A rapid pulse can be both a variant of the norm and a signal of a variety of diseases, and not only heart diseases, doctors say. Vechernyaya Moskva learned from specialists when to start worrying and how to preserve heart health.
Reaction to problems
As the cardiologist Dmitry Napalkov explained, usually a rapid pulse is a manifestation of diseases of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, thyroid gland and anemia of any origin.
- Concern should be caused by the persistence of tachycardia on an almost constant basis, when it does not depend on stress and physical activity, - said the specialist.
A similar opinion of "VM" was expressed by cardiologist, Honored Doctor of Russia, Doctor of Medical Sciences Yuri Kremnev. The heart, he said, often reacts to various problems in the body.
- These can be diseases associated with the nervous system, with the endocrine system - the thyroid gland. If a person has angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, then a frequent pulse can speak, for example, of heart failure, - explained the interlocutor of "VM".
It is better to go to a doctor, says Kremnev, when you simply have a fast pulse, and find out its cause. And if shortness of breath and swelling appear, then this is already a reason to sound the alarm. The heart in this case is definitely unhealthy.
Normal pulse
Endocrinologist Anton Polyakov also notes that a rapid pulse may indicate a number of dangerous diseases - diabetes, obesity, lipidemia. Against their background, blood pressure and pulse increase. If you do not pay attention to this, then atherosclerosis develops. It can lead to heart attack, stroke, and later death.
Experts have different opinions about a normal heart rate. Dmitry Napalkov calls 60-80 beats per minute normal without medication and after five minutes of rest, and Yuri Kremnev - 50-90 beats per minute, but adds that from some times no more than 75 beats per minute are considered the norm.
- If the pulse is higher than 75 beats per minute, then this is already a sign of some ill-health of the body, regardless of age, - said Kremnev.
How to protect yourself
Strengthening the heart, says Napalkov, can be done with a healthy lifestyle and undergoing periodic screening for early detection of risk factors and latent diseases.
In turn, Kremnev advises to give adequate physical activity to the heart, if it is healthy. And if the heart is unhealthy, then you need to understand what the problem is.
- We must fight the cause that leads to a violation of cardiac activity. And the best way to strengthen your heart is through physical activity. As one doctor who lived in France 250 years ago said, "Movement can replace any pill, but no pill can replace movement." It is also relevant in our time, - stated the expert.
Moreover, in the 21st century, quite a few people are obese. According to Kremnev, this leads to hypertension, which is the cause of heart failure in 75 percent of cases.
- Obesity is followed by diabetes, then sleep apnea. Obesity is such a seemingly not very serious thing that brings along a bunch of diseases. We have elementary obesity, when we like to eat and do not like to move. Then it translates into an endocrine problem. Here he was a normal person, then he began to walk a little, began to travel a lot in a car, sit in an office, eat tasty food and have a late supper. And now he was already obese. And then went diabetes, hypertension, ischemic disease - all on the rise. So movement is necessary, - summed up the cardiologist.
Polyakov recommended that in case of overweight or obesity, first of all, modify your lifestyle, optimize nutrition, organize physical activity correctly and, possibly, consult a psychologist, work out some stressful processes. Then, after consulting a doctor, start taking various medications and nutraceuticals. If a person is sick with diabetes, then the procedure is the same. Plus, you will need to take medications aimed at reducing insulin sensitivity, the specialist summed up.