Suggest treatment for rapid heart rate
Patient: I'm a 50 yr. old woman.  Last night after going to bed, my heart just wouldn't calm down.  It was racing and felt like it was going to pound out of my chest continuously.  It was very hard for me to go to sleep.  This morning on my way to work, I thought I was going to black out.....started getting very dizzy and had to pull over.  I still don't feel right. Doctor: Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.Fast-beating, racing or pounding heart is highly likely was an episode of heart palpitation. A wide variety of factors may cause heart palpitation. Certain medications, excessive exercise, stress or medical conditions (heart problems, endocrine diseases) may trigger heart palpitations.If the episode of palpitation is a few seconds to a few minutes duration without any other symptoms, then it does not need medical attention. But your heart palpitation is longer in duration and accompanying with dizziness which requires emergent medical evaluation.For the diagnosis purpose, your doctor may prescribe an Electrocardiogram (ECG), and/or continuous heart monitoring (Holter monitoring). The treatment is based on the underlying cause of the disorder. Please, contact your Doctor or visit ER for medical evaluation of your condition urgently.Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.Regards,Dr. Malik Amonov