10. Heart Palpitations: The Erratic Beat
Finally, we address heart palpitations, a symptom often described as feeling your heart fluttering, pounding, or skipping beats. This sensation is more than mere discomfort; it’s indicative of the heart struggling under the influence of a thyroid storm.
During palpitations, you might feel an unease, a sensation that something is not quite right with your heartbeat. It can catch you off guard, leaving you breathless and anxious about this core aspect of your vitality suddenly becoming so unpredictable.
The cause is the overstimulation of the heart by excessive thyroid hormones, leading to an irregular rhythm. This can disrupt the heart’s normal function, causing it to beat in a way that is not only uncomfortable but potentially dangerous.
The implications are severe. If left unchecked, palpitations can escalate to more serious cardiac events. This symptom alone underscores the critical nature of the thyroid storm and the immediacy with which it must be addressed. (10)
