Health Conditions / Cardiovascular Health / Heart Disease

It’s important to protect our hearts, and we’re not talking in the metaphorical sense. The heart is the lifeblood of the body—the reason why your brain gets oxygen to think, your hands are warm enough to hold, and you get to live another day. Yet heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and two major conditions that fall under that umbrella—heart attack and heart failure—are no joke. But if both conditions are a form of heart disease, what makes them so different? Let’s start with the basics: A heart attack happens when a sudden blockage occurs in one of the arteries of the heart. This prevents oxygenated blood from flowing and eventually causes tissue to die, April Stempien-Otero, MD, a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at UW Medicine Heart Institute, tells SELF. Heart failure, on the other hand, develops when the heart doesn’t pump enough blood for the body’s needs, which can cause fluid to back up into the lungs and other areas of the body, per the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).Here’s what you should know about heart attack vs. heart failure, including the symptoms, causes, treatments, and what you can do to lower your risk so that your heart will go on.Heart attack symptoms vs. heart failure symptomsThe most common heart attack symptoms are pretty different from typical heart failure symptoms. When it comes to a heart attack, you’ve probably got an image in your head of a person clutching their chest before they stumble over. While chest pain—especially chest pressure, tightness, aching, or a squeezing sensation that radiates through the left arm or into the jaw—is a common sign of a heart attack, per the NHLBI, the potential symptoms can be subtler. That’s especially true for women, who are more likely to experience nausea or indigestion, cold sweats, and profound, unexplained fatigue, Dr. Stempien-Otero says. Shortness of breath and lightheadedness or sudden dizziness can be red flags too. Meanwhile, the most common symptom of heart failure is shortness of breath, especially during activity, Dr. Stempien-Otero says. Activity in this sense isn’t about your workouts so much as your day-to-day activity; getting up from the couch, walking up the stairs, or other basic movements shouldn’t leave you wheezing or feeling exhausted. This can be a sign of heart failure because when the heart stops pumping efficiently, fluid collects around the lungs; in turn, you may feel breathless and, in later stages, experience swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet. Other potential heart failure symptoms include a persistent cough; swelling in the abdomen; rapid, unexplained weight gain from fluid build-up; nausea; lack of appetite; trouble concentrating; and a rapid or irregular heartbeat, according to the Mayo Clinic. Back to topWhat are the causes of a heart attack vs. heart failure?Several factors have been linked to a higher risk of both heart attack and heart failure, Jeffrey Teuteberg, MD, a cardiologist and the section chief of heart failure, cardiac transplantation, and mechanical circulatory support at Stanford Medicine, tells SELF. This includes metabolic factors, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and larger body size. Using substances that can damage the heart, such as tobacco, has been linked to both conditions as well. Family history and genetic conditions can also play a role in either.According to the Mayo Clinic, the biggest heart attack risk factors include:Age (45 years or older)Lack of physical activity A diet high in sodium or trans fatsTobacco use or excessive alcohol intakeHigh blood sugar or diabetesHigh blood pressure or cholesterolFamily history of heart attacksExtreme stressAutoimmune conditionsPreeclampsia (a high blood pressure disorder during pregnancy)

Leslie Jordan’s cause of death has been confirmed: The Emmy Award–winning actor and comedian was involved in a car crash in Hollywood on October 24, and a medical event had triggered the incident: sudden cardiac dysfunction, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.Jordan, who was 67, had veered his car into a building and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, per People. The Will & Grace star had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time. The coroner’s report listed atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease as a secondary cause of death, and determined that Jordan died of “natural” causes. What is “sudden cardiac dysfunction,” exactly?For the record, “sudden cardiac dysfunction” isn’t an official medical term, Holly S. Andersen, MD, attending cardiologist and associate professor of clinical medicine at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells SELF. Instead, this is “a general term for the heart suddenly stopping its normal function,” Thomas Boyden, MD, medical director of preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at Corewell Health West in Michigan, tells SELF. That means it stops “rhythmically beating and pumping oxygenated blood to vital organs and tissues.”Arteriosclerotic heart disease (atherosclerosis) is characterized by a buildup of fatty deposits called plaque in the walls of the arteries, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). This causes the arteries to narrow, thicken, or harden, which can reduce the supply of oxygen-rich blood to other vital parts of the body. When this plaque buildup develops in the arteries of the heart, it’s called coronary artery disease, which is the most common form of heart disease in the United States, Dr. Andersen notes. This can set the stage for all sorts of cardiac complications, including a blood clot, heart attack, angina (chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart), stroke, heart failure, or an aneurysm, among others. For example, Dr. Andersen notes: “This plaque can rupture without warning and cause a heart attack. The heart attack can then trigger sudden cardiac arrest—one type of dysfunction—which will cause someone to lose consciousness and crash.”Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease “could also strain the heart, causing blood pressure to drop suddenly,” Dr. Andersen adds. This could also impair a person’s driving ability.Who’s most at risk for arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease?According to Dr. Andersen, the plaque buildup responsible for arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease “accumulates over years,” and it can technically affect anyone. (After all, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.) “This affects potentially all adults as they get older, especially people over the age of 50,” Marietta Ambrose, MD, MPH, board-certified cardiologist and associate clinical professor of medicine at Penn Medicine, tells SELF. “If you have a known family history of early heart disease in first-degree relatives, this disease can occur at an even younger age.” Your activity levels, diet, and history of smoking, among other factors, can also influence your risk.

The country is still in shock after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suddenly collapsed on the field during the first quarter of his team’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night. About nine minutes into the game, the 24-year-old athlete was hit during a play. He then stood up, nearly instantaneously, and fell to the ground seconds later. A tweet from the official Buffalo Bills Twitter account confirmed that Hamlin “suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit.”Standby medical personnel quickly administered CPR to Hamlin for 10 minutes before he was placed on a stretcher and taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in an ambulance, according to The New York Times. Hamlin’s heartbeat was “restored,” per the tweet from the Buffalo Bills; he is currently listed in critical condition. Members from both teams were understandably emotional after Hamlin collapsed, and the game was eventually postponed. “Neither coach was talking about resuming play, the players were not thinking of resuming play,” Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president for football operations said, per The New York Times. “How do you resume play after seeing such a traumatic event?” (Worth noting: The NFL quickly came under fire for how long officials took to call off the game.)If you witnessed the incident, you probably had one major question: How does something this sudden and devastating happen to a seemingly healthy, young athlete? Ahead, experts explain the potential causes of cardiac arrest in a situation like this—and what the road to recovery may look like.What happens during cardiac arrest?First, it’s important to note that Hamlin’s medical history is between him and his doctors—and there’s no way to know what, exactly, trigged this incident without the input from his care team. That said, there are various established causes of cardiac arrest to be aware of, as well as a history of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes that’s worth exploring.Cardiac arrest means the heart abruptly stopped functioning, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). It happens when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions and the heart stops doing its job of pumping blood. This is a serious medical emergency, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), as 9 out of 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting die, typically within minutes.“When the heart stops pumping, no blood is going to the brain or body, so the victim suddenly collapses,” Jennifer Haythe, MD, assistant professor of medicine and codirector of the Women’s Center for Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, tells SELF. In this scenario, a person may pass out, stop breathing, or lose their pulse.The AHA says the potential causes of cardiac arrest vary greatly but can be triggered by nearly any known heart condition, like cardiomyopathy, scarring of the heart tissue, arrhythmia, heart valve disease, and electrical abnormalities, among many others. Half of the reported cardiac arrests in the United States actually happen in people who didn’t know they had a heart problem, per the NHLBI. In young athletes, for example, a cardiac arrest may be triggered by a congenital heart defect, which refers to a heart abnormality that developed before birth, Ronald Maag, MD, assistant professor of medicine and medical director of the Baylor Heart Clinic in Houston, tells SELF. “It could be that there was something that was missed over time,” he explains. 

