Heart rhythm disorders
May 9, 2010 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Olaf Stephan
Good day, I have the following problem. I always suffer from sudden heart rhythm disturbances. For example, I am sitting in front of the PC right now, when I feel pressure on my chest, my heart stumbles briefly. Then it beats very, very fast and after 10 seconds everything is over. Apart from the great fear and shock, I have no further complaints. What I don't understand at all is that there is no trigger for these disturbances for me. It simply happens even in the most relaxed phase of my life.
The only accompanying symptoms I currently have are that when I wake up in the morning, I always have pain in the lower chest (between the stomach and chest).
A few weeks ago, I had a tonsillectomy because they were already very severely chronically inflamed and became sick again every 3 weeks. I had to go to the hospital a year ago due to a severe tonsillitis causing heart palpitations, but was discharged after 3 hours, as the underlying heart rhythm was normal.
Dear Inquirer,
I can only provide a general response to your question and give you some tips for further diagnostics. Heart rhythm disorders in the form of isolated or briefly consecutive premature beats (extrasystoles) are common in completely healthy individuals, but they can also sometimes be a sign of a heart disease. Diagnostically, you should first have a 24-hour Holter monitor ECG done (by your primary care physician or cardiologist). This involves attaching adhesive electrodes to your chest to record your ECG over 24 hours on a recording device. If rhythm disorders occur during this period, the doctor can see exactly what type of disorder it is during the evaluation. If no disorders occur during the evaluation period, the test can be repeated multiple times. Additionally, I would recommend having an echocardiogram (ultrasound examination of the heart) done by a cardiologist. This test can accurately assess the function of the heart and heart valves. I believe that with these tests, the cause of your symptoms can likely be identified, and your primary care physician will be able to advise you or refer you to a specialist.
Sincerely, O. Stephan.
