Tachycardia is a rapid heart rate that beats faster than 100 beats per minute for any reason. It can occur as a result of many acute and chronic conditions. Factors such as age, health conditions, and physical fitness can also affect how fast your heart beats.
While some people have no symptoms of tachycardia, the problem can cause palpitations (a feeling that your heart is racing or pounding). Many causes of tachycardia, such as consuming too much caffeine, are easy to change, while other causes can include underlying problems with your heart or other organs. Knowing what causes a rapid heart rate and when you may need treatment can help you protect your heart health or even save your life.
1. Exercise
When you exercise or participate in a sustained physical activity, your body requires more oxygen to supply energy to your muscles. Depending on the type and intensity of your exercise, your body may demand 3 or 4 times your normal cardiac output (the amount of blood your heart pumps per minute) to support the increased physical exertion.
The tachycardia during exercise results from your heart working to increase cardiac output to support your muscles while sustaining your brain and other vital organs as you move.
After you stop exercising, your heart rate should gradually return to normal. You can measure your heart health by tracking your heart rate recovery (how quickly your heart rate returns to normal after you stop exercising). Having a better level of physical fitness allows your heart rate to recover faster. While there are individual variations, a healthy heart rate recovery measurement ranges between 12 and 23 beats per minute.
2. Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when you lose more water than you consume. It results in a loss of electrolytes, minerals that support muscle contractions and the normal balance of fluids in your body.
When your body loses too much water, the volume of blood traveling through your body decreases, and your blood pressure drops. The decrease in blood pressure causes your heart to beat faster as it works to ensure that your brain, kidneys, and other vital organs receive the oxygen-rich blood they need for normal function.
The electrolyte imbalance with dehydration can also cause a rapid heart rate. When normal electrolyte levels exist, they send electrical charges that help your heart contract and relax in rhythm to maintain a normal heartbeat. An electrolyte deficiency can disrupt the electrical signal, resulting in an irregular or rapid heartbeat.
To calm a slow heartbeat caused by dehydration, do the following:
- Rehydrate by slowly taking sips of cool water.
- Rest until your symptoms improve.
- Move to a cool, air-conditioned area if overheating contributed to your dehydration.
3. Emotions and Stress
Emotions and stress can contribute to changes in the rate at which your heart beats. When you experience a strong emotion such as stress or anxiety, your body releases the hormone adrenaline in anticipation of an impending challenge. This reaction, triggered by your sympathetic nervous system, is called the fight-or-flight response. The change in hormones can accelerate your breathing, dilate your pupils, and increase your heart rate.
You can counter a fast heartbeat triggered by stress with the following steps.
Take deep breaths in a 4-by-4 or box pattern:
- Inhale while slowly counting to 4.
- Hold your breath for a count of 4.
- Exhale while slowly counting to 4.
- Hold your breath for a count of 4.
- Repeat the pattern of 4-by-4 breathing until you feel calmer and your heart rate slows.
Try the following vagal maneuvers:
- Tense your muscles and bear down as you would during a bowel movement.
- Make the shape of the letter “O” with your mouth and exhale hard, as though you’re blowing through a straw.
- Splash cold water on your face.
- Avoid more intense vagal maneuvers, such as submerging your face in a bowl of cold water, unless directed to do them by a healthcare provider.
4. Stimulants and Medications
Many classes of drugs can trigger or worsen a rapid heartbeat. Many recreational and prescription drugs contain stimulants (drugs that increase activity in your central nervous system) and other substances that can trigger symptoms of tachycardia. Your response to a specific medication may differ from others based on your medical condition and the combination of drugs you take.
Contact your healthcare provider for instructions if you have a rapid heartbeat after taking any type of drug. Depending on your condition, they may advise lowering the prescribed dose, using an alternative medication, or discontinuing it to reduce the risk of adverse effects. Other strategies can include modifying the risk factors for a fast heart rate when taking the drug.
