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90 Years Old Have Blood Pressure 134 / 70 And Louder Pounding Heartbeat. What Should Be Done?

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Posted on Mon, 17 Dec 2012
Question: louder pounding heartbeat?
present blood presure 134 / 70 range to 145 /65.....age 90 female
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Answered by Dr. Michelle Gibson James (2 hours later)
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic

A loud pounding heart is indicative of palpitations or arrhythmias which are irregularities in the rate or rhythm of the heart.
When a person experiences palpitations it may be due to the heart beating either too fast or slow or the heart beating at an irregular rhythm.
Normally when your heart beats, a certain part of your heart starts the 'electrical current' that flows through the heart along a specific pathway to activate the entire heart.
Palpitations occur under different circumstance such as:(1) increased or decreased stimulation at the starting point (2) an different or abnormal starting point (3) irregularity or blockage along the normal pathway that the current passes or passage along a different pathway

Palpitations or arrhythmias are classified, this is important because each has a different possible cause, treatment and prognosis.
To determine the reason for your palpitation your doctor would take the history to determine how often it occurs, duration, associated symptoms, medical history.After he or she examines you, an ECG would be done to check for the specific rhythm or rate.
If the ECG, which is a short test, does not show the abnormality then a Holter which is a 24 hr ECG will likely be suggested.
In alot of cases, the palpitation is easily treated with no abnormality.

I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Michelle Gibson James

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 16808 Questions

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90 Years Old Have Blood Pressure 134 / 70 And Louder Pounding Heartbeat. What Should Be Done?

HI, thanks for using healthcare magic

A loud pounding heart is indicative of palpitations or arrhythmias which are irregularities in the rate or rhythm of the heart.
When a person experiences palpitations it may be due to the heart beating either too fast or slow or the heart beating at an irregular rhythm.
Normally when your heart beats, a certain part of your heart starts the 'electrical current' that flows through the heart along a specific pathway to activate the entire heart.
Palpitations occur under different circumstance such as:(1) increased or decreased stimulation at the starting point (2) an different or abnormal starting point (3) irregularity or blockage along the normal pathway that the current passes or passage along a different pathway

Palpitations or arrhythmias are classified, this is important because each has a different possible cause, treatment and prognosis.
To determine the reason for your palpitation your doctor would take the history to determine how often it occurs, duration, associated symptoms, medical history.After he or she examines you, an ECG would be done to check for the specific rhythm or rate.
If the ECG, which is a short test, does not show the abnormality then a Holter which is a 24 hr ECG will likely be suggested.
In alot of cases, the palpitation is easily treated with no abnormality.

I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions