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What Causes Heart Palpitations And Chest Tightness While Working Without Eating?

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Posted on Wed, 16 Dec 2015
Question: when I go 5 hours without eating then do something strenuous get racing heart with tightness in chest



doctor
Answered by Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (10 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Low blood sugar

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

If you do not eat for 5 hours and do strenous activity your blood sugar level will drop little further to a critical range where there is sympathetic activity that starts. With this the heart races and this is a normal physiologic mechanism.

If you are diabetic, heart disease survivor, hypertensive you need a thorough evaluation by your doctor for any new symptom like this. If not this can be a normal physiology. So you should not stay for so long without eating and cannot continue doing strenous work.

Hope this clarifies.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (11 minutes later)
also extreme thirst follows
doctor
Answered by Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (5 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Yes part of it

Detailed Answer:
Exhaustion is followed by thirst. This is because of shift of intracellular and extracell fluids.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. V. N. S. Parinam

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 1727 Questions

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What Causes Heart Palpitations And Chest Tightness While Working Without Eating?

Brief Answer: Low blood sugar Detailed Answer: Hi, If you do not eat for 5 hours and do strenous activity your blood sugar level will drop little further to a critical range where there is sympathetic activity that starts. With this the heart races and this is a normal physiologic mechanism. If you are diabetic, heart disease survivor, hypertensive you need a thorough evaluation by your doctor for any new symptom like this. If not this can be a normal physiology. So you should not stay for so long without eating and cannot continue doing strenous work. Hope this clarifies.