Heart palpitations and shortness of breath are generally normal responses to physical activity, such as after exercising. However, for some people, these symptoms could be warning signs of certain medical conditions—ranging from mental health issues like anxiety to more serious problems such as a heart attack.
Contents
Causes of Heart Palpitations and Shortness of Breath
Several conditions may cause symptoms of heart palpitations and shortness of breath, including:
1. Anxiety
Heart palpitations and shortness of breath can occur when you’re experiencing anxiety. Anxiety activates the body’s autonomic nervous system, which controls key bodily functions like breathing, digestion, and heart rate.
As a result, when you’re in an anxiety-inducing situation, your body may react with symptoms such as a racing heart, rapid breathing, fatigue, cold sweats, muscle tension, trembling, and digestive issues like bloating or diarrhea.
If you frequently experience anxiety without a clear trigger or for extended periods, it’s best to consult a doctor. It may indicate an anxiety disorder or panic disorder that requires medical treatment.
2. Panic Attack
A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear or anxiety. While panic attacks are not life-threatening, frequent or untreated episodes can impact your quality of life and mental well-being.
Common symptoms of a panic attack include a sudden surge of fear or dread, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. You might also feel chest pain, impending doom, sweating, shaking, weakness, dizziness, nausea, and stomach discomfort.
People who regularly experience panic attacks may have a panic disorder, which should be treated with medical support.
3. Heart Attack
Heart attack symptoms can closely resemble those of a panic attack. However, unlike panic attacks, heart attacks can be fatal. The heart needs a constant supply of blood carrying oxygen and nutrients. A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to part of the heart muscle is blocked, causing damage or death to the affected area.
Heart attacks are serious and potentially life-threatening. While they can strike suddenly, they often result from longstanding heart disease.
Typical symptoms include chest pain and tightness that may radiate to the jaw, neck, shoulders, back, or upper abdomen. Heart palpitations and shortness of breath may also be accompanied by excessive sweating, fatigue, dizziness, and digestive issues like nausea or vomiting.
4. Heart Failure
Heart failure happens when the heart is unable to pump blood effectively throughout the body. This usually results from a heart that is too weak or too stiff. Heart failure doesn’t mean the heart has stopped completely; rather, it needs extra help to function properly.
The main symptom of heart failure is shortness of breath, either after physical activity or while resting. Other signs include dizziness, fainting, and swelling in the legs or ankles. Heart failure can develop rapidly (acute heart failure) or gradually over weeks or months (chronic heart failure). Some people may also experience depression and anxiety as part of this condition.
5. Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart beats irregularly and often very quickly, increasing the risk of blood clots forming in the heart. This happens when the upper chambers of the heart (atria) beat out of sync with the lower chambers (ventricles).
Atrial fibrillation raises the risk of heart-related complications, such as stroke and heart failure. Some people may not experience symptoms, but when they do occur, they can include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Other symptoms may include chest pain, dizziness, reduced exercise capacity, and weakness.
How to Treat Heart Palpitations and Shortness of Breath
Treatment depends on the underlying cause.
- If it’s due to stress, identifying and managing stress triggers can help.
- Heart palpitations and shortness of breath after strenuous activity or exercise typically improve with rest.
- If symptoms arise after taking certain medications, inform your doctor so they can adjust your prescription.
- For those with anxiety disorders or panic attacks, treatment may involve anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications along with psychotherapy.
- Heart palpitations and shortness of breath due to heart failure may require lifestyle changes, medications, implantable devices to regulate heart rhythm, or surgery.
- Treatment for atrial fibrillation may involve medication, cardioversion (resetting the heart’s rhythm), or surgical procedures such as catheter ablation.
If these symptoms are signs of a heart attack, it is a medical emergency requiring immediate attention. To prevent future heart attacks, your doctor may recommend blood thinners, a stent procedure, or bypass surgery.
Your doctor will discuss the most appropriate treatment based on your health condition to help manage heart palpitations and shortness of breath effectively.
If you have further concerns, don’t hesitate to consult a medical professional.
Mandaya Advanced Heart & Vascular Center: A State-of-the-Art Cardiac Center
Mandaya Royal Hospital Puri features an Integrated Heart Center equipped with advanced facilities, comprehensive services, and a multidisciplinary medical team. For cases of heart palpitations and shortness of breath caused by atrial fibrillation, Mandaya Royal Hospital Puri offers Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA), performed by an arrhythmia consultant cardiologist, dr. Sebastian Andi Manurung, Sp.JP, Subsp.Ar (K), FIHA.
In addition to PFA, Mandaya’s Integrated Heart Center is also equipped to perform 2D and 3D cardiac ablation, pacemaker implantation, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, and coronary stent placement.
Furthermore, the center is supported by a team of experienced and highly skilled cardiologists who specialize in treating heart disorders in both adults and children.
