Heat and Palpitations

  Dear Dr. after finding this forum i can relax a bit more.
  I do suffer from anxiety,panic dis order and palpitations. Most of my life...I am a 41 year old female My question is does heat affect palpitations?? It seems when it is hot and humid out side i get palpitions more frequently. One afternoon i had been working like a dog in the heat painting and cleaning apt.I was sweating and over worked...It was hot out and when i walked into an apartment that was even hotter my heart began to beat irregularly...I barely made it to the truck to run to the emergency room....i turned on the ac and began to breathe the cold air which helped me alot...they took my blood pressure and it was a little high, but not too high. By the time i got to the ER my heart was beating like normal. I know i over did it, but i seem to be heat sensitive and i always dread the summer??? I dont have medical ins... I did have an operation for a hysterectomy and my heart did ok...???  If i over exert my self in the heat i will sometimes get irregular heart beats??? Sometimes not?? I know i am out of shape but was curious to how the heat affects my heart??? Is this heat exhaustion that has made me heat sensitive???  I am a hot natured individual and dont tolerate heat very well.
  Also when i dont eat and i am out in the heat i get real weak, and my heart pounds in my chest?? Thank you for your time reading my question...Sincerely Mary

[CCF Cardio MD - MTR]

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Dear Mary, thank you for your question.  Any type of stress including dehydration, high temperatures, long periods between eating, and hard work can precipitate palpitations.  Palpitations are caused by premature beats of the atria and ventricles that are most often entirely benign and not harmful.  Other common precipitants of palpitations are alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.  My best advice to you is to avoid situations that may precipitate palpitations and if they do occur, relax and don't worry too much.  
I hope you find this information useful.  Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only.  Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.  Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter.   The Heart
Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.