Normal hearts beat 60—100 times every minute. When your heart beats more than 100 times each minute, that’s considered high (called tachycardia in the medical world). Heartbeats fast can last for seconds to hours.
Not all cases of a heart beating so fast are dangerous. Many everyday situations that aren’t related to heart problems can cause your heart to race. These can include the following:
· low blood sugar or low blood pressure
· stress, fear, anxiety, or panic attacks
· heavy exercise
· fevers, anemia, and dehydration
· pregnancy or menstruation
· too much alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine
· illegal drugs like ecstasy, cocaine
If you notice that your heart is beating faster than normal, look for obvious explanations first:
· low blood sugar or low blood pressure
Blood sugar levels change often during the day. When Blood sugar levels drop below 70 mg/DL, this is called having low blood sugar.
Low blood pressure means that your blood pressure is lower than normal. Low pulse doesn't have a particular number where it is excessively low. Most doctors consider blood pressure to be too low when blood pressure is less than 90/60.
· stress, fear, anxiety, or panic attacks
Stress is a normal biological reaction to a potentially dangerous situation. Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any occasion or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body's reaction to a demand or interest. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline
When you encounter sudden stress, your brain floods your body with chemicals and hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. That gets your heart pulsating quicker and sends blood to muscles and important organs. You feel invigorated and have heightened awareness, so you can focus on your immediate needs.
Fear is one of the most powerful and remarkable emotions. It has a very strong effect on your thoughts and body.
You say that you fear that a situation is the case when the situation is unpleasant or undesirable, and when you want to express sympathy, sorrow, or regret about it.
Anxiety is your body's natural response to stress, feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes. Example like increased blood pressure etc.
A panic attack causes sudden, brief feelings of fear and strong physical reactions in response to ordinary, nonthreatening situations. When you're having a panic attack, you may 'sweat' a lot, have difficulty breathing and feel like your heart is hustling. It might feel as though you're having a heart attack. Panic attacks can be very frightening, but they’re not dangerous.
· heavy exercise
Intensity exercises, a physical activity done with a large amount of effort, resulting in a substantially higher heart rate and rapid breathing.
Examples of vigorous activities include:
· running.
· swimming.
· riding a bike fast or on hills.
· walking up the stairs.
· sports, like football, rugby, netball and hockey.
· skipping.
· aerobics.
· gymnastics.
· fevers, anemia, and dehydration
A fever is a body temperature that is higher than normal. A normal temperature can vary from person to person, but it is normally around 98.
Anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells circulating in the body decreases.
Anemia has three fundamental drivers: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, and high rates of red blood cell destruction.
Dehydration is a condition caused by the loss of too much fluid from the body. It happens when you are losing more fluids than you are taking in, and your body does not have enough fluids to work properly.
· pregnancy, or menstruation
Pregnancy, is the process and series of changes that take place in a woman’s organs and tissues as a result of a developing fetus. The entire process from fertilization to birth takes an average of 266–270 days, or about nine months.
Menstruation, is the process in a woman of discharging (through the female genital area) blood and other materials from the lining of the uterus at about one monthly interval from puberty.
· too much alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine
Alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine are the most widely consumed psychotropic drugs worldwide. What does caffeine and nicotine do to your body?
Caffeine and nicotine are both chemicals that affect your brain by increasing focus and physiological arousal. Both can increase blood pressure, making you feel temporarily alert. They have several side effects in common too, such as sleeping disorder and a faster heartbeat.
· illegal drugs like ecstasy, cocaine
When people talk about a “drug problem,” they usually mean abusing legal drugs or using illegal drugs, such as, ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, crystal meth, and heroin to get high
Ecstasy is a powerful, highly addictive drug that affects the central nervous system.
Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that can have serious effects on your health. Cocaine increases myocardial oxygen demand by increasing both heart rate and blood pressure.
But if your heart races a lot—or if you notice your heartbeat is often irregular—then you should consult a doctor.
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