Causes of breathing difficulties due to arrhythmia. Strong heartbeat and difficulty breathing: how to treat

Rapid heartbeat and various interruptions in the functioning of the heart, as well as feelings of lack of air can disturb seemingly healthy people. But at the same time, these symptoms may indicate quite serious illnesses. Let's try to consider several options for conditions that can cause such symptoms.

Absolutely healthy people periodic heart rhythm disturbances in combination with breathing disorders can occur under strong emotional stress, stressful conditions, as a result of abuse of caffeinated drinks or nicotine, as well as after significant physical exertion. At the same time, monitoring of cardiac activity proves complete absence violations at this time.

Causes

One of the causes of such symptoms may be so-called heart failure. With it, the heart is unable to provide sufficient oxygen to the internal organs and tissues. The body's needs are not met. IN calm state the patient feels great, but any exertion leads to rapid heartbeat and lack of air - shortness of breath.

How is deficiency diagnosed?

Previously, the diagnosis of “heart failure” was already made in advanced cases– with the appearance of edema and an enlarged liver. Nowadays, the more common point of view is that it is best to start treatment at the earliest stage of the disease.

Modern medicine differs an order of magnitude from the traditional views of cardiologists of the last century. Previously, it was believed that in case of heart failure it is necessary to limit physical activity and any activity to the maximum so that the organs require less oxygen and the heart, accordingly, does not strain. For additional heart contractions, medications were even prescribed to artificially stimulate its activity.

But through some studies, it has been proven that regular physical activity affects functionality hearts only with positive side. Gradually increasing the load trains the heart muscle, making it more resilient and able to pump large quantity blood.

The feeling of lack of air can also cause the so-called cardiac cough. It occurs due to heart failure and goes away after its therapy. The symptoms of this cough are similar to bronchitis, but without sputum production. In particular severe cases It may cause bloody discharge.

The cause of its appearance is considered to be left ventricular failure, which leads to stagnation of blood in the lungs. Since the right ventricle of the heart works normally, the lungs are filled with blood, which leads to swelling of the mucous membrane of the bronchi and, accordingly, irritation of the cough center.

One of the very common causes of palpitations, chest pressure and acute lack of air may be anxiety states, or panic attacks.

They manifest themselves as a sharp and inexplicable attack of enormous anxiety and fear, turning into real panic. The psychological component includes inexplicable fear, aggression, irritability or resentment.

In this state, a person can call for help, rush about and scream, moan and run out into the fresh air. Sometimes the opposite state of apathy and fear of making unnecessary movements is observed.

Physical state comes down to painful sensations in the chest and abdomen, as well as frequent heartbeat, lack of air, tingling and numbness in the limbs, nausea.

It is believed that the condition panic attacks may occur in a certain category of people - an anxious and suspicious personality type. There is an increase in dopamine and catecholamines in their blood.

At the first manifestation of such symptoms, you should contact a specialized medical facility. The diagnosis and treatment of this type of disorder should be carried out by a psychiatrist.

Abnormalities in the heartbeat can be a sign of various heart rhythm conditions - tachyarrhythmia, blockade, extrasystoles, but cardiologists note that they most often do not cause subjective sensations.

It is considered one of the subtypes of tachyarrhythmia. It is characterized by an increase in heart rate to 100 or more per minute with normal sinus rhythm. Its causes can be both physiological and pathological. The first ones mean severe stress or physical activity, and the latter have more wide range.

These include hypoxia, hypotension, hypovolemia, infections and inflammatory processes, taking certain drugs, thyrotoxicosis, dysfunction in the left ventricle.

Treatment sinus tachycardia consists mainly of diagnosing and treating the disease that caused it. Sometimes heartbeat slowed down artificially with the help of medications.

If any symptoms associated with palpitations and shortness of breath appear, it is best to consult a doctor. First of all, you need to consult a therapist who will help you understand the symptoms and refer you to more to a specialist For detailed diagnostics and consultations.

Rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath: what to do? This question worries everyone who has encountered a similar problem. Symptoms may be related to various conditions, which are quite dangerous to human health. Therefore, you should not ignore the problem. It is necessary to visit a doctor, undergo an examination and eliminate the provoking factor.

