Um, bad heart beat?

[bwgan]

This is something happens like every other day, if that, once a week. *shrug* I don't know if it's bad, something to ask a doctor about, so I shall post it on here, and get some opinions! Hopefully good ones. ^_^

Okay, so, I could be doing anything, just sitting here, walking, whatever, breathing normally, and my heart, it feels like it flips over in my chest, or maybe it's skipping a beat. I don't know. It doesn't hurt or anything, it just kinda surprised me and makes me catch my breath. :S

Is it a bad thing? should I talk to someone about it? What would I say?

[janie]

I experience that occasionally, too. I'd just go to see a doctor about it. :) A cardiologist told me I have a premature heart beat (I think that's what it's called), which means it feels like it's skipping sometimes. They told me it's a common thing for younger people, so maybe that's what you have going on.

Again, talk to a doctor and see what they think! They'll probably ask you some questions, like how often you experience the "skipping," and listen to your heart beat. Hopefully, and most likely, it isn't anything to worry about. :)

[bwgan]

Oh, okay. That's not bad. ^_^ Thank you muchly for the advice!

[janie]

You're welcome! But don't take my personal experience as your own - please talk to a doctor. :)

[MZCsmpsns]

My heart did that a lot... i had pains & such eventually w/it... i got an echocardiogram & turned out i've got mitral valve prolapse, which i'm now on meds for...
I suggest talking to your doctor and requesting tests (i had an um EKG that came out normal... x-rays, etc... didn't find anything until the ECG) So get the whole shabang until ya figure out what's wrong, if anything. It wouldn't hurt to keep a log of the "skipping": when it happens, what you were doing before/when it happens, etc...and take that w/you to the doc. Be sure to notify your doctor of your diet and exercise, family history, if you've done/do drugs, have or had eating disorders, etc... (not assuming you do drugs or have an ED, just definitly tell them if you do/have) GL and keep us posted!!

[IamJen]

Definitely see a doc, just to make sure because, um it's your heart, which is um, kinda important. :)

But yeah, palpitations, etc. are really very common. I just discovered one myself within the past few months.

[bstutzma]

mitral valve prolapse is pretty common, sounds like it could be that. It sometimes requires some watching, othertimes, its ok. A friend of mine had what he thought was mitral valve prolapse but he started losing a lot of weight - turns out there was a leak in his heart and it had enlarged to twice its normal size. He had a valves replaced and now has a metal valve at 25. My advice - don't mess around with the heart. An EKG is so easy to get, your doctor can determine if you need one.

I have a strong sinus arrhythmia that sometimes feels like a beat is skipping, but it is not painful and does not ever make me catch my breath.

[janie]

Question for everyone: can an EKG pick up on a mitral valve prolapse?

[bstutzma]

*I AM NOT A DOCTOR*

Veggiejanie, as far as I know, an EKG can SOMETIMES pick up on it, but not always. You might need an echocardiogram for that. That is what a friend of mine who has MVP has told me, but I cannot confirm this.

[IamJen]

I think it depends. If there's some doubt, I'd guess that they'd do an echocardiogram.

[MZCsmpsns]

Question for everyone: can an EKG pick up on a mitral valve prolapse?

I believe in some cases it might be able to (i'm honestly not sure though)... mine didn't though... it took an echocardiogram to determine that.

MVP is typically a minor problem (many ppl go basically their entire lives w/out knowing they have it)... usually just requires antibiotics before surgerys and dental cleanings, as well as being heart healthy (which ppl should be regardless)... some require valve replacements, depends on how serious it is. Mine is somewhere in between and an EKG didn't detect it. I'd suggest at LEAST both (EKC & ECG) if chest pains are occuring in anyone.

[janie]

Thanks for your answers, everyone. :)

I asked this without remembering that I had both an EKG (several times, actually) and an echocardiogram. Sorry. :p

[karenlovessnow]

I also have premature beats and know exactly what you are referring to. It does feel like your heart is skipping a beat. It's actually the premature beat which causes the next beat to feel like it's taking longer to beat but it's actually not. Because the premature beat is early, there is a longer time frame for the next beat which is actually beating at it's regularly scheduled time. Something like this:

^ = heartbeat
.... = time in between beats


^....^....^..^......^....^....^..^......^....^.... ^

The premature beats are in red. There are only two dots in between the beats which causes the feeling of a pause until the next beat. The hard thump that some people feel is your natural pacemaker resetting itself.
This is how it was explained to me by my cardiologist. I also have supraventricular tachycardia which causes my heart to race up to 240 beats per minute at any given time, with or without strenuous activity. I had a procedure done to help rectify it and I also take a beta adrenalin blocker which keeps it under control. You should definitely have some tests done to see if there is some underlying cause for what you are feeling. Some conditions, like MVP require that you take antibiotics before having dental work. I had multiple EKGs which did not pick up my conditon. You can wear a 24 hour holter monitor which can help detect abnormalities in heart rythym. I wore an event monitor for 30 days which was the best thing I could have done since my heart decided to behave itself while I was on the 24 hour one.
It can be very unsettling but usually it is nothing to worry about. Make an appointment and have it checked it out. :)

[Sauteedbeans]

Hi:
I would go talk to my doc if I were you.
I have rapid heartbeat. My heart beat would once in a while go crazy. The rhythm is all wrong. I had it since I was little and it would kick in for a few seconds and then stop. But after I turned 40, they would last a long time. Once it got so bad for so long, they rushed me to the emergency room. It eventually stopped on it's own. My cardiologist explained to me that there is a circuit in the heart constantly. There is a short in mine and therefore, causing the irregularity. I have to take a pill everyday for the rest of my life to regulate my heartbeat. It slows down my heart beat as well. It hasn't happened since I am on meds. It does try to start up occasionally. But it would always die back down. So I too get that one skip in my heart rate. My doc said my heart muscle is strong. But definitely, need to watch it. Rapid heartbeat can lead to heart attack if go on for a long time.
So, go get it checked and find out why you have the skip. Take care.

[IamJen]

bw..have you been to the doctor?

[Lothar M Kirsch]

I believe in some cases it might be able to (i'm honestly not sure though)... mine didn't though... it took an echocardiogram to determine that.

MVP is typically a minor problem (many ppl go basically their entire lives w/out knowing they have it)... usually just requires antibiotics before surgerys and dental cleanings, as well as being heart healthy (which ppl should be regardless)... some require valve replacements, depends on how serious it is. Mine is somewhere in between and an EKG didn't detect it. I'd suggest at LEAST both (EKC & ECG) if chest pains are occuring in anyone.
MVP is diagnosed by echocardiogramm.
Sensible diagnosis would include an ECG - diagnosis possible no further tests, but more probably requring a 24-h-Holter-ECG to determine what kind of arrhythmia there is (harmless or not) and then the echocardiogramm to see, if a MVP is the reason behind.