Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with GoogleGet your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
What Causes Fast Heart Rate?
Hello, I am 15 years old. A few weeks ago I was feeling really ill. My symptoms were feeling tired all the time, loss of apatite, a chesty cough and feeling weak. After a while I was getting rather worried after realising my heart was beating very fast. I felt myself waking up in the middle of the night and having to calm down my breathing. I decided to get myself checked out by a doctor and apparently i was badly dehydrated and I had bronchitis. I was put on a drip and was given antibiotics... a few weeks have passed and most of the symptoms have gone accept my heart beating. I wondered if maybe the doctor might have missed something? Should I be worried? Thank you
Thu, 27 Aug 2015
Hello. Welcome to HCM and thank you for your question. I understand your concern.
The situation that you were experiencing that lead you to visit a doctor, was probably mostly from an inflammatory state in the organism, such as bronchitis. Inflammatory states in the organism tend to put the whole organism "machinery" to work, and also high heart rate may be generated. Waking up in the middle of the night with a fast heart rate, often comes from dreams or nightmares, some of us call it "nightmare heart rate". This is because dreams happen in a sleep phase, called the rapid eye movement phase, which is characterized by a spike in adrenalin and noradrenalin levels in the human organism.
If there are remnants of this symptom, they could be still generated with the same mechanism as described above when it wakes you up. Also, if this is a worrisome event to you, and during day you think about it, then it generates a amount of anxiety, which, also, is characterized by a flush of adrenalin in the bloodstream, which results in fast heart rate. If this is the case, my opinion is that there is nothing to worry about. Last, but not least, normal heart rate figures in worldwide population are 60-100 beats per minute.
I hope I was of help. Take care.
Regards,
Dr. Meriton
The situation that you were experiencing that lead you to visit a doctor, was probably mostly from an inflammatory state in the organism, such as bronchitis. Inflammatory states in the organism tend to put the whole organism "machinery" to work, and also high heart rate may be generated. Waking up in the middle of the night with a fast heart rate, often comes from dreams or nightmares, some of us call it "nightmare heart rate". This is because dreams happen in a sleep phase, called the rapid eye movement phase, which is characterized by a spike in adrenalin and noradrenalin levels in the human organism.
If there are remnants of this symptom, they could be still generated with the same mechanism as described above when it wakes you up. Also, if this is a worrisome event to you, and during day you think about it, then it generates a amount of anxiety, which, also, is characterized by a flush of adrenalin in the bloodstream, which results in fast heart rate. If this is the case, my opinion is that there is nothing to worry about. Last, but not least, normal heart rate figures in worldwide population are 60-100 beats per minute.
I hope I was of help. Take care.
Regards,
Dr. Meriton
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer.
For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service
[Sample answer]
Related questions you may be interested in
Loading Online Doctors....