When the pulse rate rises above 100 BPM, the condition is termed as a high pulse rate or tachycardia. It is directly concerned with the inability of the heart pumping blood efficiently. When the heart beats at a high rate, the heart is not able to contract and relax properly resulting in affecting the amount of blood being pumped to the different parts of the body.
In general Tachycardia is caused by a disruption in the normal electrical impulses that control our heart’s pumping action rhythm – the rate at which our heart pumps.
Following conditions, situations and illnesses are possible causes:
- A reaction to certain medications
- Congenital (present at birth) electrical pathway abnormalities in the heart
- Congenital abnormalities of the heart
- Consuming too much alcohol
- Consumption of cocaine and some other recreational drugs
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Heart disease resulted in poor blood supply and damage to heart tissues, such as atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease), heart failure, heart valve disease, cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease), tumors, or infections
- Hypertension
- Hyperthyroidism (over-active thyroid gland)
- Smoking
- Certain lung diseases
Congenital heart defect
先天性心臟病
- Accelerated heart rate (fast pulse)
- Angina (Chest pain)
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Hypotension (low blood pressure)
- Lightheadedness 頭暈
- Palpitations – an uncomfortable racing feeling in the chest, sensation of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart.
- Panting (shortness of breath)
- Sudden weakness
- Syncope (fainting)
If the increased heart rate continues, we might expose ourselves to the risk of developing blood clots. The latter can cause a stroke, heart attack or an embolism in our lung (Pulmonary embolism). Our heart may be unable pumping enough oxygenated blood throughout our body and as a consequency we may faint. In rare instances, tachycardia can cause sudden death. It may also put us at an increased risk of suffering from heart attack in the rest of our life.
- Age – adult over the age of 60 have a significantly higher risk of experiencing tachycardia, compared to younger individuals.
- Anxiety
- Consuming large quantities of alcohol regularly
- Consuming large quantities of caffeine
- Genetics
- Heart disease
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Mental stress
- Smoking
- Using recreational drugs