Dizziness and palpitations are symptoms that occur very frequently in the population and are therefore often the reason for a doctor's visit. The symptoms can appear individually or together and are due to a variety of different causes.
Depending on the individual cause, dizziness and rapid heartbeat are harmless or dangerous signs, which can often only be a brief circulatory disorder. However, there are a number of serious causes that can lead to dizziness with a racing heart.
To make sure that the symptoms are not symptoms of a serious illness, a doctor should be consulted to clarify the symptoms. This is especially true if the symptoms occur frequently, over a long period of time, or together with other serious symptoms.
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Often, other symptoms also come along, such as physical weakness, tremors or shortness of breath. Some sufferers also go black when they feel dizzy with a racing heart.
We recommend at this point to first deal with the main aspects of the two symptoms under:
There are various possible causes for dizziness and palpitations. A general distinction should be made between life-threatening and non-life-threatening causes. If the symptoms occur together with shortness of breath or loss of consciousness, there is generally an urgent need for action.
In the case of only subtle complaints, causes such as diseases of the inner ear or the endocrine system as well as sport and panic attacks can be behind the symptoms. If the symptoms persist for a long time, a doctor should be consulted for clarification.
$config[ads_text2] not foundIn some cases the cardiovascular system is affected, for example with high blood pressure or with a disease of the heart, such as coronary artery disease.
The symptoms can also occur in the event of a lack of fluid, i.e. dehydration, in combination with getting up quickly or heat.
The thyroid gland can also cause dizziness and a racing heart in the event of a malfunction, i.e. both hyperthyroidism (overfunction) and hypothyroidism (underfunction).
Other possible reasons could be dizziness from stress or side effects from medication.
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The thyroid is responsible for producing thyroid hormones that are important for the body. These hormones can both affect the heart and make you feel dizzy. A lack or overproduction of hormones can cause a wide variety of symptoms in the body. Therefore, thyroid dysfunction can manifest itself as dizziness and a racing heart.
Both an overfunction, i.e. hyperthyroidism, and an underfunction, hypothyroidism, can be present. If dizziness and palpitations occur, an overactive thyroid should be excluded by analyzing the thyroid values in the blood. This may be accompanied by other symptoms such as sweating, restlessness, sleep disorders, overheating of the skin and changes in weight.
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If you have a thyroid disease or if these symptoms apply to you, we recommend reading the following article: Dizziness and thyroid
Fear puts the human body in a state of emergency. Some people experience constant anxiety or anxiety. This fear dominates the everyday life of the patient and significantly limits the patient's participation in life. This excessive feeling of fear is transferred to the body and triggers typical symptoms that can further unsettle and frighten the patient.
$config[ads_text2] not foundThe physical symptoms of such an anxiety or panic disorder are anxiety, dizziness, and a racing heart. Furthermore, the patients start to sweat more and suffer from nausea and shortness of breath. Those affected find it difficult to find a way out of such a situation.
In the case of increased attacks of fear and the physical symptoms of dizziness and palpitations, behavioral therapy should be sought in which the patient learns to control such attacks with the help of a therapist.
One possible strategy to control dizziness and palpitations in fear is relaxation exercises. Exercise, distraction, or targeted breathing exercises can help relieve anxiety and reduce dizziness and racing heart.
In the event of these symptoms, you should act immediately, we recommend our article at: Anxiety Disorders - What To Do?
For many people, stress manifests itself through physical symptoms, even if this is often not noticed or even ignored. If stress persists over a longer period of time, for example due to a tense situation in professional life, this has a negative effect on the body.
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The human body is used to reacting to stress, tension and fear. This can express itself in different ways. In many situations, dizziness and rapid heartbeat occur, but digestive problems can also occur.
Therefore, if there is a link between the symptoms and existing stress, the person should try to reduce the stress. E.g. various relaxation techniques are available.
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Tension, depending on its location on the spine, can lead to a wide variety of symptoms. Various nerves run along the spine that perform different tasks. If there is severe and chronic tension, for example due to poor posture or incorrect loading, these nerves can be pinched.
Therefore, tension in the cervical and thoracic spine can lead to dizziness and a racing heart. They often occur together with ringing in the ears and sweating and should be treated immediately, e.g. by a physiotherapist.
Do you feel tension combined with dizziness and a racing heart? Further important information on this subject can be found under: Vertigo caused by tension
There are many psychological causes that can manifest themselves as dizziness and a racing heart. This includes events that are not processed and fears. For example, if there is claustrophobia, i.e. fear of a closed space, dizziness and a racing heart can occur in such a situation.
The symptoms can be exacerbated by ignoring the underlying psychological causes. It often happens that those affected do not want to deal with the cause. The body then looks for a kind of outlet to deal with the psychological stress, which can manifest itself in certain situations, for example, through dizziness and racing heart.
The course of dizziness and palpitations depends heavily on the underlying cause. The symptoms are often acute and, after appropriate measures, subside completely within minutes to hours. If this is not the case, a doctor should be consulted.
$config[ads_text1] not foundIt is quite possible that the symptoms are caused by a chronic illness, such as high blood pressure or a malfunction of the thyroid gland. However, these diseases can be treated well with appropriate treatment and prophylaxis so that they do not affect the affected person too much in everyday life.
Due to the large number of different causes that can be responsible for the development of the symptoms, general prophylaxis is difficult to recommend.
Prophylaxis can be recommended if the cause of the occurrence is known individually and another episode is to be prevented. In individual cases, the attending physician can recommend possible prophylaxis before the symptoms return.
Treatment for dizziness and palpitations depends on the underlying trigger. The diagnosis of the cause always comes before therapy.
If the symptoms are only mildly felt or always occur during a certain activity, a self-analysis can help to narrow down the problem. Stressful situations or sporting activities can be responsible for the occurrence of the symptoms. The therapy then focuses on avoiding the respective activity.
In the acute situation, it helps most affected people if they go into the fresh air, breathe evenly and deeply, and try to calm down. In order to stabilize the circulation, the person concerned should sit or lie down for a while and drink water. The latter is especially important in the case of underlying dehydration, i.e. a lack of fluid. If the symptoms do not get better or worse, a doctor should be consulted promptly.
If a disease is the cause of the symptoms, it should be treated with suitable therapy. A diagnosis by a doctor can help to find out the cause of the symptoms and thus enable therapy for the disease.
If the dizziness and palpitations are caused by a thyroid disorder, this must be treated accordingly. Depending on the type of dysfunction, different drugs are available for this.
If the blood pressure regulation is disturbed, this should also be examined more closely, for example with a 24-hour measurement. A blood pressure that is too high or too low can then be adjusted accordingly with medication.
In most cases, lifestyle also plays an important role. A balanced diet, regular exercise, and avoiding alcohol and cigarettes improve the symptoms in most cases.
Avoiding or reducing psychological stress and stress should not be neglected either.
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The prognosis of dizziness and palpitations depends on the cause. It is difficult to give a general prognosis for the occurrence of dizziness and palpitations.
Especially with severe symptoms and other complaints such as unconsciousness and shortness of breath, life-threatening illnesses with immediate need for action can be behind the symptoms. On the other hand, the prognosis for symptoms that are caused by physical activity, stress or a hormonal cause can be assessed very well.
If the symptoms are triggered by a chronic illness, such as high blood pressure, the affected person can still lead a life that is barely restricted with appropriate treatment.
In the case of an acute, serious cause, such as If you have a heart attack, prompt medical treatment is essential to the prognosis.
The duration of dizziness and palpitations can vary widely. The symptoms are usually acute and last several minutes in their full severity. After an acute onset, they often only subside completely after a few hours. Depending on the underlying cause, symptoms may appear more or less often.
Dizziness and a racing heart are two common symptoms in general. Dizziness and a racing heart are two symptoms that can be seen as signs of stress on the body. The dizziness itself is usually described as diffuse in combination with a racing heart.
The racing heart is typically felt just above the left chest and can be felt down the throat. In addition to racing the heart, some people feel that the heart beat faster in their chest. This is also known as palpitation and is usually aggravated by physical activity.
In addition, various accompanying symptoms can occur, such as Sweating and headache. Many sufferers develop anxiety and tremors from the symptoms, which in turn can worsen existing symptoms.
Dizziness is also perceived very differently. Symptoms associated with dizziness, such as going black or nausea, are relatively common.
A common symptom accompanying dizziness is nausea. The reason for this is the involvement of the balance organ in dizziness. If the balance is disturbed, nausea is almost always the result. If the nausea is very pronounced and occurs especially together with the dizziness, a disease of the inner ear is therefore likely. An ear, nose and throat doctor should be consulted for clarification.
In combination with dizziness and a racing heart, nausea is often a sign of physical stress. The nausea can occur, for example, with disorders of blood pressure. It can occur when the blood pressure is too high or too low.
A fearful situation also often leads to nausea. The body is under enormous stress and those affected often get the feeling of having a toilet in their throat. Sometimes vomiting can occur in extreme cases.
Other digestive tract symptoms such as Diarrhea is rare but cannot be ruled out.
The rapid heartbeat can also trigger slight nausea through the perception of the heartbeat in the throat region.
Read more about dizziness and nausea at: Dizziness and nausea
If dizziness and rapid heartbeat occur together with shortness of breath, there is a likelihood that the condition is serious and life-threatening. This is especially the case when pain is perceived as a symptom.
Shortness of breath occurs when the body is no longer supplied with sufficient oxygen. Shortness of breath, which is accompanied by symptoms of the heart and dizziness, is suspected to be a symptom of a heart attack or other diseases of the heart or the great vessels, which often also include an acute stabbing sensation in the chest. For example, pulmonary embolism or an aneurysm of the aorta may be responsible for these symptoms.
If breathlessness occurs, medical attention should be sought immediately and symptoms clarified. Only a quick diagnosis and, if necessary, treatment of the symptoms can efficiently reduce the likelihood of complications.
The occurrence of these three symptoms can lead to dangerous and life-threatening situations that can be fatal. For this reason, it is advisable to deal with the diseases linked above.
First of all, it should be excluded that the dizziness, the racing heart and the pressure in the chest are expressions of stress, anxiety or a panic disorder.
In general, however, the coincidence of these three complaints should be taken very seriously. Often times, pressure in the chest is an expression of an ongoing heart attack and is described as a feeling of pressure and tightness that radiates into the surrounding areas. At the same time, sweat, shortness of breath, nausea and fear often occur. In this case, a doctor should be consulted immediately or the emergency doctor should be called.
Less feared and therefore long undetected, may be high blood pressure, which can also trigger dizziness, palpitations and pressure in the chest. Headaches are common with high blood pressure.
In addition to the heart, the lungs can also be responsible for dizziness and palpitations and the associated pressure in the chest. Here, too, life-threatening diseases such as pulmonary embolism can occur. However, severe shortness of breath and breathing-dependent pain also occur at the same time. In this case, a doctor or an emergency doctor should be called quickly.
In heart attacks and pulmonary embolisms, symptoms are very sudden and there is usually severe pain and shortness of breath. However, not every occurrence of dizziness, palpitations and pressure in the chest is a heart attack. These symptoms are also very common in an acute attack of anxiety or panic disorder, for example.
Read more on the subject at: Symptoms of a heart attack
If dizziness and palpitations occur together with tremors, there are many possible causes.
Trembling is a symptom caused by the muscles in the body. The shaking is often a sign of physical weakness, such as a lack of fluids and electrolytes. As a result, the muscles of the body can no longer be supplied properly and tremors can occur.
The tremor can also be an expression of a disturbance in blood pressure.
Another common cause of tremors with dizziness and a racing heart is a disorder of the thyroid function, whereby both over- and under-function are possible.
Since tremors are a very unspecific symptom, a general approach is difficult to recommend. If the tremors are very violent and occur all over the body, a seizure can be assumed. If the tremor is only slight, an insufficient supply of oxygen or electrolytes to the muscles can be the reason for the symptom.
In any case, a doctor should be consulted in order to clarify the symptom and to be able to intervene if necessary.
Read more on the subject at: Dizziness and tremors such as Dizziness from low blood pressure
Headache is one of the most common symptoms felt by the population. Headaches also occur repeatedly along with dizziness and a racing heart.
There are two causes that are most commonly responsible for these three symptoms.
Dehydration, i.e. a lack of fluid, often leads to cramping of the vessels in the area of the brain, which manifests itself in a headache. Furthermore, the lack of water and electrolytes makes the circulation more unstable and leads to dizziness and a racing heart.