Tachycardia, which is accompanied by shortness of breath, indicates serious disturbances in the functioning of the body. Typically these symptoms occur when coronary disease or heart failure.

The pathology is accompanied by shortness of breath or dyspnea, which worsens during physical activity. Increased heart rate occurs due to the inability of the heart to fully provide blood supply to the body.

Ischemia is manifested by tachycardia, since in this disease the patency coronary arteries impaired due to atherosclerotic changes.

Similar symptoms are observed with vegetative-vascular dystonia, myocardial infarction, stroke, and panic attack.

All these pathologies represent serious danger for human health and life. Hemodynamic disturbances increase the risk of blood clots and impair the functions of all internal organs.

If a strong heartbeat and breathing difficulties appear during stress, the use of drugs, or physical activity, then the matter is due to physiological factors. Elderly people often suffer from this. To improve your well-being, it is enough to normalize your lifestyle.

What causes

Shortness of breath and tachycardia may occur in response to external stimuli. An increased heart rate usually indicates pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, and can also be caused by:

• excessive physical activity;
• deficit useful substances in organism;
• disruptions in blood flow;
• malfunctions endocrine system;
• colds with high temperature;
• consumption of certain drugs, alcoholic beverages, smoking;
• abuse of drinks containing caffeine.

Shortness of breath occurs when the body tries to adapt to new conditions. In this case, the person does not suffocate, since the lack of oxygen is relieved by a rapid heartbeat. Breathing problems are usually associated with psycho-emotional and physical stress, poor ventilation of the room. The condition in this case normalizes on its own.

Shortness of breath associated with pathologies occurs when a person is at rest. It occurs:

1. For diseases of the heart muscle. The heart contracts more often and breathing becomes difficult due to the development of cardiomyopathy, heart failure, defects, arrhythmias, and inflammation of the cardiac membranes.
2. For pathologies respiratory system. Difficulty in inhaling or exhaling is observed if Airways hit foreign object, neoplasms grow, a vessel is blocked by a thrombus, with pneumosclerosis and chronic diseases, bronchitis, emphysema. With such problems, shortness of breath turns into suffocation, and attacks of coughing with phlegm occur.
3. At cerebral disorders. Damage to the brain causes rapid heartbeat and difficulty breathing, because the regulatory centers of all organs and systems are located in this part of the body. These symptoms are usually observed during head injuries, stroke, encephalitis, and tumors. Shortness of breath and tachycardia are accompanied by severe neurological disorders. Whether the organ can recover depends on the severity of the damage and the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment. The development of cerebral dyspnea also occurs when the autonomic system malfunctions. nervous system due to stress and mental overload.
4. For blood disorders. Ratio shaped elements blood is disrupted during anemia, oncological diseases, renal and liver failure, diabetic coma. The patient suffers from lack of air, but pathological changes absent in the heart and lungs. The examination will show an imbalance of electrolytes and gas exchange.

Our heart often reports any problems in the body with a rapid pulse. This phenomenon is called “tachycardia”. The causes of rapid heartbeat are of different nature and may differ in individual people due to their lifestyle, health and other factors affecting the condition of the body. What causes the heart rate to exceed the normal number? The instructions below will help you learn more about this phenomenon.

Causes of cardiac tachycardia

The phenomenon of increased heart rate is characterized by the influence of a variety of factors - from medications to alcohol. To reduce this variation, there are 2 types of tachycardia - physiological and pathological. The first type of heart palpitations is simple. It is not a pathology. You should be concerned when tachycardia is caused by the following factors:

1. Sleep disorders. Insomnia, restlessness during sleep or nightmares lead to increased heart rate.
2. Medications. Misuse of medications or overdose can cause heart palpitations.
3. Stress. Periodic stress only trains cardiovascular system, but constant experiences can cause heart palpitations.
4. Obesity and old age. They are risk factors for the development of tachycardia.
5. Cardiovascular diseases. Myocarditis, cardiac development abnormalities, ischemia and arterial hypertension.

At normal pressure

If blood pressure remains within normal limits in a person, then the causes of rapid heartbeat are natural processes in organism. More often this is a reaction to the unusual state in which the body is. Many factors cause the body to increase adrenaline synthesis. The causes of increased heart rate are:

• being in a stuffy room;
• taking medications;
• drinking coffee, tea or other caffeinated drinks;
• physical exercise;
• emotional experiences.

