Is it dangerous to have a high heart rate? Are you worried about feeling tachycardia? Heart rate alone does not determine the risk of death unless there are associated diseases. It is defined as the number of times the heart beats during one minute and is measured in beats per minute. Tachycardia is considered an increase in the heart rate above its average value, causing the heart not to pump enough blood and, therefore, reducing the amount of oxygen to the entire body. There are many causes related to this issue and risk factors, highlighting exercise, stress, and even a heart attack. At FastlyHealwe will talk to you about high heart rate: causes, symptoms, and consequences.
Table of Contents
High heart rate: causes
The standard heart rate of the human being should oscillate between 60 beats per minute and 100 beats per minute as a range established worldwide and can be affected by different factors throughout life. The heart rate has certain variations; after birth, the Heart rate is much higher due to the body’s increased activity, decreasing from the first month of life until it stabilizes and remains stable after 20 years of age.
Many factors or stimuli can cause the heart rate during the day to vary. However, for the body to function optimally, the heart must pump sufficient blood to all the organs at certain blood pressure and a specific heart rate.
The causes of high heart rate, that is, above 100 beats per minute, are:
- Being exposed to strong emotions can cause your heart to beat faster than usual, increasing your heart rate. According to an article published by the Spanish journal of cardiology [1] concerning emotional regulation and heart rate variation, where 101 healthy people from a private Spanish company were studied, it was concluded that the ability to regulate emotions allows them to respond adequately to the demands of the environment, reducing the impact of negative emotions and age on cardiovascular health, taking into account heart rate variability as a reliable tool to assess health.
- An anxiety attack is also related to the appearance of high HR.
- Activity with sexual intercourse or exercise is a common cause of increased heart rate.
Likewise, there are also other possible causes of elevated heart rate:
- In the presence of fever, as a compensatory mechanism.
- Some medications have a high heart rate as a side effect.
- Alcohol and caffeine are also widely related to this process.
- Primary diseases such as heart failure, some conditions related to the heart valves, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure can lead to an increased heart rate.
- Anemia.
- Hyperthyroidism.
- Diabetes.
- Drug use.
- Age.
- Family background.
- Menstruation.
Symptoms of a high heart rate
Tachycardia is related to the presence of specific symptoms such as:
- Palpitations in the chest.
- Dizziness
- I was feeling short of breath or shortness of breath.
- Fainting.
- Daze.
- Tremors
- Coldness.
- Pallor.
- Blurry vision.
All this is produced by the insufficiency in blood and oxygen pumping to the rest of the body due to the increase in heart rate.
In addition to the associated symptoms, to know if we have a high heart rate, it is essential to be able to measure it for a specific time. This is achieved by touching the pulse on the wrist, neck, or groin region and counting each beat during one consecutive minute to obtain the total heart rate per minute or beats per minute.
Consequences of a high heart rate
An elevated heart rate brings complications or consequences that depend on the type of tachycardia and the speed and duration in which the heart rate remains high. In addition to this, complications are related to the presence or not of other diseases:
- The possible consequence of keeping your heart rate elevated is that blood clots can develop, leading to a stroke or heart attack.
- Another necessary consequence is that the inability of the heart to pump enough blood and oxygen to the rest of the body can be triggered, called what is known as heart failure.
- In addition, fainting can occur frequently.
- It is known that the increase in heart rate increases the volume of the heartbeat, conditioning the rise in blood pressure.
- Finally, sudden death is mentioned as one of the complications of increased heart rate. This is related to a pathology called ventricular fibrillation.
Tachycardia: what to do
Likewise, to maintain a stable heart rate and avoid all complications related to variations in its average values, it is recommended:
- Get regular exercise.
- Eat healthy, including vegetables, fruits, and greens.
- Reduce your salt intake.
- Avoid cigarette and drug use.
- Avoid excessive consumption of coffee and alcohol.
To achieve an effective and accurate diagnosis, you should see a doctor immediately as soon as symptoms of high heart rate or tachycardia appear; medical attention in time and adequately can reduce the complications that an increase in heart rate brings.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to High heart rate: causes, symptoms, and consequences, we recommend that you enter our category of Blood, heart, and circulation.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.