What Causes Sudden Skipped Heart Beat With Tingling In Left Arm?

Posted on Tue, 21 Jan 2014

Question: I was laying in bed, dozing off, listening to youtube in the dark for a couple of hours mid-day. After eating breakfast which was a salad and a bag of chips + salsa dip. Then all of a sudden BOOM, it felt like my heart stopped for a second and it started again with a giant PUMP and since then it's been feeling normal. But my left arm is still tingling 30 minutes later and my concerns as well. I lay in bed a lot, and I sit a lot, I spend large amounts of time inactive, but I also walk a lot and exercise a lot.But when I work I lay in bed or sit in a chair and don't move at all. I am not very fat, but got some unwanted stomach fat. I am 24 years old. Like I said, I do get a fair amount of exercise, if I don't swim or lift weights every day, I at least take a 20 minutes to couple of hours walk. I live in hotels all year round in suites and I'm rarely at home, so I eat a lot of hamburgers, chips, steaks, room service, expensive restaurants, oily food in VIP lounges and a fair amount of alcohol, though not in excess any more than a normal 24 year old.

Answered by Dr. Hardik Thakker (31 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Please read the detailed reply. Detailed Answer: Dear patient. Greetings from health care magic!!! I am Dr Thakker and shall be answering your question. I can understand your anxiety about having skipped a heart beat. I will try my best to answer your question and guide you through it. You seem to have had an ectopic atrial or ventricular beat. This ectopic beat depolarizes the entire heart, causing it to stop beating for a few seconds. Once the natural pacemaker of your heart recovers, it starts beating again normally. These ectopics occur as a result of hypoxia or use of stimulants like caffeine, coffee, tea. Sometimes they are idiopathic with no definite cause seen. If this is the first and the only episode of your life, I would like to reassure you and not to worry. If you get more such episodes, then you need to have some tests done. These include, thyroid levels, electrocardiogram, 2D echo of heart. I appreciate the fact that you keep yourself active everyday with walking. I would recommend you to have a baseline lipid profile and fasting blood sugar level done. I would ask you to consume a healthy diet with brown bread, brown rice, fruits, vegetables as compared to your current diet. I hope this helps you out. If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to write back to me. Yours sincerely, Dr Thakker

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Hardik Thakker (1 hour later)

Thank you so much, after reading up on it, it seems you're definitely right. Tomorrow I will be drinking myself drunk on NYE, is this a problem ? My diet will be better from here on out.

Answered by Dr. Hardik Thakker (7 hours later)

Brief Answer: Please avoid alcohol on NYE. Detailed Answer: Dear patient, Thanks for your follow up question. I would like to wish you a happy new year in advance. I would suggest not to go overboard with regards to drinking on the new year eve. Binge alcohol drinking leads to atrial fibrillation and other rhythm disturbances. Since you have had a skipped beat, its best not to drink. We don't want to celebrate the new year in the hospital right? I hope this helps you out. If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to write back to me. Yours sincerely, Dr Thakker

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E