7. Increased Heart Rate or Heart Palpitations: Unsettling Signs of a Struggling Heart
An often unsettling symptom of chronic systolic heart failure is an increased heart rate or feeling of heart palpitations. Heart palpitations may feel like your heart is racing, pounding, or fluttering, and this can be surprisingly distressing for many individuals.
The increase in heart rate in chronic systolic heart failure is a compensatory mechanism. As the heart’s efficiency to pump blood decreases, it tries to make up for it by beating faster. The aim is to maintain an adequate blood supply to the body, but this increased strain can further exacerbate the heart’s condition in the long run.
Heart palpitations, on the other hand, can occur due to the irregular blood flow associated with heart failure. The abnormal heart rhythm, medically termed arrhythmia, can give rise to a sensation of skipped heartbeats or fluttering in the chest.
It’s important to note that while occasional heart palpitations can be due to stress or caffeine consumption, persistent or recurrent palpitations, especially when coupled with other symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, or rapid weight gain, should be evaluated by a medical professional without delay. (7)
