When to Go to the Hospital for Rapid Heart Rate

A heart rate of 100 beats per minute (bpm) or higher, also known as tachycardia, can be a normal body response to exercise, stress, or even too much coffee. But it could also be due to an abnormal heart rhythm or other serious condition.

Deciding when to go to the hospital for a rapid heart depends on your health history and how you are feeling overall. If you are experiencing additional symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, loss of consciousness, or trouble breathing, it's time to seek immediate medical attention.

This article discusses the symptoms and causes of tachycardia and when to seek medical attention.

Normal Heart Rate Ranges

In adults, the normal heart rate is between 60-100 beats per minute (bpm). A slower heart rate is called bradycardia, and a faster heart rate is called tachycardia.

In certain circumstances, a heart rate higher or lower than what's considered normal is nothing to worry about. It all depends on what you're doing.

For example, some people may have a heart rate in the 50s while sleeping, which is completely normal. On the other hand, if you are exercising, you can (and should) expect your heart rate to go above 100 bpm.

How to Measure Heart Rate

To measure heart rate, time your pulse over 15 seconds and multiply that by four to get beats per minute. For example, if you count 20 beats over 15 seconds, your heart rate is 80 bpm.

For a more accurate measurement, take your pulse for 30 seconds and multiple by two. For the most accurate measurement, take your pulse for the entire minute.

Signs of Rapid Heart Rate

Rapid heart rate can cause an uncomfortable feeling, particularly when it occurs suddenly, as with certain abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias. Symptoms can include the following:

• Palpitations, or the feeling of a racing or pounding heart
• Lightheadedness
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Trouble breathing
• Loss of consciousness
• Cardiac arrest, or a loss of consciousness with no pulse

Causes

The heart regulates its rate in response to various situations in order to provide enough blood flow to the body. Certain factors can contribute to increased heart rate, including:

• Exercise
• Emotional stress
• Activation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or flight-response)
• Dehydration
• Low blood sugar
• Alcohol or caffeine
  
• Anemia
• Elevated thyroid levels

Elevated heart rate can also be caused by an abnormal heart rhythm.

Types of Rapid Heart Rate

The heart has a specialized electrical conduction system that starts in a group of cells called the sinus node. It is located in the right atrium, one of the heart's upper chambers.

The sinus node fires off a stimulus that travels through the heart in a very specific way to cause the muscle to contract. The result is an organized contraction that pumps blood most efficiently. This is called sinus rhythm.

Sometimes, the electrical stimulus gets caught in a feedback loop. Or, it originates from somewhere outside of the sinus node and results in arrhythmias. Arrhythmias can be treated with medications, or by special procedures such as cardiac ablation.

Electrocardiograms can differentiate normal sinus rhythm from various arrhythmias.

Sinus Tachycardia

When the sinus rhythm described above is in the normal range of 60-100 bpm, it's called normal sinus rhythm. Sinus tachycardia is when the rhythm is originating from the sinus node, but the rate is higher than 100 bpm.

Sinus tachycardia can be completely normal when you are exercising or experiencing emotional stress. It can also be a result of medications and substances, or underlying problems or factors such as:

• Alcohol or alcohol withdrawal
• Caffeine
• Nicotine
• Anemia
• Hyperthyroidism
• Lung disease
• Heart attack or heart failure
• Fever
• Anxiety

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (or "AFib" for short) happens when the top chamber of the heart is firing out rapid and random electrical stimulation. This leads to an irregular, abnormal heart rhythm, which often is rapid.

Some people may not have any symptoms or even know that they have been in atrial fibrillation. Others may experience very unsettling symptoms like:

• Fluttering in the chest
• Lightheadedness
• Passing out

Patients may benefit from anti-arrhythmic medication or a cardiac ablation. This is a procedure in which a cardiologist uses a catheter to burn or freeze part of the inside of the heart.

Atrial Flutter

Atrial flutter is an arrhythmia that is somewhat similar to AFib, in that it increases the risk of stroke and may require anticoagulation treatment.

However, while atrial fibrillation is irregular, atrial flutter is a regular rhythm. This is because an electrical stimulus travels in a circle in the heart's upper chamber and stimulates the heart to contract at a specific rate. Many people in atrial flutter have a heart rate around 150 bpm.

Atrial flutter is often definitively treated with cardiac ablation.

Supraventricular Tachycardia

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is any heart rhythm that originates above the ventricles.

SVT is an umbrella term that technically includes sinus tachycardia, atrial flutter, and atrial fibrillation. However, most of the time when people refer to SVT, they are talking about one of the following arrhythmias:

• AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)
• AV reentrant tachycardia (AVRT)

These arrhythmias involve abnormalities in the heart's conduction system, such as an "accessory pathway" that allows the electrical conduction to bypass certain areas. These arrhythmias may be treated with medication or cardiac ablation in some cases.

Ventricular Tachycardia

Ventricular tachycardia (VT or "V-tach") is a serious arrhythmia. In V-tach, the electrical stimulus for the heartbeat is coming from a ventricle (the heart's lower chamber) rather than the upper atria.

Sustained VT is life-threatening and can lead to cardiac arrest. This rhythm can be so rapid that the heart is not adequately pumping blood to the brain and other organs. When someone experiences VT, they may not have a pulse and thus will require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

There are several different types and causes of VT. VT is treated with medications, and in some cases ablation may be successful.

Ventricular Fibrillation

Ventricular fibrillation (VF or "VFib") is the most serious rapid heart rhythm. If you are reading this sentence, you are not experiencing VF.

In VF, the heart's electrical system is sending out disorganized signals so rapidly that it is unable to beat effectively and is not pumping blood to the rest of the body. The affected person will lose consciousness and have no pulse. People in a VF rhythm require CPR.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

In some cases, tachycardia is completely normal. But in other cases, it may be due to a serious arrhythmia.

If you are experiencing concerning symptoms like chest discomfort, shortness of breath, or dizziness, or if you have fainted, you should seek medical attention promptly.

Summary

Rapid heart rate is defined as a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute. Other symptoms commonly found with a rapid heart rate include palpitations, dizziness, and chest pain.

There are several potential causes for a rapid heart rate. Some may be serious while others are totally harmless and expected. If you experience severe symptoms like chest pain, loss of consciousness, or shortness of breath, seek medical attention.

A Word From Verywell

The symptoms that come with a rapid heart rate can be frightening, but as with exercise, an elevated rate doesn't always mean there is something to worry about. It all depends on the cause. Any necessary treatment will depend on the underlying cause too. If you are concerned about your rapid heart rate, contact a healthcare provider.