An increase in heart rate to 180 units is considered normal, and symptoms such as pain in the chest, blurred vision, or dizziness should not be present. If such signs are observed, then it is necessary to ensure an influx of fresh air, take valocordin, corvalol, motherwort or valerian. After this, lie down to calm down. If possible, you should consult a doctor, because this may be evidence of the following pathologies:

• diseases thyroid gland;
• infectious diseases;
• chronic anemia;
• heart disease;
• intoxication with alcohol or drugs.

After meal

Digesting food forces the body to spend a significant amount of energy on this process. As a result, the person begins to breathe more often. This affects the heart rate, which increases. If this happens infrequently, then you should just help yourself by following a few rules:

• eat in small portions;
• do not drink immediately after eating;
• Go to proper nutrition;
• do not lie down and do not overexert your body with physical activity after eating.

If an increase in heart rate is observed every time after eating, then this may be a consequence of simple overeating. This will be indicated accompanying symptom- abdominal pain. Otherwise, you need to consult a doctor, because often the causes of the disease are:

1. Obesity. Fat is also deposited on the walls of internal organs, which disrupts their functioning.
2. Neurotic conditions. In this case, the patient needs to calm down, and if attacks recur, seek help from a specialist.
3. Medicines. Some medications are recommended to be taken with food, which can cause heart palpitations after a meal.

At low pressure

A common combination is low blood pressure and rapid heartbeat. This symptomatology is a consequence of:

• large blood loss;
• dehydration;
• shock (anaphylactic, traumatic, cardiogenic or hemorrhagic);
• vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• pregnancy.

In addition to palpitations, the patient exhibits headache and dizziness. In addition, a person may complain of pounding in the ears. In addition, he feels a knot in his stomach and attacks of panic and anxiety. Pregnant women are advised to take walks in the fresh air more often and observe correct mode day. Others may tense their muscles or hold their breath for a few minutes. In other cases:

• If you are dehydrated, drink plenty of fluids;
• if blood is lost, the patient is given a transfusion and the bleeding is stopped;
• In case of shock, anti-shock therapy is carried out.

If your heart rate increases at night

Irregular heartbeat may occur in different time days. If this happens at night, the person suddenly wakes up due to the fact that the heart seems to be pounding chest. This phenomenon often occurs at 2-3 hours. If the attacks continue for a long time and are accompanied by lack of air, weakness, shortness of breath, then you should seek help from a doctor. Rules:

1. If you immediately notice a rapid heartbeat, you should wash your face.
2. You can have a drink cold water, go back to bed and try to calm yourself down. To do this, it is recommended to inhale deeply and exhale sharply or cough a little.
3. If the symptom does not go away, you should urgently call an ambulance, because it may indicate a stroke or heart attack.

With a constantly high heart rate

When a rapid pulse is prolonged, this indicates more serious pathologies. For some, this is simply a feature of the body, such as different normal pressure. If this condition does not cause discomfort, then there is no need to worry. Otherwise, you must consult a doctor. Among these diseases are:

• cardiovascular pathologies;
• failure of the endocrine system;
• obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema;
• hypertension;
• cardiac ischemia;
• pathologies of the kidneys and liver.

If your heart is beating fast and it’s hard to breathe

Shortness of breath with a rapid heart rate is normal after exercise. Otherwise, this also indicates serious pathologies. To stop an attack, you must take comfortable position and try to calm down or even drink sedatives. If the condition does not improve, you need to call an ambulance, because the cause of such symptoms is:

• heart failure;
• arrhythmia;
• stroke;
• heart attack;
• cardiac ischemia, which leads to tachycardia during VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia).

With increased heart rate after alcohol

Any drink containing alcohol has a negative effect on the body. It can increase blood flow, thereby increasing blood pressure, which causes rapid heartbeat and dizziness. The cause of a rapid heartbeat is a powerful load on the body. U chronic alcoholics Alcoholic cardiomyopathy often develops, accompanied by tachycardia.

