Irregular heartbeat during exercise, known also as a heart arrhythmia, premature heart contractions or colloquially as skipping a beat, can result from a variety of causes. Some of these causes relate to permanent conditions or diseases, while...
Many drinks, like coffee, tea and soda, contain caffeine. If you are sensitive to its effects, you may experience palpitations that feel as though your heart is skipping a beat. Caffeine can certainly be a culprit when it comes to these alarming...
If you experience frequent hives, and it feels like your heart is skipping beats after you take vitamins, discontinue use and talk to your doctor immediately. Hives are most likely related to an allergic reaction. If your heart is skipping beats,...
Heart palpitations, including the feeling that your heart has skipped a beat, may startle you, but are not necessarily serious. They have a variety of causes and one possible source of skipped beats is chocolate, or more specifically, some of the...
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the lungs. It is usually triggered by allergens, like pollen, dust and cigarette smoke; upper respiratory infections or colds; exercise; and other environmental factors. The typical symptom of asthma...
Hypokalemia and hyperkalemia refer to disorders in which blood levels of potassium are below and above normal, respectively. Potassium is essential for maintaining healthy physiology. Most of the potassium in the body is stored within cells rather...
Skipped heartbeats are common occurrences that can occur in healthy individuals. Also known as palpitations, skipped heart rates during exercise are generally not a problem in and of themselves. As with most medical issues, it is important to...
A second degree heart block is an interruption of the electrical pulses between the chambers of the heart. This occasionally results in skipped heart beats. Heart blocks are relatively rare but, according to the U.K's National Health Service,...
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located just below Adam's apple on the neck. In response to signals from the brain, it secretes thyroid hormones, which are involved in the body's metabolism -- the speed at which the body executes its...
Tachycardia, or prolonged elevated heart rate, is a type of arrhythmia. An arrhythmia, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, is a dysfunctional heart rate or rhythm. If you have an arrhythmia, your heart may beat too quickly,...
Second degree heart block describes a disorder of the conduction pathways in the heart. Normally, an electrical impulse initiates at the sinus node located in the right atrium. Cells carry the impulse to the atrioventricular node or AV node...
Calcium channel blockers are designed to reduce the strength of blood vessel contraction, which helps maintain wider arteries. Calcium channel blockers basically reduce the amount of calcium that reaches the blood vessel walls and heart muscle,...
Heart disease is the number one killer among men and women in the United States. Being aware of the signs and symptoms of heart disease may save your life or the life of someone you know. It is also important to be able to describe the frequency,...
Some children are born with a small hole in their hearts, known as atrial septal defects, or ASDs, according to Mayo Clinic. The hole occurs in the muscle wall between the two upper chambers of the heart. If a child has a small ASD, it may close...
Ablation for the heart, also referred to as cardiac ablation, is an invasive treatment for correcting certain heart problems. According to Mayo Clinic, cardiac ablation specifically treats irregular heart rhythms or arrhythmias. The University...
The human heart normally beats 60 to 100 times each minute, although the heart of a well-toned athlete may beat only 55 times per minute. Heart flutters, sometimes called heart palpitations, are defined as "...heartbeat sensations that feel like...
The heart muscle needs to beat a certain number of times each minute in order to deliver the blood and oxygen the body needs to function. The number of times the heart beats is called the heart rate or pulse. The pulse can become slower when...
Certain dietary supplements may be helpful in slowing your racing heart rate. Palpitations are heartbeat sensations that feel as though your heart is racing. If you have heart palpitations, you may feel an unpleasant awareness of your heartbeat,...
Heart palpitations cause you to experience the feeling of your heart racing or pounding. The Cleveland Clinic describes heart palpitations as something like a flutter, a skipped heart beat or a heartbeat that does not feel normal. While usually...
Potassium is an electrolyte, an electrically charged molecule that is integral for the proper functioning of various body organs and tissues. Potassium is important for muscle movement, digestion of food, and fluid and water balance. A high level...
It's normal to experience an increase in your heart rate while jogging, but heart palpitations are another matter. Although most cases of jogging-related palpitations are minor, in some instances palpitations could be a sign of a serious...
The medical term used to describe a racing heart rate is tachycardia. The heart rate is regulated by the autonomic nervous system and cannot be controlled by the individual. They can slow the rate by becoming calmer, but they cannot control how...
When you exercise, your heart rate increases to get extra oxygen to your tissues through your blood. During this time, you may experience the sensation that your heart is skipping a beat --- a heart arrhythmia, or irregular heart beat. The cause...
Mitral valve prolapse, a common heart defect, affects as many as 10 percent of Americans, according to PubMed Health. Most forms of MVP cause no problems and you might not even know you have it. In MVP, the valves between the left atrium and left...
Some people who suffer with severe anxiety or GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), often know what will trigger an anxiety attack while others realize that an anxiety attack may occur for no reason at all. Anxiety can be debilitating at times for...
The minerals potassium and magnesium play a role in cellular integrity, function and energy production. Also called hypokalemia, potassium deficiency presents when vomiting, diuretic use or kidney disease leech the body of potassium stores....
The heart contains four valves---the mitral valve, the tricuspid valve, the aortic valve and the pulmonary valve---that direct the flow of blood through the four chambers of the heart. The valves consist of leaflets, or cusps, connected to fibrous...
Potassium is an integral element in various body processes. Potassium helps in muscle contraction, heart rate and fluid balance. The level of potassium in the blood stream is small as most potassium concentrate inside the cells, so minor changes...
Heart disease is the number one killer in America and a major cause of disability. It often exists for a long time without any symptoms. The good news is that heart disease can be avoided or successfully managed with lifestyle changes such as...
