Is a sudden 'click' in the heart a sign of heart disease and sudden death? Speak clearly once

Xiao Li is a college student. He likes to play games very much. He is busy with classes during the day, so he often stays up late at night to play games.

Later, because of the good operation of the game, he also became a host, and often broadcast live until three or four in the morning, so he couldn't take care of his own health at all.

Two days ago, when he just got up after the live broadcast, his heart suddenly throbbed, Xiao Li was suddenly startled, and he felt a little uneasy.

I often hear news that more and more young people are dying suddenly, so I can't help but worry a little, is there something wrong with my heart?

1. The heart suddenly "cracks", is it a precursor to sudden death?

Statistics show that there are about 500,000 cases of sudden cardiac death in China every year, of which more than 80% are caused by arrhythmia.

The heart suddenly "cracks", that is, the heart beats once in advance, and then pauses again. This is a premature beat, and it is also one of the most common arrhythmias .

Premature beats, also known as premature beats, are early ectopic heart beats, which can be divided into four types: ventricular, atrial, sinus, and atrioventricular junction according to the origin, of which the most common is ventricular. The second is room.

The main cause of premature beats may be physiological, and healthy people may also appear, such as nervousness, emotional agitation, indigestion, drinking, fatigue, drinking strong tea , etc., which may lead to premature heart beats.

However, premature beats may also be caused by various organic heart diseases or other diseases, such as anemia, fever, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, rheumatic activity, severe hypoxia, hypokalemia or drug poisoning , etc., may also cause premature beats.

Some people worry that premature beats are a sign of heart attack or sudden death, is this true?

In fact, the detection of premature cardiac beats does not mean the diagnosis of heart disease. If it is a functional premature beat caused by physiological reasons, it can usually be relieved after removing the incentive, taking more rest, and relaxing.

If you are worried about premature heart beats caused by diseases, it is best to go to a cardiologist for a detailed examination, especially for people who have chest tightness and chest pain after exercise.

Regarding premature beats and sudden death, current studies have found that even if there is no obvious heart disease, the cardiac mortality rate of people with premature heart beats is more than 2 times higher than that of healthy people , so if there is premature heart beat, it is best to Seek medical attention in time.

2. If there is discomfort in 5 parts of the body, check the heart as soon as possible

When suffering from heart disease, the body often has symptoms such as chest pain, palpitation, shortness of breath, dizziness, anxiety, etc., but in fact, when there is a heart problem, there may be some "hidden symptoms", everyone should pay more attention.

1. Fingers

People with heart problems often have symptoms of finger trembling and disobedience, especially when holding things with their hands.

In addition, people with heart problems can also have abnormal nails, the nails will become uneven, and the crescents on the nails will change in shape and number in a short period of time.

2, neck, jaw

Patients with myocardial infarction may experience symptoms of pain above the shoulders, usually bilateral or one jaw tightening or pain, and a burning or stuffy neck.

3. Legs

Patients with heart failure may experience swollen ankles, feet, and legs. This is due to the weak contraction of the heart, causing blood to stagnate in the lower extremities, resulting in edema.

4. Facial

People with heart problems will also have abnormal performance on the face. For example, there are three main situations:

• The face is swollen, there will be indentations when you press it with your fingers, and the skin at the indentation area cannot bounce;
• Spots appear on the face, because the elasticity of the heart muscle becomes poor when the heart function is poor, resulting in the retention of hypoxic blood on the face, which will cause more spots on the face for a long time;
• Poker face is also a manifestation of abnormal heart function. For example, patients with coronary stenosis often have a cold and rigid poker face.

5. Ears

If there is a continuous fold on the earlobe, it may indicate severe coronary sclerosis. The earlobe fold starts between the tragus and ends at the edge of the earlobe, at a 45° angle, and its length is greater than one-third of the earlobe. It may appear in the double lobe. side or unilateral.

3. How to stabilize the "beating" heartbeat? 4 things less

Some bad habits in daily life have a great impact on the health of the heart. If you want to protect the heart, you should try to avoid the following "sad things":

1. Not controlling your weight

Obesity will not only increase the burden on the heart, increase the risk of atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and easily induce myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, etc.; but also fat will infiltrate the heart, thereby destroying cardiac function and tissue. Studies have shown that a 10% increase in body weight increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 38%.

It is recommended that obese people maintain a suitable weight by adjusting their diet and exercising. It is generally considered that a body mass index (BMI) greater than 24 is overweight, and greater than 28 is obese.

2. Eat too salty

Sodium chloride is the main component of salt. If you consume too much sodium, it will easily lead to the retention of water and sodium in the body, increase the pressure and resistance in the blood vessels, and increase the burden on the heart.

It is recommended to increase the intake of fresh vegetables, fruits and fish, reduce salt and oil, eat less irritating food, and eat less fast food as much as possible.

3. Emotional

If the emotions are too excited, it will change the secretion of adrenal hormones in the human body, causing the heart to beat too fast, thereby increasing the burden on the heart. Especially in patients with arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure , emotional agitation can easily lead to blood vessel rupture, cerebral hemorrhage and sudden death.

When you are nervous or emotional, you can calm yourself down slowly by meditating, listening to music, etc.

4. Too tired to work

When overworked, the body will secrete too much nothyroxine and epinephrine, leading to increased blood pressure, vasospasm, and reduced local blood supply to the heart, thereby inducing cardiovascular disease, possibly inducing myocardial infarction and even heart failure .

It is necessary to develop regular work and rest habits, pay attention to the combination of work and rest in work and study, try not to stay up late, and ensure adequate sleep.

In short, a sudden "crack" of the heart is not necessarily a heart attack, but we should also pay attention to this situation, and it is best to go to the hospital to check the cause in time. In addition, you should also pay attention to protecting your heart and avoid doing things that are detrimental to your heart health.

References:

[1] "The heart suddenly "cracks", is it a heartbeat or a heart attack? I must tell you the truth...". Popular Science China. 2021-05-12

[2] "Sudden heart pounding, tell you 1 good news and 1 bad news". Life Times. 2022-10-28

[3] "6 kinds of "facial changes" may be precursors to heart disease, hurry up and see". Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Outpatient Department. 2020-05-18

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