Many people feel sudden tremors in their hearts. This unpleasant sensation most often occurs after emotional experiences. It always causes panic in patients. There are alarming thoughts about severe cardiac pathologies. What can be associated with such a symptomatology? And how to get rid of tremors in the chest from the inside? We will answer these questions in the article.
What it is?
Normally, a person does not feel a heartbeat. But there are cases when there is an untimely contraction of the heart muscle. It is at this moment that the patient feels increased tremors of the heart. Doctors call this condition extrasystole.
This phenomenon is also observed in completely healthy people. It can occur against the background of stress and emotional experiences. About 70% of young people at least once experienced extrasystole. After the age of 50, the number of such patients increases to 90%.
Most often, extrasystole is not associated with cardiovascular disease. However, in some cases, tremors in the heart can be one of the signs of a cardiological pathology. Moreover, they are always accompanied by additional symptoms.
Types of extrasystole
Extrasystole may have a different origin. In medicine, the following varieties of this condition are distinguished:
Sometimes tremors in the heart appear for no apparent reason. In this case, doctors talk about idiopathic extrasystole.
Functional extrasystole
As already mentioned, often in healthy people there are tremors in the heart. The reason for this may be the following conditions of the body:
- stress
- binge eating;
- intense sports training;
- smoking;
- reception of alcoholic beverages;
- abuse of strong tea and coffee;
- menstrual period in women.
Functional extrasystole can also develop with the following diseases:
- neurosis;
- depressive disorders;
- VVD;
- cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis.
Functional extrasystole is most often found in young people. In most cases, it disappears after the normalization of lifestyle and the exclusion of neurogenic factors.
Organic extrasystole
Organic extrasystole develops against a background of cardiological pathologies:
- coronary heart disease;
- cardiomyopathies;
- cardiosclerosis;
- myocardial infarction;
- myocarditis;
- pericarditis;
- heart defects;
- pulmonary heart.
Tremors in the heart of organic origin occur in people over 50 years old. This condition requires complex treatment.
Toxic extrasystole
Toxic extrasystole occurs with severe fever or with thyrotoxicosis. This condition may also be a side effect of the following drugs:
- antidepressants;
- corticosteroids;
- cardiac glycosides;
- bronchodilators;
- psychostimulants;
- diuretics;
- sympathizers.
Toxic extrasystole can develop at any age. It disappears only after curing intoxication of the body or discontinuation of drugs.
The main symptoms
The main sign of extrasystole is a feeling of a strong push of the heart into the chest from the inside. After this, there is a pause in the work of the heart muscle. It is necessary to normalize the rhythm. The patient feels this as a sinking heart.
Extrasystole is also accompanied by the following symptoms:
- weakness
- severe anxiety and panic;
- feeling of lack of air;
- hot flashes.
Tremors in the heart at rest are characteristic of a functional extrasystole. If the symptoms appear during physical exertion, then this indicates the organic origin of the pathology. With heart disease, signs of extrasystole never appear at rest.
Additional symptoms
If extrasystole is organic in nature, then it leads to a decrease in the release of blood from the heart. This causes disorders of the heart, kidney and cerebral circulation. An attack of extrasystole is accompanied not only by sudden tremors in the heart, but also by additional symptoms:
- pressing chest pain (angina pectoris);
- dizziness
- speech disorders;
- weakness of the muscles of the limbs;
- fainting.
Neurological symptoms are more characteristic for patients with atherosclerosis, and angina attacks occur in patients with cardiac ischemia.
Possible complications
How dangerous is extrasystole? Even if this disorder is functional in nature, it cannot be ignored. Frequent attacks with a sensation of tremors and a sinking heart lead to a violation of the blood supply to the brain, heart and kidneys.
Serious complications can lead to extrasystole associated with cardiac pathologies. It can cause severe heart failure:
- atrial flutter;
- atrial fibrillation;
- paroxysmal tachycardia.
Frequent attacks of extrasystole, accompanied by untimely contraction of the ventricles of the heart, are especially dangerous. This can lead to a serious condition - ventricular flutter, which often causes a sudden fatal outcome.
Diagnostics
Examination of the patient always begins with a medical history. It is necessary to find out under what circumstances tremors occur. If the attack develops at rest, this suggests the functional nature of the disease. If tremors and fading occur during or after physical exertion, then, most likely, this is due to organic changes.
A pulse measurement and auscultation are also performed. This allows you to determine premature heart contraction followed by a pause in his work.
The most accurate method for diagnosing extrasystole is an electrocardiogram. It is this examination that allows you to identify deviations in the contraction of the heart muscle. If heart disease is suspected, daily ECG monitoring is performed.
Sometimes the ECG does not show signs of extrasystole, however, the patient complains of a sensation of points in the chest from the inside. In such cases, an electrocardiogram with a stress test is performed. Concomitant cardiac pathologies are detected using ultrasound and MTR of the heart, as well as Echo-KG.
Treatment
The choice of treatment method depends on the form of extrasystole. The tremors and fading of the heart disappear only after eliminating their cause.
If such symptoms appear occasionally, then this does not require special treatment. It is enough to normalize your lifestyle. You should give up alcohol, smoking, drinking strong tea and coffee. It is also necessary to avoid excessive emotional and physical overload.
If the extrasystole is provoked by a neurosis, chronic stress or depression, then it is necessary to take plant-based sedatives based on valerian, motherwort or lemon balm. With toxic extrasystole, it is necessary to cancel the medication taken or reduce their dosage.
If tremors are provoked by cardiological diseases, then antiarrhythmic drugs are prescribed:
- "Obzidan";
- Verapamil;
- Allapinin;
- "Metoprolol".
These medications are symptomatic treatments. They do not last long and help only temporarily normalize the heart rate. You can completely get rid of extrasystole attacks only after curing the underlying cardiovascular pathology.
Physiotherapeutic treatment is indicated for extrasystole on the background of osteochondrosis. Patients are prescribed therapeutic massage sessions. This helps to improve the blood supply to the heart muscle.
All patients with extrasystole are recommended to include dried fruits, seaweed, potatoes in the diet. These products contain potassium, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the heart muscle.
Prevention
How to prevent the occurrence of tremors in the heart? If extrasystole is provoked by cardiac pathologies, then you need to carefully monitor your condition. You need to be regularly observed by a cardiologist and undergo an electrocardiographic examination.
The following measures will help prevent the occurrence of functional heart rhythm disorders:
- refusal of bad habits and the use of coffee;
- avoidance of excessive physical exertion;
- following a diet rich in potassium and magnesium.
These recommendations will help reduce the likelihood of heart discomfort.