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Why heart rate increases suddenly?
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Cardiac & Vascular Health
Question #12393
45 days ago
78

Why heart rate increases suddenly? - #12393

Amara

I am kinda freaked out right now because my heart rate just suddenly spikes sometimes, like outta nowhere! Last week, I was just chilling at home, watching Netflix, when all of a sudden my heart started racing like crazy. I mean, it felt like I was running a marathon or something! I tried to breathe slowly, but that didn’t help much. I checked my pulse and it was racing at like 120 beats per minute. Why heart rate increases suddenly like that? I didn't even feel anxious. And then, just as quickly as it started, it went back down to normal after a few minutes. I thought maybe I was just dehydrated or something, but I’ve been drinking water. I also noticed that when I exercise, my heart rate increases as expected, but I totally understood that. But this sudden increase—like, it just comes outta the blue! I feel a little embarrassed sharing this, but I can’t help but wonder, is this something serious? Could it be some kinda arrhythmia? Ugh, my friends told me to go see a doctor, but I figured I’d ask you guys first. Anyone else experienced something similar? Why heart rate increases suddenly? What could be causing this?

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Doctors’ responses

Heart rate spikes that occur unexpectedly can certainly feel unsettling. While there are many situations where a heart rate might rise, especially during exercise or stress, sudden increases without an obvious trigger need careful consideration. One common explanation for these episodes is an arrhythmia—an irregular heartbeat. Conditions like supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) can cause heart rates to suddenly soar, often over 100-150 beats per minute. Since these episodes resolve on their own and you mentioned they last only a few minutes, SVT is a possible candidate. There are other potential causes too, like caffeine or alcohol intake, medications, electrolyte imbalances, and less commonly, thyroid imbalances. Anxiety can also be a culprit, even if you don’t consciously feel anxious at that time. It’s important to track when these episodes occur, what you were doing, eating, or what stress you might have been under at that time. Keeping a journal can be quite helpful when discussing your symptoms with a healthcare professional. I suggest making an appointment with a doctor to discuss these occurrences. They may recommend tests such as an ECG or a Holter monitor to capture your heart rhythm over a period of time. If the episodes are more frequent or accompanied by other symptoms like dizziness, chest pain, or shortness of breath, it’s wise to seek care more urgently. Meanwhile, staying hydrated and avoiding excessive caffeine or alcohol might help reduce the frequency of these events. Taking these steps can help you and your doctor get a clearer picture of what’s going on.

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