“Can long term hypertension cause palpitations and increased heartbeats?”
My mother is 57 years old and has been a hypertension patient for the last 20 years. She has been very regular with her medications. Lately she has been complaining of palpitations and fast heartbeat. Due to this she is also feeling very weak. Is this a result of long term hypertension or could it be something else?
5 Answers
It could well be atrial fibrillation – she should have an ECG to check. If it comes an goes I would suggest buying an AliveCor device which records a clinical quality ECG on a smart phone (it costs less than £100).
Yes
Needs EKG and cardiologist check up
Needs EKG and cardiologist check up
Julia G. Ansari
Cardiologist
Most likely it is something else. If she is overweight and snores at night untreated obstructive sleep apnea can cause Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmia that causes palpitation.
Thanks for the question,
At 57 years of age, your mother should be evaluated not only for the palpitations, but also to rule out any associated cardiac problems. She would need an event cardiac monitor to determine what kind of cardiac rhythm abnormalities she may have. She would need an echocardiogram to evaluate her heart functions, which sometimes become abnormal in longstanding history of hypertensive heart disease. A stress test may be necessary depending on what the heart monitor and the echocardiogram reveal.
I suggest that she should see a cardiologist for consultation.
At 57 years of age, your mother should be evaluated not only for the palpitations, but also to rule out any associated cardiac problems. She would need an event cardiac monitor to determine what kind of cardiac rhythm abnormalities she may have. She would need an echocardiogram to evaluate her heart functions, which sometimes become abnormal in longstanding history of hypertensive heart disease. A stress test may be necessary depending on what the heart monitor and the echocardiogram reveal.
I suggest that she should see a cardiologist for consultation.
Certainly. Either with or without medication. See your doctor
Les Fleischer
Les Fleischer
