Sign 2. Rapid Heartbeat: The Heart’s Cry for Help
The sensation of a rapid or irregular heartbeat often puts people on edge, and rightly so. This sign, medically termed as arrhythmia, is the heart’s distress signal. In the face of declining pumping ability, the heart tries to compensate by beating faster. This compensatory mechanism results in what we experience as palpitations or an irregular heartbeat.
Palpitations can manifest in various ways – the heart might feel like it’s fluttering, beating too fast, or skipping beats. Some individuals might experience a pounding sensation in their chest. The experience of arrhythmia varies between individuals and can occur even at rest.
It’s easy to mistake these symptoms as the effects of anxiety or stress. However, persistent or recurrent palpitations call for a deeper investigation. The patterns of a rapid or irregular heartbeat related to heart failure can differ from those caused by other factors, making it crucial to recognize the unique characteristics. (2)