Some commonly used classes and specific drugs within those classes known to cause a rapid heartbeat include:
- Antipsychotics (drugs that manage and treat symptoms of psychiatric disorders): Clozaril (clozapine) or Prozac (fluoxetine)
- Bronchodilators (drugs that manage lung conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Bricanyl (terbutaline), Norphyl (aminophylline), Theochron (theophylline), and Ventolin, ProAir, Proventil (albuterol)
- Cannabinoids (drugs derived from the cannabis sativa plant): Cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids
- Corticosteroids (drugs that mimic the hormone cortisol to reduce inflammation and pain): Solu-Medrol (methylprednisolone)
- Inotropes/vasodilators (drugs that improve your heart’s ability to pump blood throughout your body): Digitalis (digoxin), Dobutrex (dobutamine), and Primacor (milrinone)
- Loop diuretics (drugs that increase the flow of urine to remove salt from your body): Lasix (furosemide)
- Stimulants (drugs that speed up the messages that travel between your brain the rest of your body): Caffeine, cocaine, amphetamines, Adderall XR (extended-release, or ER, mixed amphetamine salts), and Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)
- Methamphetamine and derivatives: Focalin (dexmethylphenidate) and Ritalin (methylphenidate)
5. Other External Factors
You can experience tachycardia in response to external factors that include:
Hot Weather
During hot and humid weather, your heart has to increase the amount of blood it delivers to your skin to cool down your body. Your heart may have to circulate two to four times as much blood per minute as it does when temperatures are cool. This means it has to work harder and faster to accomplish the task.
Narrowed arteries can reduce normal blood flow to the skin and exert further strain on your heart, forcing it to beat faster. Moving to a cooler, air-conditioned environment can help reduce the stress on your heart.
Air Pollution
Breathing in polluted air allows the pollutants to travel into your bloodstream to reach your heart. The pollutants found in air pollution are linked with changes in your blood vessels that make them narrower and harder, making it more difficult for your blood to flow freely. The effect forces your heart to pump faster to move blood that cannot flow freely due to this damage. Limiting your exposure to pollutants when air quality is low can help reduce these effects.
6. Heart Conditions
Your heart may beat at a rapid rate or irregularly as a symptom of any of the following heart conditions:
- Heart failure (congestive heart failure): A condition in which your heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs
- A past heart attack (myocardial infarction, or MI): A condition in which your heart muscle does not receive adequate blood flow and your heart cells start to die
- Coronary artery disease (CAD): A condition that occurs when plaques (fatty deposits) develop within the arteries that supply blood to your heart, narrowing the arteries and restricting blood flow
- Physical damage or abnormal function of heart valve or heart muscles: Interferes with normal flow to and from the heart and the rest of your body
- Atrial fibrillation (A-fib): An irregular heart rhythm that occurs when your heart’s atria (two upper cardiac chambers) produce rapid and erratic electrical impulses
Appropriate treatment for heart disease can include heart medications, lifestyle changes, and/or surgery based on your symptoms and the severity of the condition.
7. Hormonal Changes
A rapid heartbeat can occur as a result of the following types of hormonal changes:
Increase in Epinephrine and Norepinephrine
The hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) are released by the medulla in your adrenal gland in response to stimulation or the fight-or-flight response. They raise your heart rate, increase blood flow to your muscles, and release glucose into your bloodstream to protect your body from stress or a perceived threat.
Fluctuating Estrogen in Menopause
Some women experience a racing heartbeat or palpitations (a temporary increase of your heart rate) during menopause due to fluctuating estrogen levels. A woman’s heart rate can increase as much as eight to 16 beats per minute during a hot flash.
Changes in Estrogen and Progesterone in Menstruation
In reproductive-age women, estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate across a typical 28-day menstrual cycle in a predictable pattern. Progesterone and estrogen levels are highest five to seven days after ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovaries to the fallopian tubes). Research indicates that women experience an increase in heart rate when sleeping during this period in the menstrual cycle.
Excess Thyroid Hormone
Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which you have excess thyroid hormone as a result of an overactive thyroid gland or overtreatment of low thyroid hormone levels. Having too much thyroid hormone increases your heart rate, making it work harder and faster while at rest or during physical exertion.
8. Fever
It is common for your heart to beat faster when you have a fever. A fever is often a sign of an infection. As your immune system works to fight the infection, it increases your cardiac output (the amount of blood your heart pumps per minute). Your heart rate increases as your heart pumps harder to deliver immune cells and oxygen throughout your body. Having a fever also increases your risk of dehydration, another cause of a rapid heartbeat.
9. Low Blood Sugar
Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is a serious problem that can lead to loss of consciousness, seizures, or death without treatment. Hypoglycemia triggers the release of the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) in your body.
These hormones work to raise your blood sugar levels to compensate for the decreased levels. However, having high levels of these hormones can result in symptoms such as anxiety, tremors (shakiness), and a fast heart rate.
