Irregular Heart Beats (Arrhythmia)
Palpitation or a Skipped Beat
Although it may seem as if the heart missed a beat, really the heart has a premature heartbeat, which may result in a pause - “skipped beat.”
Fluttering
A fluttering sensation is usually due to a series of “skipped beats” that occur in quick succession.
Slow Heartbeat – Bradycardias
If the heartbeat is too slow, usually considered a rate below 60 beats a minute, not enough oxygen-rich blood flows through the body. So, it makes sense that the symptoms of a slow heartbeat are:
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Lightheadedness
- Fainting or near fainting
Rapid Heartbeat-Tachycardias
When the heart beats too quickly, usually considered a rate above 100 beats a minute, the lower chambers, or ventricles, do not have enough time to fill with blood, so they cannot effectively pump blood to the rest of the body. When this happens, some people experience:
- Skipping a beat
- Beating out of rhythm
- Palpitations
- Rapid heart action
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Lightheadedness
- Fainting or near fainting
- Choatic, quivering or irregular rhythm
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can attack any organ system in the body, particularly the heart, liver, skin, and kidneys, including joints, blood vessels, and the nervous system. Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years. In lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs ("foreign invaders," like the flu). Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders. Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues ("auto" means "self") and creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.
