Definition- What are they?

Constant heart palpitations are persistent palpitations that last longer. The patient continuously have the sense of palpitations (you feel your heart pounding or beating irregularly). This sense of abonormal rhythm sometimes can be felt in the neck too. There can be extra or missed beats as isolated manifestation or they can run together and last for prolonged periods of time. 

Extra beats mostly are harmless and do not indicate a heart problem but if they are associated with other symptoms there may be a cardiac or non cardiac problem. Constant heart palpitations can appear in  conditions which make this palpitations pop up  often such it can happen in high methabolic conditions, medication cause, anaemia etc. 

How common they are?

Contant heart palpitations are quite common. They may develop in a wide range of diseases and medical conditions. Usually they are not harmful but if you have them it is better to go to see your doctor especially if you have other symptoms as well.

There are some factors that trigger your heart to beat faster or stronger but the heart function is still normal and these are the cases where palpitations are harmless. But less than half of palpitation cases are caused by arrhythmias which need sudden evaluation due to important life-threatening heart conditions that cause them.

Causes?

Causes of constant heart palpitations are various and include many cardic and non-cardiac medical conditions. All of them are diseases or conditions the healing time or progression of which lasts longer. It can be a chronic condition or a persistent health problem :

Non-cardiac causes may include:

– Lifestyle triggers like smoking and alcohol, stress, excessive and hard exercising

– Medical conditions like hyperthyroidism, anaemia, hypoglycemia

– Hormonal changes in pregnancy, menstruation or menopause

– Some stimulants like inhaled asthma, hypothyroidsm drugs and those used to prevent arrhythmias

– Illegal drugs like cocaine and amphetamines

– Takeing regularly some herbal and nutritional supplements

Cardiac causes are arrhythmias which indicate a serious heart trouble or being at risk for developing one:

– Heart attack or coronary heart disease

– Heart failure, heart valve and muscle disease

–  Long lasting electrolyte disorders of potassium and sodium.

– Heart structural abnormalities

– Persistant arrhythmias

Treatment/management?

Management of consistent heart palpitations consists in avoiding risk factors and treating the medical conditions that tend to cause palpitation symptoms for long periods of time or that repeat too often.

Harmless palpitations are usually caused by anxiety and stress and they can appear each time of panic attacks or strong emotional moments. First line of treatment in this case is to keep yourself emotionally and mentally fit by joining in activities  you like, talking to someone or trying relaxing activities like aromatherapy, walking and yoga.

Collaborate with your doctor to take control to your diseases that cause consistent heart palpitations like lasting arrhythmias, anaemia and hyperthyroidism.

Your doctor may use drugs like adenosine, beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers. There are heritable conditions like Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome which produces a special heart rhythm due to abnormal electrical pathways that can be closed by your doctor with high frequency ultrasounds or during catheterization.

Hypotension, shortness of breath and chest pain presented along a rapid heart beat it’s an emergency and immediate evaluations and actions are necessary. If you present even one of these symptoms please meet your doctor or go to the emergency services.

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By hert