Skipped Heart Beats

Skipped heart beats, medically known as ectopic heartbeat, are caused due to an irregularity in the heart rhythm as well as the heart rate. The person experiencing them may feel as if his heart has skipped or missed a beat. Skipped heat beats are of two kinds, namely, Premature Atrial Contraction (PAC) and Premature Ventricular Complexes (PVC). PAC are the heartbeats that arise from the upper chambers of the heart, known as atria while PVC are the heartbeats that arise from the lower chambers, known as ventricles. If you want to know the causes and treatment methods, then below is some useful information on the same.

Causes

• A person may experience skipped heart beats if the blood supply to his heart decreases due to a condition known as ischemia.
• Chemical imbalances in the blood, such as low potassium levels, is another reason behind skipped heart beats.
• If the oxygen level in the blood falls or if a person has anemia, this condition can be experienced.
• A person who is taking certain medications, such as, thyroid pills, beta blockers, asthma drugs, etc, can experience a change in his heart rhythm too.
• Excess of alcohol, smoking and caffeine can lead to this condition in a person.
• In children as well as adults, it could be due to a heart disease.
• In adults, there has been a link found between anxiety and skipped heart beats. A person suffering from stress and depression is much more likely to get this than a normal person.
• Hyperthyroidism, a condition in which excess of the thyroid hormone is made by the thyroid gland, can lead to skipped heat beats.
• Skipped heart beats after eating could be caused by a medical condition known as Mitral Valve Prolapse, in which the valve of the heart which separates the atrium, i.e left upper chamber from the ventricle, i.e left lower chamber, does not close appropriately.

Treatment

Sometimes, ectopic heartbeats can occur in a person without any apparent reason. And, in majority of cases they are benign and hence, require no treatment at all. But still, contacting a doctor is necessary, to rule out any cardiac problem or other health condition, which might be causing them.

The doctor, first of all, conducts a physical examination of the person to detect an irregular pulse. However, if it is not experienced by the person frequently, a physical examination will fail to detect them. Next, blood tests are undertaken to rule out any abnormalities in the blood. Some other tests that may be conducted are ECG, Echocardiogram, Coronary angiography and ambulatory cardiac monitoring. If these tests diagnose an underlying medical condition as the cause behind skipped heart beats, then treatment to cure the same is undertaken.

To minimize this, a person should reduce his caffeine intake, quit smoking and drinking and take certain measures such as doing yoga to manage his stress and anxiety. By trying not to pay too much attention to the change in heart rhythms, a person can minimize their occurrence too.

Skipped heart beats, as mentioned above, are usually not a cause of serious concern. However, if the pulse becomes more than hundred per minute and is accompanied by symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty in breathing, sweating, and if the person already has a history of illnesses such as diabetes or high blood pressure or heart disease, a doctor should be contacted immediately, as it can prove to be fatal.