Heart

[Zaida]

Maybe premature atrial contraction? Don't really know.  Wrote in once before. Original concern
was my heart is beating at what appears to be a somewhat regular pace but, after 7 or so beats I felt
this heavy push from my heart, then my heart goes back to a normal beat.  Now this is happening after 25-30 beats when my heart seems to give a heavy push. Seems more prevelent at night during my sleeping hours - 2-4am. I have an `at home blood pressure kit'. My `normal' read is 144/90 at 70 beats per minute. I check in the early morn when I just wake up. I really don't feel extra tired or feel like fainting, but I do feel the need to cough once and a while during these episodes. Doesn't happen
all day long or because I'm up and busy I don't recognize it as much. (?) Any info truly appreciated.

[Artaud]

Hi,

Have you considered Premature Ventricular Contractions? (PVCs)

Are you concerned? Do you have any symptoms, such as pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness, etc.?

Premature Ventricular contractions are very common. Many people experience them without being aware of it. If you take your pulse at your wrist when you feel them, you should be able to feel the delay in your pulse caused by PVCs.

A Premature Ventricular Contraction is a beat that occurs before it should have (based on the normal rate at the time) and is not felt. With the new beat (the PVC) the heart waits from this time until another beat would naturally occur. This is called the Compensatory Pause. During this natural pause, the heart fills with a little more blood than it would have had the PVC not occurred. When the next beat occurs, the heart contracts to expel the blood, which includes this slight additional amount of blood. It is this force that we feel.

Many (if not most) people experience some PVCs in a 24 hour period. Some people have a few, some people have many. During my Holters, I have had as many as 700 Recorded. Some people have 1000s recorded in a 24 hour period.

Sometimes PVCs occur in a pattern. Bigeminy, Trigeminy, Quadrigeminy, etc. (Bi is one normal beat one PVC, Tri is two normal beats and a PVC, Quad is 3 normal beats and a PVC). This may be normal for some people to experience many of these patterns over a 24 hour period)

The important thing is to have them properly diagnosed. Someone that never experiences PVCs that suddenly starts get many of them should be examined at least by their Family Doctor. A person that normally has them and suddenly experiences a significant increase in the number of PVCs should also be examined. Once an individual has been diagnosed and has a feel for what is normal, they can watch for other changes in their symptoms that may signify something more serious, like shortness of breath or lightheadness.

My wife works for my Cardiologist. They get some patients with so many PVCs that she is unable to take the patient's pulse. If everything else (EKG, Stress Test, Echo) is OK with the patient, often nothing more needs to be done for them, even if they have many in 24 hours.

If you have concerns, talk with your Family Doctor about them.

Best of Health to you.

[Damio]

My heartbeat has been visible for a while. I can feel my heart pound out of my chest without my hands on my heart. As an 18 year old girl i dont know how this happened. When i put my hand on the upper-left side of my chest. It shakes and vibrates from my heartbeats.
Do you drink caffeen? Or do you take a certain medicine that made your heart beat like that?