Symptom 10: Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations, those unexpected flutters and noticeable heartbeats, can be more than just an oddity. These sensations of your heart pounding, racing, or skipping beats are often benign, but in the backdrop of PanNETs, they acquire a different hue of significance.
The pancreas, while primarily known for its digestive role, also partakes in hormone production. PanNETs can induce an overproduction of certain hormones, causing an imbalanced hormonal orchestra. Among these, the excess production of stress-related hormones or those affecting electrolyte balance can precipitate heart palpitations. The direct link lies in the way these hormones influence heart rate and rhythm.
While the sensation of palpitations is universally understood, its manifestations can vary. Some might feel them in the throat or neck, while others experience them right in the chest. Occurring sporadically or in response to certain triggers like caffeine or stress, palpitations might also be accompanied by dizziness or shortness of breath. However, it’s crucial to differentiate between palpitations rooted in PanNETs versus those sprouting from other factors.
Identifying palpitations linked to PanNETs involves a combination of cardiac and endocrine evaluations. While ECGs and Holter monitors map the heart’s rhythm, blood tests spotlight the hormone levels. When there’s a consistent overlap of heart anomalies with elevated hormone markers, PanNETs inch closer to the diagnosis’s forefront.(10)