When a combination of diseases occurs, the patient must undergo a medical examination: the disease is characterized by rapid progression, and complete failure from alcohol does not guarantee heart recovery. To prevent increased heart rate after drinking alcohol, it is recommended:

• avoid physical activity after drinking alcohol;
• do not neglect snacks, fresh herbs, light salads;
• drink slowly.

Among women

For female body The same causes of rapid heartbeat are typical. In addition, the causes of tachycardia attacks in some cases are hidden behind emotional stress, to which women are more often exposed. The range of problems is expanded by adding several more provoking factors. These include:

• menopause;
• pregnancy;
• violation hormonal levels due to gynecological diseases.

During pregnancy

In pregnant women, an increase in heart rate of 10-15 beats is considered normal. An increase in heart rate to 100 or more units is considered a pathology, and this phenomenon can only be dealt with under the supervision of a doctor, because it threatens the mother and child. The reasons why the pulse increases are:

• excessive weight gain;
• pressure of the uterus on the blood vessels and heart;
• organ displacement abdominal cavity;
• elevated temperature bodies;
• toxicosis and dehydration;
• bleeding;
• strong nervous excitement;
• reaction to medications.

During menopause

During menopause, the cause of heart palpitations is a decrease in the hormone estrogen, which is responsible for many uncontrolled functions of the body. Among them are breathing, digestion, and the work of the autonomic nervous system. This also includes heartbeat. The cause may be disruption of the endocrine system: it releases more hormones into the blood. To alleviate the condition, deep breathing, meditation/yoga, and the use of hawthorn or rose hip infusions are recommended. Only a specialist can prescribe medications.

Normal heart rate

A rapid heartbeat in a child in the womb is considered normal, and it gradually changes and from 1 to 9 months increases from 140 to 160 beats, and in the period from 9-10 weeks even reaches 190 units. Generally normal pulse depends on age and is the following number of beats per minute:

• up to a year – 80-160;
• in the period from 1 to 2 years – 80-120;
• in children from 3 to 7 years old – 75-115;
• for a child 7-10 years old – 70-110;
• aged 10 to 14 years – 65-100;
• in adults and children over 14 years old – 50-100.

How to treat tachycardia

Doctors explain: it is not tachycardia that needs to be treated, but the disease that causes it. We must also remember about its physiological form, which is a natural reaction of the body. In general, therapy includes:

• identification and treatment of the underlying disease;
• refusal bad habits;
• taking sedatives for frequent stress;
• moderate physical activity;
• weight control;
• reception medicines, such as Digoxin, Reserpine, Verapamil, Pulsnorma, Atenolol or Isoptin.

Video about the causes of rapid heart rate

“The heart is beating heavily” - this is how patients can characterize a fairly wide range of sensations. This may include a slow heartbeat, a feeling of tightness in the chest, pain when breathing, and other types of discomfort.

Heavy heartbeat can be a symptom of many diseases

The feeling that the heart is beating hard and often can give various pathologies. Among them the most common:

• – causes a feeling of irregularities, palpitations, fatigue and other disturbances.
• – increases the load on the heart, which can cause a feeling of heavy heartbeat.
• Inflammatory processes in the heart are a fairly rare and very serious pathology.
• Non-inflammatory changes (dystrophy or sclerosis of the myocardium) – dangerous condition which leads to development.
• – increase the load, disrupt the movement of blood in the myocardium, and create conditions for the development of heart failure.

It should be said that after intense physical activity the feeling of a strong heartbeat is completely normal - this natural reaction, and health returns to normal after rest. You should be wary when even light physical activity causes a feeling of palpitations, or the ability to endure physical labor begins to decrease.

In addition, the sensation of heartbeat can occur in healthy children under 7 years of age - this is also normal phenomenon, which passes quickly. If this is not the case, and the feeling of palpitations occurs frequently, intensifying with physical or emotional stress, the baby should be taken to a pediatrician.

Possible additional symptoms

You should pay attention to a number of additional symptoms that occur in the patient along with the feeling of palpitations. This could be fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, darkening of the eyes, etc. These symptoms may indicate the cause of the pathology.

