With tachycardia, your heart beats faster than usual for anything from a few seconds to several hours. Normally your pulse is between 60 and 100 beats per minute when you are at rest. When your heart beats more than 100 times a minute at rest, this is tachycardia.

The heart may start beating faster during physical exertion or excitement, after strong coffee or tea, or after a long time in a stuffy, unventilated room. If the faster pulse is short-lived and returns to normal after rest or once the excitement subsides, it is not a sign of illness. There are, however, many conditions that can cause persistent tachycardia.

Tachycardia can have various causes and is not necessarily linked to illness. If you experience symptoms of a rapid heartbeat, there are good options for treatment in Switzerland depending on the cause. Doctors carry out diagnostics and draw up an individual treatment plan according to the underlying cause.

Symptoms of tachycardia:

  • Fainting
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Dizziness
  • Palpitations
  • Chest pain

What contributes to tachycardia?

  • High blood pressure
  • Congenital or acquired heart defects
  • Frequent consumption of coffee, tobacco and alcohol
  • Reactions to certain medicines
  • Anaemia
  • Electrolyte imbalance
  • Hyperthyroidism

What causes tachycardia?

Tachycardia has a number of causes, including:

  • Stress
  • Consuming more caffeine or alcohol than your doctor recommends.
  • Smoking or using tobacco products.
  • Cardiomyopathy, heart attack, heart disease or other heart problems.
  • Insufficient blood flow in your coronary arteries.
  • Certain medicines.

How can tachycardia be prevented?

Limit or avoid alcohol, smoking and caffeine. Talk to your doctor before taking herbal supplements. All of these can cause tachycardia. Taking care of heart problems or finding alternatives to medicines that cause problems can help you prevent some forms of tachycardia.

Living with tachycardia

Can I exercise?

Exercise is important in the treatment of almost all cardiovascular diseases. A well-trained heart copes more easily with exertion, just like the other muscles in your body. When you are fit, everyday life often becomes easier, giving you a better quality of life and well-being.

Exercise benefits your health for several reasons and can help prevent heart disease. Once your doctor has approved exercise and training, you can begin. Depending on your progress and fitness, you can start with walks of up to 30 minutes a day. If exercise is new to you, it makes sense to start slowly.

There are usually no limits on how hard you can work your heart. If there are restrictions on exercise in your case, however, your doctor will tell you. Either way, you should always do some morning exercises.