A HEART beating faster than normal this Valentine’s Day might be obvious – but one doctor is warning that it might be a sign of much more than just a romantic reaction.
Palpitations – the speeding up or changing of your heartbeat – can be caused by a variety of things and the excitement of seeing a loved one can be one of them.
But in some cases they can be associated with much more serious conditions. Dr Thuraia Nageh, a consultant cardiologist at Spire Wellesley Hospital in Southend, explained: “You may feel your heart pounding or beating irregularly – often for just a few seconds or maybe minutes – or sometimes it seems like your heart missed a beat.
“These symptoms may seem alarming but, the truth is, in most cases they are quite harmless. However, they can also be a sign of more serious problems involving heart valves or a thickening of the muscles and walls surrounding the heart and it can also indicate an abnormality in the electrical activity of your heart and may be a sign of heart failure.”
Dr Nageh, appointed Consultant cardiologist at Southend Hospital in 2005, has extensive experience assessing coronary artery disease and heart failure.
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