The most common combination is heartbeat and. The mechanism of their occurrence is quite simple - the patient experiences hypoxia, which forces the heart and lungs to work harder. This combination normally occurs after physical activity or emotional experiences - at this time the tissue need for oxygen increases. This combination is also typical for heart defects, dystrophy and inflammatory changes in the myocardium and arterial hypertension.

The combination of palpitations and dizziness indicates oxygen starvation brain.

The appearance of this symptom means that the heart and lungs are unable to cope with their functions of providing the body with oxygen. This feeling can occur after very strong physical exertion, with heart disease, arrhythmias. The appearance of dizziness indicates a severe course of the disease.

Heart pain can occur with any disease circulatory system. Normally not typical. Their appearance is a sign that the heart cannot cope with the load, is experiencing hypoxia and deficiency nutrients. If you have a combination of heavy heartbeat and heart pain, you should make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible, if the patient has not done so earlier.

Danger signs that require a doctor

A constant feeling of palpitations not associated with physical activity (or associated with its low intensity) should be a reason to consult a doctor. If there additional symptoms– shortness of breath, dizziness, pain in the heart, you can’t put off going to the cardiologist.

But in some cases, urgent help is needed:

1. The patient experiences orthostatic reactions (when taking vertical position darkens in the eyes).
2. The heartbeat does not stop at rest for more than half an hour.
3. Arose suddenly, accompanied sharp deterioration well-being.
4. The patient's consciousness is impaired.
5. Heartbeat accompanied severe pain in heart.

In these cases, you need to call an ambulance. The patient should not move - he should sit or lie down; all obstructive clothing (collar, tie, belt) should be unbuttoned. If it is possible to provide an influx of fresh air, you need to do this. The patient should not eat food, but can drink water. You should not take any medications (except nitroglycerin) until your doctor prescribes them.

What to do, what examinations need to be done?

The doctor begins examining the patient with an examination - some heart diseases give a very characteristic external picture. Then the doctor requires auscultation (listening) of the heart - characteristic noises allow experienced specialist make a preliminary diagnosis before receiving test results.

Laboratory data does not always reflect the characteristics of the processes occurring in the heart, but sometimes they can show what was the cause similar condition. The main examination methods in this case are instrumental. simplest instrumental method– tonometry (pressure measurement). But during inflammatory and dystrophic processes it can be normal or even reduced.

One of the very first surveys -. A cardiogram allows you to accurately determine changes in electrical activity hearts. In controversial cases, daily monitoring of electrical impulses is prescribed. It allows you to identify those pathologies that may not be noticeable with a conventional ECG. Most effective for diagnosing arrhythmias.

Echo-CG is necessary to see changes in the structure of the heart.

This study is most informative in the diagnosis of heart defects, blood flow disorders inside the cavities of the heart and large vessels. Also allows you to visualize changes in heart tissue with dystrophic or inflammatory processes, but on early stages may not show anything. In controversial cases, CT or CT is prescribed.

More information You can learn about rapid heartbeat from the video:

Bacteriological blood culture allows diagnosis infectious processes in heart. If they are present, there will definitely be an infection in the blood, and the analysis will identify the pathogen and determine its sensitivity to antibiotics.

Heart biopsy is a complex and dangerous method for the patient. It requires a sample of heart tissue, and based on the results of its examination under a microscope, a diagnosis can be made. dystrophic changes, cardiosclerosis, heart tumors. The method is associated with great risk for the patient, therefore it is prescribed only in cases where less dangerous methods do not produce results.

Features of treatment and prognosis

Treatment depends entirely on the causes of the disease. However, it is possible to identify several general recommendations which will help keep the heart in healthy condition:

• First of all, they relate to diet - the patient needs to reduce the amount of salt and liquid consumed in order to reduce the load on the heart. It is also recommended to exclude fatty foods.
• Second important recommendation– strict dosing of physical activity. They should not be too intense so as not to create excessive stress on the heart, but they should not be completely eliminated. Will be useful hiking, race walking, cycling, easy running. The level of permissible physical activity should be determined by a doctor.

Medicines prescribed by a doctor must be taken strictly at the same time. This is especially true for antiarrhythmic drugs. In this case, the prognosis is relatively favorable - to achieve complete cure usually not possible, but it can improve the patient's quality of life.