What is it about ?
The heart is made up of two upper chambers (the atria) and two lower chambers (the ventricles). The heart muscle contracts under the impulse of an electrical stimulus. This electric current originates in the sinus node, a collection of cells found in the right atrium. From the sinus node, the current travels to the muscle of the heart by a special electrical conduction system.
The muscle in the heart chambers contracts when current hits it. Normally, the heart beats between 60 and 100 times per minute. If the heart rate is over 100 beats per minute, it is called tachycardia.
In the case of a sinus tachycardia, the increased heart rate is caused by overactivity of a normal sinus. Usually, it is not considered a real heart rhythm disorder, but rather as a response of the body to a stressful situation.
This increased heart rate can occur in healthy people as a reaction to physical exertion, psychological stress, anxiety, pain or fever. But sinus tachycardia can also be caused by an underlying condition, such as overactive thyroid, dehydration, anemia, a shortness of breath, a heart failure, a inflammation of the heart muscle, side effects of certain medications …
How to recognize it?
Sinus tachycardia begins and ends gradually, and the heartbeat is regular. It looks like palpitations that appear and gradually go away. Sometimes you can feel your heart pounding in your chest.
How is the diagnosis made?
Besides theauscultation of the heart, the doctor will always base himself on the ECG. The ECG (electrocardiogram) is a recording that shows the electrical activity of the heart. In sinus tachycardia, this electrical activity is normal, it is simply faster.
Since sinus tachycardia can be a sign of an underlying condition, (eg. anemia, a poor functioning of the thyroid gland…), The doctor will take a blood test to exclude it.
What can you do ?
You may experience palpitations when you are under stress, when you are under pressure, when you do strenuous physical activity, or when you are very anxious. But if the palpitations occur while at rest for no apparent reason, you should contact your doctor for further examinations.
What can your doctor do?
Your doctor will first investigate the cause of the sinus tachycardia before starting treatment.
Healthy people with sinus tachycardia without an underlying condition, often young women, usually do not need treatment except in very severe cases. Sometimes all it takes is an explanation from the doctor about the condition and reassurance that the structure of the heart is not affected to relieve stress and anxiety.
Regular exercise also lowers the heart rate while resting. If you have a lot of heart palpitations, treatment that lowers the heart rate, such as beta blockers, may be considered.
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