Your heart may be relatively small, but it has a big job to do. Each day, the fist-sized organ pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood throughout your body, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). That is, of course, when it’s operating as it should be.The heart is a critical part of your cardiovascular system, and it has two main roles: send blood to the lungs so it can be oxygenated, and then pump that fresh, oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood back out to the rest of the body, David N. Smith, MD, a cardiologist at Premier Cardiovascular Care in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a clinical assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine, tells SELF. When the heart isn’t pumping well enough to perform these functions properly, that’s considered heart failure. With heart failure, “the heart doesn’t circulate the blood adequately enough to allow the person to do normal activities,” Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, Gerald S. Berenson Endowed Chair in preventive cardiology and professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine, tells SELF. You may have trouble walking up the stairs or carrying groceries, for example. (Generally, though, the symptoms of heart failure can be wide-ranging.)According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 6.2 million adults in the United States are living with heart failure. By 2030, that number is estimated to rise by 46%, affecting more than 8 million people.1Talking with your doctor to understand your risk and doing your best to adopt lifestyle habits that keep your heart strong will help you mount the best defense. Here’s what you should know to keep heart failure out of your future.How to reduce your heart failure riskThere are several factors that can increase your risk of heart failure; genetics, a history of cardiovascular disease, certain infections, certain underlying conditions, access to reliable health care, and your overall lifestyle can all play a role in your chances of developing the condition. So how do you minimize your chances? Consider starting with these three changes:1. Keep tabs on your blood pressure.There’s a reason this is always part of your annual physical. High blood pressure (a.k.a. hypertension) is a well-established marker for heart disease, including heart failure.2 When you have high blood pressure, the heart becomes thicker and stiffer, and the cells inside the arteries—which transport blood away from the heart—are damaged. So, your heart will have a pretty tough time pumping the proper amount of blood, Dr. Ferdinand explains. Eventually, the heart can become strained and weakened, leading to heart failure.To keep your blood pressure in the optimal range—which is less than 120/80mm Hg—you’ll want to prioritize exercise; eat nutritious meals you enjoy; get quality sleep; drink less alcohol; avoid smoking (or make a plan to quit if you do); and keep your stress levels in check (we know, easier said than done, but these tips may help).2. Make small changes to your meals.Eating a heart-healthy diet doesn’t mean eating a restrictive diet. Making small changes to your daily meals over time can make a big impact. The biggest tweak to consider: Reduce your sodium intake. Of course, some sodium in the diet is essential—and salt makes your meals taste good, too.

It’s pretty well-known that chest pain is a possible sign of heart trouble—but it’s far from the only sign. Shortness of breath—which can feel like you’re exerting yourself more than you’re used to—is another big one to pay attention to, because it can signal heart valve disease, heart attack, and heart failure, among other cardiovascular issues.Shortness of breath, also called dyspnea, can be characterized in a bunch of different ways: You may have difficulty breathing, or feel “air hunger” (a.k.a. severe breathlessness), a sensation of suffocation, or intense tightening in your chest. According to the Mayo Clinic, most cases of shortness of breath can be linked to either a heart or lung issue. This is because the heart and lungs help carry oxygenated blood to tissues throughout the body, and also help remove carbon dioxide from your system. Problems with either function can impact your ability to breathe.Someone who’s generally healthy might feel short of breath while exercising or when spending time in extreme temperatures or high altitudes, especially if you haven’t been exercising much lately. Shortness of breath isn’t a symptom you should ignore, especially if it feels intense and comes on suddenly. Here’s what you should know.First, what types of heart problems cause shortness of breath?Heart valve diseaseThe heart has four valves, which help blood flow in the right direction within the heart and onward to other parts of the body. If one or more of the valves doesn’t work properly, this can cause problems with blood flow, per the US National Library of Medicine.Heart valve issues typically appear in one of two ways: one or more valves stiffen up and they don’t open correctly, or they don’t close correctly, Hal Skopicki, MD, PhD, chief of cardiology and co-director of the Stony Brook Heart Institute in New York, tells SELF. When the valves don’t operate as they should, blood can back up against the lungs and trigger shortness of