after high consumption of caffeine, researchers believe parents and children need to be advised of the risks of too much caffeine.
Albuterol
Albuterol is a medication that is used to treat wheezing, difficulty breathing and chest tightness most commonly associated with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. Albuterol comes in a liquid solution that is inhaled through the use of a nebulizer or inhaler. Using albuterol can cause side effects such as uncontrollable shaking, nervousness and anxiety, headaches, throat irritation, chest pain, heart palpitations, and a rash or hives.
Considerations
If you are experiencing heart palpitations, seek medical attention to rule out any severe medical problems. If you also suffer from asthma and take albuterol or consume caffeine in regular amounts, let your physician know so he can take that into consideration. If it becomes a regular problem, your physician may look at treating your asthma with a different medication or advise you to limit your caffeine intake.
References
- MedlinePlus: Heart Palpitations
- MedlinePlus: Caffeine
- MedlinePlus: Albuterol Inhalation
- "Journal of Medical Case Reports"; Atrial Fibrillation in Healthy Adolescents After Highly Caffeinated Beverage Consumption; J.R. Di Rocco, et al.; January 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Beverage Consumption Among High School Students
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: America Breathing Easier
