What Causes Irregular Heartbeat?

In order to hopefully treat and prevent recurrence of irregular heartbeat we need to understand and — if possible — remove the underlying causes and risk factors. We need to ask: "What else is going on inside the body that might allow irregular heartbeat to develop?"

Diagnose your symptoms now!

understand what's happening to your body
check your overall health status
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Accurate diagnosis of the factors behind irregular heartbeat consists of three steps:

Step 1: List the Possible Causative Factors

Identify all disease conditions, lifestyle choices and environmental risk factors that can lead to irregular heartbeat. Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):

Magnesium Toxicity
Overtraining
Sarcoidosis
Magnesium Need
Cardiomyopathy
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Caffeine Intoxication
Low Carbohydrate Diet Consequences

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

Identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

much magnesium supplementation

seizures

excessive osmotic laxative use

major joint pain/swelling/stiffness

difficulty falling asleep

tender muscles

occasional confusion/disorientation

non-human estrogen use

cigarette smoke sensitivity

occasional unexplained nausea

magnesium-based antacid use

recent onset nausea

... and more than 70 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of irregular heartbeat:

Cause	Probability	Status
Cardiomyopathy	90%	Confirm
Sarcoidosis	24%	Unlikely
Caffeine Intoxication	15%	Unlikely
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity	0%	Ruled out
Low Carbohydrate Diet Consequences	0%	Ruled out
Magnesium Toxicity	0%	Ruled out
Overtraining	0%	Ruled out
Magnesium Need	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Cardiovascular Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia):

Have you had an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)?

Possible responses:

→ No / don't know
→ In the past only, seems resolved
→ Occasionally / somewhat
→ Often / very much so

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either past history of arrhythmia or arrhythmia, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Dehydration

Environmental Illness / MCS

An irregular or rapid heart beat and awareness of your heart beating are listed as possible symptoms of environmental illness.

Hemochromatosis (Iron overload)

Cardiac arrhythmia occurs in about 7% of symptomatic hemochromatosis patients.

Magnesium Requirement

Myocardial magnesium was measured in 8 young patients (mean age 32) with ventricular tachycardia of less than 30 seconds in duration who underwent endomyocardial biopsy. Myocardial magnesium content was lower in the 4 with cardiomyopathic and dysplastic lesions than in the 4 with inflammatory lesions (myocarditis) and 8 controls. 10gm magnesium over 24 hours caused a resolution of ventricular tachycardias and a greater than 80% reduction in ventricular extrasystoles. No response was seen in the 4 patients with inflammatory lesions. [Lancet: 1019, 1987]

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Sleep apnea can also result in cardiac arrhythmias. Most often, the heart slows while the person stops breathing, and increases when the apneic episode ends. In 90% of those patients studied with nocturnal bradyarrythmia (slowed heart rate), there was no sign of heart rhythm abnormalities while awake. Bradyarrhythmias occurred only during sleep and varied considerably in frequency and severity. [American Heart Journal 2000; 139: pp.142-8]

The Effects Of Overtraining

Endurance sports such as triathlons, ultramarathon running and professional cycling have been associated with as much as a five-fold increase in the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythms). People who are super-fit are more likely to need pacemakers in old age because exercise causes changes in the body that can disrupt electrical pulses in the heart and lead to permanent structural changes to heart muscles, causing abnormal heart rhythms.

Caffeine Intoxication

Cardiomyopathy

Effects of a Low Carbohydrate Diet

Magnesium Toxicity

Sarcoidosis

Symptoms of sarcoidosis can include development of abnormal or missed beats, inflammation of the covering of the heart (pericarditis) or even heart failure.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™