breath. Over time, this puts strain on the heart, and can ultimately lead to heart failure, a condition in which the heart cannot pump a sufficient amount of blood to other vital organs.Heart muscle problems“Another way that the heart can cause a person to be short of breath is when the muscle itself is having problems ejecting blood out in the forward direction,” Dr. Skopicki says. People with heart muscle dysfunction, also known as cardiomyopathy, may experience a thickening, weakening, or stiffening of the heart muscle that can affect the organ’s ability to pump blood. A variety of health issues can set the stage for heart muscle problems, including heart disease, endocrine diseases, alcohol addiction, viral infections, and certain types of chemotherapy and radiation, among other factors, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Some pregnant people who are otherwise healthy may develop cardiomyopathy during or after pregnancy. “It’s important to not just assume that breathlessness is normal for pregnancy,” Stacy Rosen, MD, cardiologist and vice president of women’s health at the Katz Institute for Women’s Health at North Shore-LIJ Health System, tells SELF. Pre-existing heart issues can also become apparent for the first time during pregnancy, Dr. Rosen says.Issues with the heart’s electrical systemNormally, electrical signals help regulate your heartbeat. When these signals don’t fire properly, it can cause the heart to beat irregularly (arrhythmia), really quickly (tachycardia), or too slowly (bradycardia) without explanation, per the Mayo Clinic. Sometimes, an irregular heartbeat doesn’t cause any noticeable symptoms. Other times, it can make you feel short of breath, Dr. Skopicki says.Blockages in the arteriesCoronary artery disease, also known as coronary heart disease or ischemic disease, develops when the arteries—the major blood vessels that flow oxygen-rich blood to your whole body—can’t send enough blood, oxygen, and essential nutrients to your heart. It’s the most common form of heart disease in the US, per the CDC.

We’ve all been there: The nurse places a blood pressure cuff around your upper arm, squeezes that little bulb that makes the cuff inflate, and voilà—you get a reading. A normal blood pressure measurement is less than 120/80 mmHg; it’s considered elevated when it’s greater than 130/81. Doctors make a big fuss about this number because high blood pressure, or hypertension, can set the stage for various forms of heart disease, including heart failure.Blood pressure (BP) refers to the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of your blood vessels, like your veins and arteries. BP is broken down into two readings: the pressure when the ventricles pump blood out of the heart (systolic pressure) and the pressure between heartbeats when the heart is filling with blood (diastolic pressure). High blood pressure is extremely common. In fact, about half of American adults are saddled with this condition and only about one in four have it under control. As if that isn’t bad enough, more than 670,000 deaths in the United States in 2020 had hypertension as a “primary or contributing cause,” per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The good news: There are many ways to get high blood pressure back into a normal range. Here’s what you need to know about the connection between high BP and heart failure and what you can do to keep your ticker in tip-top shape.What causes high blood pressure?For many people, there’s no identifiable cause of high blood pressure, which is known as primary hypertension, per the Mayo Clinic. But there are some known factors that increase a person’s risk of developing it.Aging is a big one: “It’s very common as we get older for the [blood] vessels to get thicker,” Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, FACC, the Gerald S. Berenson Endowed Chair in preventive cardiology and a professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, tells SELF. When this happens, the vessels become more rigid and don’t expand as they should when blood flows through them, he explains.There are so many other things that can increase your chances of developing high blood pressure over time, including your diet, lack of exercise, drinking alcohol excessively, tobacco use, stress or anxiety, and various chronic conditions—including pregnancy, diabetes, and sleep apnea, among others. When high blood pressure is caused by an underlying condition or medication, it’s known as secondary hypertension. Hypertension also tends to run in families and disproportionately impacts Black people, who also face a higher risk of heart failure due to various systemic barriers.What’s the connection between high blood pressure and heart failure?Heart failure develops when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to supply the body with what it needs. Over time, high blood pressure can cause damage to the arteries and muscle that affect the heart’s pumping powers, potentially leading to failure.With chronic high blood pressure, the cells inside the arteries, which carry vital oxygenated blood away from the heart, become damaged. This makes it difficult for the proper amount of blood to circulate, which can lead to chest pain, irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias), heart attack, and heart failure, per the CDC.

