Tachycardia How serious is that?

1. Tachycardia: How serious is that? medium.com/@sowmyasrinivasan001/tachycardia-how-serious-is-that-6317744f10a2 Tachycardia — High Heart Rate A high heart rate at rest indicates you could have an underlying heart problem. Being physically fit and in general good health does not necessarily mean your heart is healthy. At rest, the average heart beats 60 to 100 times per minute. How many times your heart beats depends on your level of fitness, your hormones, and your nervous system. Studies show that people whose heart rate at rest increases over a ten-year period are at greater risk of dying younger from any cause, and are much more likely to develop ischemic heart disease. RESTING HEART RATES Scientists have known for years that people who are very physically active usually have much lower resting heart rates. However, researchers in the Copenhagen Male Study wanted to know if a person’s heart rate as an indicator of his risk of death, no matter how fit he appeared. The study involved about 3,000 middle-aged men from different companies in Copenhagen. It began in 1970. The participants were given a physical exam and asked many questions about their lifestyles, habits, and level of physical activity. The men were also asked to perform several exertion tests in order to evaluate their level of cardiorespiratory fitness. 1/3

2. The surviving participants were given another complete physical examination in 1985. In 2001, the researchers were interested in how many of the original participants were still alive. A check of the Danish registers revealed 1082 (39 percent) of the men had died. The study doesn’t say how the men died or what their level of cardiorespiratory fitness was at the time of the study. It does say that a high heart rate in an otherwise healthy male is related to an early death. WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR YOU Everyone experiences a rapid heartbeat once in a while. It could be due to physical activity, anxiety, fear, or stress. To truly measure what a normal heart rate is for you, you should measure your heart rate when you have rested for at least ten minutes, and you are totally relaxed. The average, healthy adult heart beats about 60 to 100 times per minute. Consistent readings of over 100 beats per minute mean you have a high heart rate (tachycardia) and should see your doctor. Although tachycardia is usually harmless, it can cause serious problems. What happens is that the heart rate in the lower or upper chambers increases — they should be at the same rate. This prevents your heart from efficiently pumping blood throughout your body, which deprives your organs of oxygen. This can cause light-headedness, dizziness, fainting, or chest pain. WHAT CAUSES ELEVATED HEART RATES? A high heart rate can be caused by several things, such as: High blood pressure Inadequate supply of blood to the heart muscle Coronary heart disease Heart failure Heart valve disease Infections Tumors Heart muscle disease Overactive thyroid Emphysema and other lung diseases Drug or alcohol abuse Smoking Birth defects Electrolyte imbalances because of low levels of calcium, potassium, sodium, and other minerals 2/3

3. Some heart medications Tachycardia can be treated in a variety of ways and has various causes. When monitoring your heart rate, look for patterns and keep track of everything with your heart rate monitor, or write it down in a journal. Are there certain times of the day when your rate is higher or lower? Do certain activities heighten or lower your heart rate? Make a special note of anything that seems unusual. If you have a consistent high heart rate, you should see your heart doctor. Make sure you take your heart journal with you so that your doctor can see exactly what your heart has been doing. He will then be able to advise you on the best course of action for your condition. 3/3