Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

What Causes Abnormal Heart Beats?

My heart does this thing. It will be beating regularly, then suddenly it will beat a real hard pound, then it feels like a drum roll, then two more real hard pounds, then it feels like it skips a couple beats, then back to normal. This leaves me feeling like I m out of breath, but I m not and it exhausts me for about 2-3 minutes. What is it doing? And sometimes my left arm will hurt, and it has gone numb a couple of times. Am I headed for a heart attack? I m 58.
Wed, 20 Jun 2018
Report Abuse
Cardiologist,  's  Response
Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.

I would explain that your symptoms could be related to a cardiac arrhythmia. For this reason, I would recommend you consulting with your attending physician for a physical exam and some tests:

- a resting ECG and a cardiac ultrasound
- an ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring to investigate for cardiac arrhythmia
- blood electrolytes
- thyroid hormone levels for thyroid gland dyfunction
- complete blood count for anemia.

The pain in your left arm could be related to possible local inflammation or a pinched nerve. Anyway, an exercise cardiac stress test would help investigate for coronary artery disease.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
I find this answer helpful
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Loading Online Doctors....
What Causes Abnormal Heart Beats?

Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice. I would explain that your symptoms could be related to a cardiac arrhythmia. For this reason, I would recommend you consulting with your attending physician for a physical exam and some tests: - a resting ECG and a cardiac ultrasound - an ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring to investigate for cardiac arrhythmia - blood electrolytes - thyroid hormone levels for thyroid gland dyfunction - complete blood count for anemia. The pain in your left arm could be related to possible local inflammation or a pinched nerve. Anyway, an exercise cardiac stress test would help investigate for coronary artery disease. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.