![]() Gently place your fingers on one side of the windpipe. If you can’t easily find the pulse on the wrist, you can try the neck. Gently feel on the inside of the wrist on the thumb side. The best spot to feel the pulse in a child is the wrist. Feel for the pulse on the inner arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Lay your baby down on the back with one arm bent so the hand is up by the ear. The best spot to feel the pulse in an infant is the upper arm. This is helpful information for their medical provider. If you child is complaining of a racing heart, dizziness or chest pain, you can take their pulse. Are there any other symptoms that occur around the same time, such as feeling dizzy or lightheaded, chest pain, trouble breathing, vomiting, headaches or fainting?.Have you or your child found any specific activity, such as bearing down or coughing, that seems to stop an episode?.Do the palpitations start and then go away all of a sudden (like flipping a light switch), or do they seem to start out or ease off more gradually?.Are there certain circumstances when these symptoms usually occur (for example, only with a fever or prolonged exercise, or happening completely randomly)?.How often (for example, once a week or twice in six months, etc.) and for how long (for example, seconds, minutes or longer) do these episodes seem to last?.When was the first time the child’s heart beating fast or irregularly was noticed?.To help the primary care provider or cardiologist sort out a child’s heart beating fast, consider these questions: ![]() If the provider suspects the palpitations possibly are caused by an underlying heart issue, you may be referred to a pediatric cardiologist or arrhythmia specialist. The provider likely will ask you for more details about the symptoms and do a thorough physical examination. If it doesn’t seem like an emergency, start with your pediatrician or other primary care provider. ![]() A child may notice that their heart is beating fast if they are nervous or scared, they have a fever, they have had too much caffeine, they have taken a stimulant medication, they have been running or exercising, or if they have another medical condition such as low blood sugar or a low blood count.” Many times their heart is normal and healthy, and it is just beating faster than usual because of something else that is happening in their body. “Sometimes when a child feels like their heart is beating fast, it may not be due to a heart problem at all. Holland, M.D., pediatric cardiologist with Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. “Abnormal heartbeats or arrhythmias can happen in children with a known history of a heart problem, but also can occur in children previously thought to be healthy,” said Brian J. Little babies may be irritable for no reason, have trouble breathing, refuse to eat or vomit after eating. Toddlers may just grab their chest, appear uncomfortable or cry without an obvious cause, or just seem pale or upset. They may say, “My heart is beating out of my chest,” or “My heart is beeping really fast.” While an adult may be able to say “I am having palpitations”, children may describe vague chest symptoms, a fluttering or racing heart or skipped heartbeats. With such a high heart rate, the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood supply to the rest of the body resulting in symptoms like dizziness, low blood pressure, pain in the chest, difficulty in breathing, and fainting.A child whose heart is beating fast or irregularly often won’t have the vocabulary to describe what’s happening. Tachycardia or high heart rate impairs the normal functioning of the heart. High heart rate sometimes does not reveal any symptom. The possible pathological causes behind such a fast heart rate are Heart diseases- coronary heart diseases, heart valve disease, infections and tumors in heart, heart failure, heart attack, abnormalities in the heart present since birth, lifestyle factors- consumption of alcohol, cocaine, other drugs and smoking, hypertensive disease, hyperthyroidism, reaction to certain medicines, imbalances caused by electrolyte, some lung diseases like bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, anemia, hemorrhage, Wolff-Parkinson white syndrome, and Sarcoidosis. The heart rate above 140 beats per minute is considered dangerous value for tachycardia and it must be managed immediately in the emergency department. The resting heart rate exceeds above 140 beats per minute, then there is definitely a pathological reason behind.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |