Table of ContentsView AllTable of Contents10 Causes of Fast Heart BeatWhen It’s an EmergencyNormal Heart RateMaximum Heart Rate
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
10 Causes of Fast Heart Beat
When It’s an Emergency
Normal Heart Rate
Maximum Heart Rate
Tachycardiais 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.
2. Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when you lose more water than you consume. It results in a loss ofelectrolytes, 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.
3. Emotions and Stress
Try the followingvagal maneuvers:
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 yourcentral 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:
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:
Appropriatetreatment for heart diseasecan 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
Fluctuating Estrogen in Menopause
Some women experience a racing heartbeat or palpitations (a temporary increase of your heart rate) duringmenopausedue to fluctuatingestrogenlevels. 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 andprogesteronelevels fluctuate across a typical 28-daymenstrual cyclein a predictable pattern. Progesterone and estrogen levels are highest five to seven days afterovulation(the release of an egg from theovariesto thefallopian tubes). Research indicates that women experience an increase in heart rate when sleeping during this period in the menstrual cycle.
Excess Thyroid Hormone
Hyperthyroidismis 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 afever. A fever is often a sign of aninfection. As yourimmune systemworks 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, orhypoglycemia, 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 havediabetes, make sure you know how totreat 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:
10. Other Medical Conditions
Tachycardia can also occur as a result of other medical conditions that include:
Pregnancy
Heart Palpitations in Pregnancy: What’s Normal or Not
Anemia
Anemiais 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 apneais 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 bothobstructive sleep apneaandcentral 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) insubstance abuse disorderis 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:
When to Go to the Hospital for 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:
When is a Heart Rate Considered Dangerous?
How to Calculate Your Maximum Heart Rate
Yourmaximum heart rateis 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.
AgeTarget Heart Rate Zone in Beats per Minute (bpm)Age-Predicted Maximum Heart Rate20 years100–170 bpm200 bpm30 years95–162 bpm190 bpm35 years93–157 bpm185 bpm40 years90–153 bpm180 bpm45 years88–149 bpm175 bpm50 years85–145 bpm170 bpm55 years83–140 bpm165 bpm60 years80–136 bpm160 bpm65 years78–132 bpm155 bpm70 years75–128 bpm150 bpmWhen to Go to the Hospital for Rapid Heart RateSummaryTachycardia 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.
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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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.Tachycardia: fast heart rate.Yale Medicine.Tachycardia.MyHealthAlberta.ca.Cardiac output.Mongin D, Chabert C, Courvoisier DS, García-Romero J, Alvero-Cruz JR.Heart rate recovery to assess fitness: comparison of different calculation methods in a large cross-sectional study.Res Sports Med. 2023;31(2):157-170. doi:10.1080/15438627.2021.1954513Liu H, Miller K, Arguello E.Effects of Ba-Duan-Jin based deep breathing on multimorbidity: A case study.Int J Physiother Res. 2022;10(4):4295-303. doi:10.16965/ijpr.2022.129Lewis III JL.Overview of electrolytes. InMerck Manual Consumer Version. Merck & Co., Inc. 2023.Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.How supplements affect heart palpitations.Aether Health.Can dehydration cause heart palpitations? Understanding the link between hydration and heart health.Society of Behavioral Medicine.How stress affects your heart.Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.How to stop your heart palpitations at home.MedlinePlus.Heart palpitations.Tisdale J, Chung M, Campbell K, Hammadah M, et.al.Drug-induced arrhythmias: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2020;142(15). doi:10.1161/CIR.000000000000090Temple Health.Can hot weather affect your heart?British Heart Foundation.Air pollution.University of Utah Health.Why is my heart beating so fast?Endocrine Society.Menopause signs and symptoms.Alzueta E, de Zambotti M , Javitz H, Dulai T, Albinni B, Simon KC, Sattari N, Zhang J, Shuster A, Mednick SC, Baker FC.Tracking sleep, temperature, heart rate, and daily symptoms across the menstrual cycle with the Oura ring in healthy women.International Journal of Women’s Health. 2022;14:491-503. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S341917Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Hyperthyroidism and your heart.Banner Health.Why your heart rate goes up when you’re sick.Harvard Health Publishing.Hypoglycemia.MedlinePlus.Low blood sugar.Merck Manual Consumer Version.Physical changes during pregnancy.Hackensack Meridian Health.6 reasons your heart rate is high.Memorial Healthcare System.Sleep apnea and Afib.American Heart Association.Illicit drugs, high alcohol consumption both linked to first-time irregular heart rhythm.Mass General Bringham.Tachycardia.Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.What’s a normal heart rate? And what your heart rate is telling you.Healthdirect.Resting heart rate.Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Want to check your heart rate? Here’s how.Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.All about your heart rate.Iowa Health Care.Target heart rate for exercise.American Heart Association (AHA).Target heart rates chart.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Heart Association.Tachycardia: fast heart rate.Yale Medicine.Tachycardia.MyHealthAlberta.ca.Cardiac output.Mongin D, Chabert C, Courvoisier DS, García-Romero J, Alvero-Cruz JR.Heart rate recovery to assess fitness: comparison of different calculation methods in a large cross-sectional study.Res Sports Med. 2023;31(2):157-170. doi:10.1080/15438627.2021.1954513Liu H, Miller K, Arguello E.Effects of Ba-Duan-Jin based deep breathing on multimorbidity: A case study.Int J Physiother Res. 2022;10(4):4295-303. doi:10.16965/ijpr.2022.129Lewis III JL.Overview of electrolytes. InMerck Manual Consumer Version. Merck & Co., Inc. 2023.Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.How supplements affect heart palpitations.Aether Health.Can dehydration cause heart palpitations? Understanding the link between hydration and heart health.Society of Behavioral Medicine.How stress affects your heart.Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.How to stop your heart palpitations at home.MedlinePlus.Heart palpitations.Tisdale J, Chung M, Campbell K, Hammadah M, et.al.Drug-induced arrhythmias: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2020;142(15). doi:10.1161/CIR.000000000000090Temple Health.Can hot weather affect your heart?British Heart Foundation.Air pollution.University of Utah Health.Why is my heart beating so fast?Endocrine Society.Menopause signs and symptoms.Alzueta E, de Zambotti M , Javitz H, Dulai T, Albinni B, Simon KC, Sattari N, Zhang J, Shuster A, Mednick SC, Baker FC.Tracking sleep, temperature, heart rate, and daily symptoms across the menstrual cycle with the Oura ring in healthy women.International Journal of Women’s Health. 2022;14:491-503. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S341917Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Hyperthyroidism and your heart.Banner Health.Why your heart rate goes up when you’re sick.Harvard Health Publishing.Hypoglycemia.MedlinePlus.Low blood sugar.Merck Manual Consumer Version.Physical changes during pregnancy.Hackensack Meridian Health.6 reasons your heart rate is high.Memorial Healthcare System.Sleep apnea and Afib.American Heart Association.Illicit drugs, high alcohol consumption both linked to first-time irregular heart rhythm.Mass General Bringham.Tachycardia.Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.What’s a normal heart rate? And what your heart rate is telling you.Healthdirect.Resting heart rate.Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Want to check your heart rate? Here’s how.Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.All about your heart rate.Iowa Health Care.Target heart rate for exercise.American Heart Association (AHA).Target heart rates chart.
American Heart Association.Tachycardia: fast heart rate.
Yale Medicine.Tachycardia.
MyHealthAlberta.ca.Cardiac output.
Mongin D, Chabert C, Courvoisier DS, García-Romero J, Alvero-Cruz JR.Heart rate recovery to assess fitness: comparison of different calculation methods in a large cross-sectional study.Res Sports Med. 2023;31(2):157-170. doi:10.1080/15438627.2021.1954513
Liu H, Miller K, Arguello E.Effects of Ba-Duan-Jin based deep breathing on multimorbidity: A case study.Int J Physiother Res. 2022;10(4):4295-303. doi:10.16965/ijpr.2022.129
Lewis III JL.Overview of electrolytes. InMerck Manual Consumer Version. Merck & Co., Inc. 2023.
Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.How supplements affect heart palpitations.
Aether Health.Can dehydration cause heart palpitations? Understanding the link between hydration and heart health.
Society of Behavioral Medicine.How stress affects your heart.
Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.How to stop your heart palpitations at home.
MedlinePlus.Heart palpitations.
Tisdale J, Chung M, Campbell K, Hammadah M, et.al.Drug-induced arrhythmias: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2020;142(15). doi:10.1161/CIR.000000000000090
Temple Health.Can hot weather affect your heart?
British Heart Foundation.Air pollution.
University of Utah Health.Why is my heart beating so fast?
Endocrine Society.Menopause signs and symptoms.
Alzueta E, de Zambotti M , Javitz H, Dulai T, Albinni B, Simon KC, Sattari N, Zhang J, Shuster A, Mednick SC, Baker FC.Tracking sleep, temperature, heart rate, and daily symptoms across the menstrual cycle with the Oura ring in healthy women.International Journal of Women’s Health. 2022;14:491-503. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S341917
Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Hyperthyroidism and your heart.
Banner Health.Why your heart rate goes up when you’re sick.
Harvard Health Publishing.Hypoglycemia.
MedlinePlus.Low blood sugar.
Merck Manual Consumer Version.Physical changes during pregnancy.
Hackensack Meridian Health.6 reasons your heart rate is high.
Memorial Healthcare System.Sleep apnea and Afib.
American Heart Association.Illicit drugs, high alcohol consumption both linked to first-time irregular heart rhythm.
Mass General Bringham.Tachycardia.
Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.What’s a normal heart rate? And what your heart rate is telling you.
Healthdirect.Resting heart rate.
Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Want to check your heart rate? Here’s how.
Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.All about your heart rate.
Iowa Health Care.Target heart rate for exercise.
American Heart Association (AHA).Target heart rates chart.
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