If you have diabetes, make sure you know how to treat the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Your healthcare provider can instruct you on how to avert severe symptoms. You may be instructed to do one of the following to restore normal blood sugar levels:
- Drink juice.
- Eat food.
- Take glucose tablets.
- Administer an injection of glucagon, a medicine to raise blood sugar.
10. Other Medical Conditions
Tachycardia can also occur as a result of other medical conditions that include:
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, your heart works harder to provide more blood to the growing fetus in your uterus. During pregnancy, your cardiac output (the amount of blood pumped by your heart) increases by 30% to 50%, which forces your heart to beat harder and faster.
Anemia
Anemia is a condition in which you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to deliver oxygen to the organs in your body. To compensate for this, your heart may beat faster to help the existing blood levels accomplish the job without adequate blood flow.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition in which you experience an intermittent interruption of normal breathing for at least 10 seconds during sleep. Atrial fibrillation is highly linked with both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.
While the reasons are unclear, the link may be tied to the on-and-off breathing that occurs during sleep apnea, which increases physical stress and may trigger changes in the way your heart beats.
Substance Use Disorder
Research indicates that excess alcohol consumption and the use of methamphetamines, cocaine, opiates, and cannabis (marijuana) in substance abuse disorder is linked with a higher risk of a new A-fib diagnosis.
When to Seek Emergency Help
While factors such as exercise, stress, or exercise can trigger a rapid heart rate. However, having a rapid, pounding heart rate can also be a sign of a serious health condition affecting your heart. Call 911 or seek immediate medical attention if you have any of the following conditions with a rapid heart rate:
What Is a Normal Heart Rate?
A normal heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). This heart rate is used to describe your resting heart rate (the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are at rest). However, it’s possible to have a normal heart rate below or above those numbers.
When using your heart rate as a measure of heart health, you should know what is normal for you and the signs that indicate a potential problem.
Your healthcare provider can help you determine whether your normal heart rate is a cause for concern. To check your heart rate, do so after sitting in a comfortable position for at least 5 minutes. Here is how some factors can affect the rate you measure:
- If you are physically fit, your heart may work more efficiently and beat slower than 60 bpm without causing physical problems.
- Certain medications and physical conditions can cause your normal heart rate to be lower or higher.
- As you age, the consistency of your heart rate can vary, possibly due to a heart problem.
- Females generally have a higher heart rate than males.
How to Calculate Your Maximum Heart Rate
Your maximum heart rate is the highest number of beats per minute your cardiovascular system can safely handle during physical activity. While it can be determined during a cardiopulmonary exercise test, you can determine an acceptable maximum heart rate based on your age.
To determine your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. If you are 50 years old, your maximum heart rate is 170 bpm (220 minus 50 equals 170).
You can calculate your target heart rate based on your maximum heart rate. Your target rate is the level at which your heart beats with moderate to high intensity. It represents the minimum number of heartbeats in a given amount of time needed to reach cardiovascular fitness. The target heart rate for most people is 50% to 85% of their maximum heart rate. Sustaining your target heart rate during a workout can help you improve your cardiorespiratory endurance and help you reach your fitness goals.
According to the American Heart Association, a general guide for average target heart rate and maximum heart rate zones by age includes:
| Age | Target Heart Rate Zone in Beats per Minute (bpm) | Age-Predicted Maximum Heart Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 20 years | 100–170 bpm | 200 bpm |
| 30 years | 95–162 bpm | 190 bpm |
| 35 years | 93–157 bpm | 185 bpm |
| 40 years | 90–153 bpm | 180 bpm |
| 45 years | 88–149 bpm | 175 bpm |
| 50 years | 85–145 bpm | 170 bpm |
| 55 years | 83–140 bpm | 165 bpm |
| 60 years | 80–136 bpm | 160 bpm |
| 65 years | 78–132 bpm | 155 bpm |
| 70 years | 75–128 bpm | 150 bpm |
Summary
Tachycardia can occur from causes that range from harmless to severe. In some cases, your rapid heart rate may be an acute response to factors such as exercise, stress, or even air pollution. However, the problem can also occur as a sign of a heart issue or other health condition that needs treatment.
Learn when tachycardia may be a sign of a medical problem and when you may need emergency care. Contact your healthcare provider if you are having a rapid heartbeat that persists. Even if the underlying cause is not severe, living with a rapid heartbeat can exert extra stress on your heart, which may cause long-term damage.
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