In life, many people have experienced the feeling of panic and chest tightness - the chest is like being pressed by a big stone.
While most of the time is relieved in a few moments, you may be worried: Do you have a heart condition?
"Life Times" invited experts to interpret which diseases are related to palpitation and chest tightness, and remind you to seek medical attention as soon as possible in several situations.
Experts interviewed
Zhang Mei, deputy chief physician of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shou County People's Hospital, Anhui Province
Cheng Kanglin, Chief Physician of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University
Palpitation, chest tightness, see 3 types of cardiovascular disease
If you experience symptoms of palpitation and tightness from time to time, it may be that your body is sending us a signal that there may be a problem with your cardiovascular system.
The heart is "crying tired"
Increased physical activity and mood swings cause the heart to beat faster and need more oxygen and energy to function properly.
If you are overloaded or your muscles are not functioning properly, your heart will "cry tired" in a special way – panic and tightness in your chest.
For example, when you suddenly feel a dull chest and a racing heart after a mountain climb, a game, or a hearty dinner is in high spirits, it may be that your heart is working too hard, and this discomfort is even more pronounced if the blood supply is persistently low or functionally limited.
In the face of the heart's cry for help, the first task is to immediately stop the current activity and rest in a quiet and comfortable environment. Try taking deep breaths to help your body relax and relieve tension.
If symptoms persist after rest, or even show signs of worsening, seek medical attention immediately.
arrhythmia
Arrhythmia refers to the abnormal frequency or rhythm of the heart's beat, which belongs to a large group of heart diseases, and about 20 million patients in mainland China are suffering from it, among which premature beats and atrial fibrillation are particularly common.
- Premature beats refer to the heart's early beats in the normal beating rhythm, patients may feel that the heartbeat suddenly skips or skips a beat, and some people may have a "sense of falling" in the precordial area, palpitations, dizziness, fatigue and other manifestations.
- Atrial fibrillation is a rapid and irregular flutter of the atrium, causing the heart to be unable to pump blood properly, causing symptoms such as palpitation and chest tightness.
Although some arrhythmias have less of an impact on the human body, some conditions may cause fainting, difficulty breathing, and even life-threatening.
Occasional arrhythmias can be relieved by reducing coffee intake, avoiding strenuous exercise, and seeking medical attention as soon as possible if symptoms persist for a long time.
- A simple way to initially diagnose arrhythmias is to feel the pulse, which is often indicative of arrhythmias if the pulse was too fast, too slow, or irregular;
- Clinically, ECG can definitively diagnose most arrhythmias;
- Holter monitoring can continuously record the heart's beating for 24~48 hours and capture paroxysmal arrhythmias.
Early blockage of blood vessels
Early symptoms of blood vessel blockage include chest tightness, shortness of breath, chest pain, and some patients may experience symptoms of syncope and rapid heartbeat.
When the blood vessels are blocked, the blood can not flow normally, the blood supplying the coronary arteries is significantly reduced, or even cannot supply blood normally, resulting in insufficient blood supply and oxygen supply to the heart, and then symptoms such as chest tightness.
Among the risk factors associated with death from coronary heart disease, unhealthy diet ranked first, followed by hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, smoking, overweight, or obesity.
Therefore, a balanced diet, moderate exercise, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, and maintaining mental health are all important ways to prevent blood vessel blockage. For people who already have a blockage in their blood vessels, regular check-ups and medication as prescribed by your doctor are recommended.
Panic is not just a "disease" of the heart
In addition to direct heart problems, there are also some diseases or physiological stages that are prone to palpitation.
menopause
Before and after menopause, the secretion of female hormones is disordered, and the internal environment of the body is changed, resulting in blood lipid levels and coagulation function. Women at this stage have mood swings and are prone to irritability, which is not good for heart health.
Some women often experience some heart problems around menopause, such as occasional premature beats or some minor ECG problems.
Therefore, menopausal women should be psychologically prepared for physical changes to reduce their psychological burden, and should appropriately strengthen exercise, work and rest on time, and avoid excessive fatigue.
Thyroid disease
The hormones secreted by the thyroid gland have a regulatory effect on heart contraction. When it goes wrong, it will affect and stimulate the "enzymes" in the body's heart muscle cells, resulting in electrophysiological abnormalities, leading to arrhythmias and other problems, and in severe cases, hyperthyroid heart disease or aggravated heart failure.
If there are often symptoms such as irritability, palpitations, heat intolerance, excessive sweating, increased appetite, and protruding eyes, it is necessary to be alert to whether you have hyperthyroidism.
On the contrary, if you often have symptoms such as fatigue, cold intolerance, drowsiness, bradycardia, constipation, etc., or feel that the whole person is not energetic, you should suspect hypothyroidism and should seek medical attention in time.
anaemia
When anemia is severe, symptoms such as fatigue, headache, dizziness, and palpitation may also manifest, and it can be adjusted according to the situation by taking medication according to the doctor's instructions.
Do 3 points to prevent serious illness
Respiratory problems (such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.), digestive system problems (such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, etc.), and mental and psychological problems (such as anxiety, depression, etc.) may be disguised as cardiovascular diseases, causing panic and chest tightness, which is very confusing.
Therefore, palpitations and tightness should be viewed as an overall health alert, rather than being viewed as a limited view of these symptoms.
It is recommended to do the following to prevent the occurrence of major diseases:
Pay attention to your body's signals
Don't ignore any uncomfortable sensations, they could be a distress signal from your body. If symptoms persist or worsen, you should seek medical help from a medical professional.
Stick to healthy habits
Maintain cardiovascular health through a balanced diet, moderate exercise, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol.
Have regular medical check-ups
Regular check-ups can detect potential health problems early and take action accordingly. ▲
Editor of this issue: Zhang Yu
Copyright Notice: This article is the original of "Life Times" and is not reproduced without authorization.