Are you experiencing heart palpitations due to COVID-19? If yes, you’re not alone because many people also experience it even when their infection is healed. Learn the connection between COVID-19 and heart palpitations and when you should visit a doctor. Get a consultation with the best cardiologists in Brooklyn.

What’s the reason behind heart palpitations after COVID?

Many patients with COVID-19 experience heart palpitations since the start of the pandemic. Palpitations can occur due to many factors such as anxiety, stress, or caffeine, but when COVID-19 raises the risk of heart palpitations it becomes a matter of concern.

According to one study, around 12% of people with mild to moderate cases of COVID experience palpitations and chest pain. These symptoms can occur at onset of your COVID symptoms or after your COVID infection has cleared, showing more lasting damage.

While the exact cause is still unknown there are certain possible reason behind these symptoms:

• Overactive immune response: This occurs when the virus enters the body, and your immune system starts to attack the virus which it believes to be an invader. To mount a defense, your blood floods with a type of protein called cytokine. These cytokines can also communicate with one another and work together to kill the virus. However, in some people, when the immune system releases cytokines, it releases too much which causes a dangerous surge of inflammation that overwhelms your body. This is called a cytokine storm. This type of inflammation not only attacks the virus but also hurts good cells and tissues and damages your organs including the heart which may cause your heart’s regular rhythm to go haywire and may lead to arrhythmias, which can be dangerous for your health.
• Reduced oxygen supply: COVID-19 can cause hypoxia or a lack of oxygen in the body’s tissues which forces your heart to beat faster to supply oxygen to the necessary organs, tissues, and cells to compensate.
• Blood clots: COVID-19 can cause hypercoagulability, which can increase the risk of blood clots. It also makes your heartbeat faster as your heart has to work harder to pump blood through those blockages in the arteries. It increases the risk of other severe cardiovascular complications as well including heart attacks and strokes.

Other common reason of heat rate changes include:

• Anxiety
• Dehydration
• Medication
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Fever

While palpitations are not a matter of concern, getting medical attention earlier is a good idea if you’re worried about them. And if your palpitations last a long time, and do not improve or get worse, then you may have a heart problem.

These COVID-related heart palpitations generally last in between a few days to several weeks depending on factors like infection’s severity or any pre-existing medical conditions. High heart rate is also linked as a symptom of long COVID.

Some studies found that 25 to 50% of patients report palpitations that persist for 12 weeks (about 3 months) or longer, and 9% still have palpitations even after 6 months.

This shows that COVID-19 can cause heart palpitations, but it is not a sign of a medical condition in most cases, getting a medical check is a better idea to identify any heart-related problem.

If you have heart palpitations and any other cardiological symptoms, visit our cardiology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us on +1(347) 384-5690. The Cardiologists at Doral Health & Wellness consistently have outstanding patient satisfaction ratings. The professionals at Heart Specialist Brooklyn are able to greatly improve their patient’s health and quality of life because of their vast training and experience. New Yorkers can get the greatest medical, surgical, and cardiovascular care at Doral Health & Wellness Brooklyn. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.