HEART RATE GREATER THAN 100 BEATS PER MINUTE, WITH OCCASIONAL SHORTNESS OF BREATH
Description and Possible Medical Problems
If you occasionally feel your heart start to race for a minute or two and then return to normal, and you’re under 50, you have nothing to worry about. Usually, this condition is the result of an excess of caffeine ot stimulant medications, anxiety, or thyroid disease and is not an indication of heart trouble. Only if the rapid heartbeat lasts for more than several minutes should you call your doctor.
If you’re over 50, however, and become short of breath when your heart rate goes above 100 beats per minute, and it lasts for several minutes, you should see your doctor; heart disease may be the cause.
If you’re under 50 and your rapid heartbeat is caused by caffeine, anxiety, or a thyroid disease, your doctor will probably prescribe beta-blockers to slow your rapid heartbeat. Long-term medication will not be used.
If you’re over 50 and develop a rapid heartbeat, your doctor will want to evaluate you for heart disease. An example of a rapid heartbeat that’s the result of heart disease is a trial fibrillation, or atrial flutter; the underlying heart disease will then be monitored with an electrocardiograph or a Holtor monitor and treated with medication such as verapamil, digoxin, or Inderal. In an elderly person, a rapid heartbeat will also be treated with these medications and requires close monitoring in a hospital to help slow the heartbeat. If the rapid heart rate is not slowed, heart failure can result. If an elderly person has had a series of small strokes and now exhibits a rapid heartbeat, the doctor will prescribe an anticoagulant medication such as Coumadin, which will require weekly blood tests after being discharged from the hospital to help determine the correct dosage. Since Coumadin is a potent medication, side effects such as blood in the urine, a black stool, a nosebleed that won’t go away, or any new symptoms that appear anywhere in your body require the immediate attention of a doctor.
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