Tachycardia In Pregnancy
Is Tachycardia in Pregnancy Common?
The faster than normal heart rate experienced by some women is called tachycardia in pregnancy or heart palpitations. Normal adult heart beat ranges from 60 to 100 beats a minute when the person is resting. Pregnant women experience a significantly higher rates for short periods of time and this is not abnormal or a cause for concern.
Heart rate is monitored or controlled by electrical signals which are sent across the tissues of the heart. When an abnormality of the heart produces rapid electrical signals it is diagnosed as tachycardia. In this very technical sense the accelerated heart rate of a mother-to-be cannot be called tachycardia in pregnancy.
The symptom associated with tachycardia in pregnancy is when a woman experiences an increased awareness of the beating of her heart. This sensation is mostly palpable in the chest although other places such as the neck and throat where one senses the pulse may also give a sense of the heightened blood flow. It can be an alarming sensation along with the other changes of the body during pregnancy and many women worry about the implications for the baby’s health. If the sensation lasts a few seconds and passes without an accompanying pain then it can probably be classified as regular pregnancy related increase in heart rate. It is worth mentioning to your OBGYN and making sure that there are no other parallel symptoms or developments.
If the pregnant woman feels dizziness or loss of consciousness along with the accelerated heart beat, it is important to seek medical intervention at the earliest possible. Similarly, any sensation of pain and discomfort should also be investigated. Women who have a known history of cardiac problems or irregularities in heart beats will also be advised by doctors to be careful in monitoring tachycardia in pregnancy.
Why does a woman heart rate increase during pregnancy? This is because, with the growing fetus, the mother’s heart has to work harder and pump more blood into the uterus. It is said that there is a five-fold increase in the amount of blood pumped into the uterus from before pregnancy to the end of pregnancy. This translates to the statistic that the cardiac output of the pregnant woman’s heart increases anywhere from 30 to 50 percent during the nine months of pregnancy. So, not surprisingly, the at-rest heart rate of a pregnant woman can be as much as 80 to 90 beats per minute. And during activities such as exercising there is a greater rate of acceleration than what the woman would have experienced in her pre-pregnancy days. It is also interesting to note that during the actual labor and delivery there is another notable increase in the heart rate and the heart rate decreases post-delivery. It may take as much as six weeks for a woman’s heart rate to return to her normal levels.
While increase heart rate or tachycardia during pregnancy is not uncommon or a cause for panic, it is worth knowing that there are a few things that women can do to reduce the stress on the heart. Taking adequate rest, staying hydrated, and keeping the body cool are all simple details that can go a long way in helping the body in handling the changes. Pregnant women should also monitor their weight gain and figure out ways to deal with anxiety as this can go a long way in reducing the demands placed on the heart. The traditional advice to avoid stimulants such as caffeine, tobacco, alcohol or drugs is also relevant in this context.
Women experiencing tachycardia in pregnancy should consult their doctors and have a proper medical assessment of their overall health condition.