Palpitations may be common… but don’t ignore them

I’M A 61-year-old man and for the last six months have been getting heart palpitations which can last for three weeks and occur three or four times a minute. I have been told that it is common with people my age. I think it is called an ectopic heartbeat. Does that sound likely? BECOMING acutely aware of your heartbeat, for whatever reason, can be a very distressing experience. The heartbeat has a regular rhythm and pattern in everyone, due to the electrical impulses that control it and the movement of the heart muscles.

Usually we don’t feel our heart beating and when we do, it is because it has changed in some way. Noticing palpitations regularly for seemingly no reason is an important issue to explore – they can be harmless but may be a sign of an underlying condition.

An ectopic beat is an extra beat and most people should only have one or two a day. It’s unusual for them to last for an entire week.

Palpitations in waves of weeks can be caused by a variety of issues. Anxiety and emotional issues including stress or excitement, for example, cause palpitations due to an increased amount of adrenaline in the blood. This can be worsened by associated lifestyle factors such as caffeine intake, a lack of sleep, alcohol consumption and smoking, and may also be due to undiagnosed thyroid problems.

Prescription medication may also be a culprit: asthma inhalers such as salbutamol can do this when used frequently, as can some antidepressants and antihistamines.

For someone aged 61, it’s most important to consider the possibility of a heart arrhythmia – when the heart is beating irregularly or too fast – such as atrial fibrillation (AF) which affects about seven per cent of people over 65. It requires treatment as it is a major risk factor for strokes.

Palpitations warrant blood tests and an ECG monitor over 24 or 48 hours to ascertain what exactly is happening. I AM embarrassed to admit that I am a chronic bed-wetter. I am a 62-year-old woman, and have struggled with the problem at various points throughout my life. It disappears for a few years and then returns for weeks on end, regardless of how much water I drink before bedtime. I am otherwise in excellent health and eat a healthy diet. I’m too embarrassed to visit my GP. IT IS vital to seek help from a GP as this can so easily be improved or controlled.

Chronic bed-wetting can come from an overactive bladder – when bladder muscles squeeze out the urine at the wrong time. This is particularly problematic at night. Drugs such as oxybutynin can be prescribed by your GP to treat this condition.

However, an overactive bladder can be ‘retrained’ – you train yourself to pass water by the clock rather than by urge. With gradual increase in times, the bladder gets used to holding more urine.

Avoid caffeine and fizzy drinks at night – and constipation, as a full bowel can impact on urine storage and flow.

It’s rare, but chronic bed-wetting can result from a problem with a hormone known as ADH which controls urine production from the kidneys. This would be assessed with blood and urine tests – another reason to see your GP.

IT COULD JUST BE STRESS... OR SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS