This usually doesn't need to be checked unless the person has other symptoms. Well-trained athletes usually have slow heart rates with pauses in the normal rhythm now and then. These changes usually aren't a cause for concern for women who don't have a history of heart disease. Sometimes pregnant women have minor heart rate or rhythm changes. Natural health products, such as goldenseal, oleander, motherwort, or ephedra (also called ma huang), may cause irregular heartbeats. This can sometimes cause changes in your heart rhythm. Hard physical exercise usually speeds up your heart rate. Your heart may beat faster when you have an illness or a fever. Your heart rate or rhythm can change when you are under stress or having pain. Smoking, drinking alcohol or caffeine, or taking other stimulants such as diet pills or cough and cold medicines may cause your heart to beat faster or skip a beat. They don't need medical treatment if you don't have other symptoms or a history of heart disease. Many changes in heart rate or rhythm are minor.

When heart rate or rhythm changes are minor In healthy children, an extra heartbeat isn't a cause for concern. It's not uncommon for children to have extra heartbeats. PVCs are heartbeats that happen sooner than they should.Ī heartbeat that's irregular now and then usually isn't a concern if it doesn't cause other symptoms, such as dizziness, light-headedness, or shortness of breath.

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) often cause this feeling. Or it may feel like a fluttering in your chest. A change in the heart's rhythm may feel like an extra-strong heartbeat ( palpitation). When the heart beats too fast, too slow, or with a skipping (irregular) rhythm, that's called an arrhythmia. These pulses keep the heart pumping and keep blood flowing to the lungs and body. The heart is powered by an electrical system that puts out pulses in a regular rhythm. The two lower chambers are called the ventricles. The two upper chambers are called the atria. The heart is a pump made up of four chambers. Children have naturally higher normal heart rates than adults. The usual resting heart rate for adults is between 50 and 100 beats per minute. Your heart normally beats in a regular rhythm and rate that's just right for the work your body is doing at any moment.

Side effects of extra heartbeat