Symptom 3: Rapid or Irregular Heartbeat (Palpitations)
Palpitations, described as the sensation of a rapid or irregular heartbeat, are another common symptom of diastolic heart failure. When the heart can’t fill with enough blood, it compensates by beating faster in an attempt to pump more blood throughout the body. This compensatory mechanism can lead to a faster than normal heart rate, known as tachycardia.
Initially, these palpitations might be intermittent, but as the disease progresses, they could become more frequent and prominent. The sensation might feel like your heart is pounding, fluttering, or beating irregularly, often for a few minutes at a time.
But palpitations aren’t just about feelings. It’s a sign that your heart is working overtime. This overworking of the heart can lead to further heart muscle remodeling and exacerbate the disease condition. Thus, if you experience heart palpitations, it’s essential to report it to your healthcare provider.
Furthermore, irregular heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, are also associated with heart failure. Atrial fibrillation, the most common arrhythmia, is seen in a significant proportion of patients with diastolic heart failure. Atrial fibrillation can cause symptoms like heart palpitations, fatigue, and shortness of breath, mirroring many of the symptoms of heart failure. (3)