Another common cause is an increase in blood pressure. This can be a short-term increase, for example due to excessive exercise or stress, as well as chronic high blood pressure.
In rare cases, serious medical conditions are responsible for the symptoms. Medical advice should be sought, especially in the case of very limiting and recurring symptoms.
Do you often suffer from dizziness and headaches? This is to make sure that there is no serious illness behind these symptoms. Find out more about this topic from our article: Dizziness and headaches - what could be behind it?
Fatigue is a very unspecific symptom with a multitude of possible causes. Even if the fatigue occurs together with dizziness and a racing heart, a multitude of different reasons can be responsible for the occurrence of the symptoms.
In addition to hormonal causes, individual stress or excessive physical demands can be reasons for the symptoms.
If symptoms persist for a long time, a doctor should be examined.
For more detailed information on this subject, we recommend the following main articles. Here's how you can find out the cause of your dizziness and fatigue: Dizziness and tiredness
If dizziness and sweating or sweating occur at the same time, these symptoms should be taken seriously.
In harmless cases, they indicate an infection, with sweats occurring particularly at night. In this case, the symptoms should subside after a few days.
Another cause of dizziness, rapid heartbeat and increased sweating is hypoglycaemia, which is a dreaded condition, especially among diabetics. You should urgently eat or drink something sweet.
Occasionally there are patients in whom these symptoms occur more often even without a physical cause. These circulatory-sensitive patients often suffer from these symptoms, especially under stress, and can learn to control dizziness, racing heart and sweating through relaxation exercises.
The outbreak of sweat in combination with other symptoms can also indicate serious illnesses, which is why you should also take a look at the following articles:
Anxiety is a common accompanying symptom with dizziness and a racing heart. The fear can either trigger the symptoms or the symptoms can lead to the appearance of fear. It is therefore important that this is clarified in order to be able to relieve those affected. If dizziness and palpitations occur, the person should try to breathe easily, get fresh air, and sit down. With many fears, such as closed rooms, also known as claustrophobia, such a situation leads to dizziness, rapid heartbeat and sweating.
Dizziness and a racing heart occasionally also occur with tingling sensations. The tingling sensation is often felt in the hands, but can also occur in other regions of the body. It is usually a sign of a malfunction of nerves and therefore often occurs when there is tension, for example. These can cause nerves to become trapped in the spinal area, which can lead to dizziness and a racing heart, especially in the neck and chest area.
The tingling sensation can, e.g. in combination with pain in the left shoulder, it can also be a sign of a heart attack and should therefore be examined by a doctor quickly if the pain is severe.
The most common cause of dizziness and palpitations during pregnancy is low blood pressure. These symptoms are particularly noticeable at the beginning of pregnancy. The symptoms are usually short-lived because the low blood pressure can be normalized again with simple measures.
As a preventive measure, it is important to drink enough water to prevent the blood pressure from falling. If the blood pressure drops anyway, exercise is important for the circulation.
Another cause of palpitations and dizziness during pregnancy is low blood sugar. This can be recognized by the fact that sweat or tremors also occur. This short-term metabolic disorder can also be easily remedied by the pregnant woman. Small meals in between, a glucose, sugared drinks or fruit raise the blood sugar quickly again.
Towards the end of pregnancy, dizziness and a racing heart can be triggered by a positioning problem (vena cava compression syndrome) in which the baby presses on the inferior vena cava and not enough blood is transported back to the heart. This can be avoided by laying the pregnant woman on her left side in order to ensure sufficient return flow.
In the event of persistent or severe symptoms, you should talk to your family doctor or the gynecologist in charge in order to rule out other possible physical causes or diseases.
The anamnesis, i.e. the doctor-patient conversation, is very important for the diagnosis of dizziness and palpitations. Causes such as situation-related triggers, must be examined more closely. The physical exam also plays an important role, as it can be used to examine the heart and thyroid gland, for example.
An extensive analysis is necessary to find out which illness is possibly behind the symptoms.
Blood pressure and the adaptation of the circulatory system to rapid changes in body position can also be controlled. A blood test is also helpful in many cases to identify possible hormone disorders.
In very severe cases, imaging diagnostics must take place in order to discover possibly life-threatening diseases and to be able to treat them in the course. This is usually achieved by performing an ultrasound examination and computed tomography.
