High heart rate during pregnancy

High heart rate during pregnancy – Causes

During pregnancy, there are numerous changes in the cardiovascular system. The most important of these are an increase in heartbeat volume, an increase in circulating blood volume and a decrease in blood pressure. In addition, there is a dilation of the blood vessels. In addition, the physiological change consists in an acceleration of the heart rate by about 20 beats per minute. This means that a heart rate of 90 beats per minute in pregnant women should not be a cause for concern in most cases.

High heart rate during pregnancy – symptoms

Most often, pregnant women who have a high heart rate complain of a feeling of palpitations, faster fatigue and subjective discomfort. Chest pain may also occur. Most often, these symptoms occur during the day. However, sometimes other symptoms such as flushing or shortness of breath occur along with an accelerated heart rate. In such a situation, it is advisable to consult a doctor and look for a possible cause for the symptoms that occur.

High heart rate during pregnancy – does it mean something dangerous?

High heart rate in pregnancy can be not only a physiological change during pregnancy, but also one of the symptoms of complications that occur during these nine months. Heart palpitations (tachycardia) is one of the symptoms of conditions such as:

• Hyperthyroidism
• anemia
• heart defects
• cardiac arrhythmias

If an expectant mother suffers from high pulse rate, dizziness, shortness of breath or dark circles under the eyes, she should immediately consult her doctor. Diseases whose symptoms include an accelerated pulse must be diagnosed and treated accordingly.

High pulse in pregnancy – what tests should be performed?

If the expectant mother complains of palpitations and an increased pulse rate, the first thing that is usually done is an ECG. This should be analyzed by a cardiologist, who will refer the pregnant woman to an echocardiogram or Holter ECG if in doubt or for further diagnosis. Laboratory tests ordered in pregnant women with a high heart rate include TSH, fT3, and morphology. These can detect hyperthyroidism and anemia. If the cause of the presenting symptoms is cardiac in nature, the pregnant woman should be monitored by a cardiologist during and after pregnancy.