RLR
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Many patients have described this scenario to me and I always use my clock example to explain the insignificance of the events and that it is not an indication that something is wrong.
If you've ever had occasion to glance up at the clock or at your watch only to find that the second hand appears to have stopped momentarily, it's because of two factors; one, the exact moment your eyes fixate on the watch hand depends upon the precise cycle that the watch is experiencing with respect to moving the second hand. If it happens to be when the second hand just moved to the next second, it will seem to take several long seconds for it to move again.
Secondly, the brain, regardless of how fast it can process information, takes time to process sensory data nevertheless. In matters dealing with small increments of time, it can be made to feel as though an eternity passes before events transition. This is why people are never quite accurate about how long events take that are particularly distressing.
The same example holds true for your heart in a way. If palpitations are present and occuring to various frequency, the sensation that you feel has very much to do with the exact time that the palpitation imposes itself upon the normal sinus rhythm of the heart. Much like the clock example, the heart has a predisposed cycle that occurs with great regularity, but unlike a clock, experiences two distinct cycles instead. One cycle is systole, or the contraction of the ventricles, and the second is diastole or relaxation of the ventricles. Many other things happen during these cycles, but this is basically what the heart does during each cycle of what you know to be a heartbeat.
So if the heart has just entered diastole, or refractory period, and a palpitation is imposed upon the cycle, it can seem an eternity before you sense the start of the next cycle. This mild disruption can cause subtle shifts in blood pressure that can be sensed as dizziness or light-headed sensation, but basically the body is capable of making rapid changes to bring systems back to normal again. It is neither dangerous nor harmful, although admittedly unnerving to anyone experiencing the event.
One's state of anxiety and focus upon such matters can, at times, have a rather dramatic compounding effect because fear is established by the notion that the heart is "stopping" and may not start again, which is in fact, entirely misguided. It is merely the sensation that you have that gives you such a perception. What you need to realize, based upon clear medical facts, is that a true lack of perfusion of blood to the brain via heart block or similar cardiovascular event causes syncope or more simply, "fainting." In other words, people are unable to suddenly realize that their heart has stopped and be able to run downstairs, or anywhere else for that matter, and obtain assistance prior to losing conciousness. That's why people who truly experience such events are found right where the event occured. You also need to know that a true cardiovascular event like asystole, or a non-beating heart, causes considerable pain because of ischemia. While there is such a thing as "silent ischemia" it is almost always associated with events that strike without warning and which are usually unrecoverable because of the extent of damage involved without the aid of warning signs like ischemic pain that would encourage a doctor's visit.
In your case, however, we are looking at a series of events where your perception of what is occuring is a bit misleading. Your heart is fine. Try not to let the events cause panic where it is not necessary. They can make you feel light-headed on occasion and it's always warranted to try and remain still or even sit down if you think it necessary, rather than try to run a flight of stairs in the hopes of gaining help for what you believe is the predecessor to a cardiovascular event. Otherwise, it may be more likely that you suffer an orthopedic event like a fractured hip or even worse when you find yourself tumbling down the stairs.
If indeed you continue to fixate upon being too far from help during these times, it may benefit you to look into an "alert" bracelet or neckless that has a panic button to summon help if needed. Depending upon your age and comfort zone, this would be rather overkill in my opinion but nevertheless emotionally helpful if you think you need such a device. It's additionally important to realize that following these events, your rather immediate recovery should be a hardline clue that it's associated with mere palpitations and anxiety rather than a true cardiovascular event, which alternatively would not dissipate near as quickly and without further consequence.
You'll be fine. Have a great New Year celebration and enjoy life. You have a long way yet to go.
Best regards and Good Health
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