skipped beat and extra beat?!
Question: hello, what is the difference between skipped heart beats and extra heart beat? is it considered dangerous if it happens once in a while? i am in good shape and i have a very healthy diet, but today i think i felt my heart stop for a split second after carrying some packages up the stairs..is this called skipped or extra heartbeat? and does it always mean that someone has a problem with their heart? thanks.
Answers:
There could have been a variety of things going on when you felt what you describe as a skipped beat. Frequently, when a person has a PVC (premature ventricular contraction), there is a brief pause afterward and this is perceived as a "skipped beat". It is not uncommon for a person to occasionally have PVCs. If the skipped beat feeling you are experiencing is no more than occasional, and is not accompanied by ANY other symptoms such as chest pain, tightness, heaviness, etc., or shortness of breath, nausea, sweating or lightheadedness, than the likelihood is high that your "skipped beats" are benign. However, if you have any symptoms along with the "skipped beats" you need to consult a physician. As for the "extra beats" you describe, those could be PVCs or PACs (premature atrial contractions). When your heart has a normal beat and then a part of the heart that's not supposed to generate beats steps in and does so, it does not follow the rhythm the heart usually stays in. In other words, those beats usually come right on the heels of the beat before them, hence the feeling that you've had an "extra" beat. Again, these beats, if they are infrequent and not accompanied by other symptoms, are usually benign.
HOWEVER.I still urge you to go see your primary care doctor for a checkup. Describe the symptoms. He/she will do an EKG and will decide whether you need to see a cardiologist. Even though I do have medical experience, it is impossible to tell over the internet and from the info. given w/o knowing more about you whether there is actually cause for concern. My gut feeling, though, is that you are going to be fine. Good luck.
Other Answers:
On line, look up tachycardia and also atrial fibrillation. These may answer some of your questions.
Irregular, rarely indicates a problem.
i have the same thing but i was diagnosed as a child with a heart murmur.back then, they said it was harmless but i am thinking of getting it checked out again, afterall that was 25 years ago.i consider it a 'skipped' beat
Skipped heartbeats are normal.or so they tell me when they check my heart. I have had my heart checked regularly because of the heart murmur that you are referring to. Mine is called Mitro Valve Prolapse. They will just keep monitoring me for the rest of my life to make sure it doesn't get out of hand. But so far they just tell me to keep running and eat well and I should be all set. I would imagine the same for you but if you want to be sure I would just get checked for the heck of it.
Good luck and healthy living!
They are called arrhythmias, and can be or become serious, especially if they come on with exercise or physical stress. Your doctor can order a stress test, which involves being hooked up to a heart monitor and recording what happens as you walk on a treadmill that speeds up and increases the gradient (imitates walking uphill).
See: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=560
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