Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 14: Eating rich, spicy foods, drinking excessive amounts of caffeine or alcohol, smoking, and using recreational drugs can all bring on heart palpitations, known to commoners as irregular heartbeats. In most of the cases, they’re harmless and are not a sign of a problem with your heart but if palpitations are accompanied by other symptoms, such as dizziness or tightness in your chest, can sometimes be a sign of a heart problem.
This was stated by HoD of Cardiology in Government Medical College and Supersp-eciality Hospital (GMC&SSH) Jammu Dr. Sushil Sharma while counselling people during a day-long camp held in Bhathindi area of Jammu city.
He said that palpitations are heartbeats which suddenly become more noticeable. “Your heart may feel like it’s pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly, often for just a few seconds or minutes. You may also feel these sensations in your throat or neck,” added Dr. Sushil. He further said that palpitations may be triggered by a surge of adrenaline, a hormone your body releases after you have overexerted yourself or when you feel nervous, anxious or excited.
“If you think lifestyle factors are causing your palpitations, try to reduce your stress levels by using relaxation techniques and moderating the level of exercise you do,” said Dr. Sushil. He maintained that one should reduce your intake of coffee or energy drinks and avoid using recreational drugs. “If you have regular palpitations and also have feelings of anxiety, stress and panic, you may be experiencing panic attacks,” added Dr. Sushil.
He stressed that a panic attack can cause an overwhelming sense of anxiety, fear and apprehension, accompanied by nausea, sweating, trembling and palpitations. “Panic attacks can be frightening and intense, but aren’t usually dangerous. Less commonly, palpitations can be a side effect of some types of medicine, such as asthma inhalers or tablets for a thyroid problem,” said Dr. Sushil.
More than 250 patients were examined during the camp.
The team of doctors led by HoD Cardiology Dr. Sushil Sharma included Dr. Mohi Kalsotra, Dr. Dhaneshwar Kapoor, Dr. C.D.Thapa, Dr. Jasleena and Dr. Achint Singh. Paramedics and Volunteers who were part of the team included Kashmiri Lal, Kamal Kishore, Sanjay Sharma, Gaurav Sharma, Vikas Kumar and Rahul Tickoo.
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