Today show weatherman Al Roker shared an update on his health with his Instagram followers Friday morning. He posted a picture of a bouquet of flowers and wrote, “So many of you have been thoughtfully asking where I’ve been. Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg, which sent some clots to my lungs.”Roker, 68, hasn’t appeared on the Today show in two weeks, People reports. He explained on Instagram that it took his care team some time to figure out exactly what was going on: “After some medical whack-a-mole, I am so fortunate to be getting terrific medical care and on the way to recovery,” he wrote.Instagram contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.Roker has a history of being vocal about his health: In 2020, he shared he’d been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer, for which he underwent surgery. Earlier this year, he also talked about the 20th anniversary of his gastric bypass surgery on Instagram, writing: “I have setbacks and struggle every day, but I never forget how far I’ve come.” So, it’s not surprising that he decided to be transparent about his absence from the show.When a blood clot breaks loose and creates a sudden blockage in the lungs, it’s called a pulmonary embolism (PE), according to the US National Library of Medicine (NLM). This often happens the way Roker said it did for him: A clot that originally formed in another part of the body, usually in the leg, travels to the lungs through the bloodstream.A PE can damage the lungs or other organs and can be life-threatening, particularly if multiple clots travel to the lungs or if the clot is especially large. While a PE can happen to anyone, certain people face a higher risk, including those who have been diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, and lung disease, as well as people who recently had surgery. A broken hip or leg bone—or other injury or physical trauma—can also boost your risk of a PE, as can not moving for a long period of time (say, during a really long flight), pregnancy and childbirth, being older than 40, or having a higher weight, per the NLM.Many people who develop a pulmonary embolism don’t have symptoms, but it’s possible to experience shortness of breath and chest pain or cough up blood. If you notice these symptoms and they’re not typical for you, you should see a doctor as soon as you can since a pulmonary embolism needs to be treated quickly. Depending on the severity of the clot and your health history, you may need a combination of medications or procedures to break up the clot and hopefully stop new ones from forming. Roker thanked his followers for their support on Instagram, but didn’t say when Today fans can expect him back on the show, writing: “Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers and hope to see you soon.”Related:

Glenda Sexauer, 59, was diagnosed with heart failure when she was 46. But, it took nearly a year—all while her heart health was steadily declining—for doctors to realize what was wrong.She had several symptoms, including relentless fatigue, bloating, nausea, and weight gain she couldn’t explain. Initially, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and pneumonia before her doctor referred her to a cardiologist. She was hospitalized for several weeks and had a pacemaker and defibrillator placed in her chest. Her road to recovery took several years—she still takes multiple medications each day and relies on her pacemaker—but she credits her active lifestyle for getting her through it all.Heart failure affects about 3.6 million women in the United States—but there is a huge disparity in research between men and women with heart failure. Nearly 50% of people admitted to the hospital with heart failure are women,1 yet only 25% of women are involved in heart failure studies.2After her experience, Sexauer became a community educator with WomenHeart, a nonprofit organization that educates women with heart disease about the signs of heart failure. Here’s her story, as told to writer Erica Sweeney.—I’ve always been active. I exercised regularly, ran marathons, and once did a two-day, 150-mile bike ride. But, when I was 46, I noticed that I wasn’t feeling like myself anymore. I had gained some weight and was tired all the time. I slept a lot and felt bloated. I just knew something wasn’t right. I went to my gynecologist first, thinking my symptoms could be pointing to menopause, but my hormone testing ruled that out. Then, I researched my symptoms online and thought it might be my thyroid acting up. My doctor diagnosed me with the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition that can cause symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and muscle weakness. I thought, “OK, that’s what it is.”I continued feeling tired all the time, though, despite taking medication for Hashimoto’s. I had a lot going on in my life then, too. My son had just gone away to college and my mother-in-law was living with us. I was working as a vice president of a financial services company. My mom was also really sick; she had Alzheimer’s and was nearing the final phase of her life. So, I thought maybe I was just experiencing anxiety.Then, I started feeling a funny sensation in my chest when lying down. It was kind of like I could hear my heart gurgle. A couple of nights I had to sit up to sleep. After my mother passed away, something else gave me pause. I was at her funeral when I coughed up some stuff that didn’t look right. I saw my primary care doctor and told him I thought I had pneumonia. He confirmed I had a little bit of fluid in my lungs and prescribed medication. I never had a fever, which, looking back now, was a big hint that I didn’t have pneumonia. No one ever thought I had heart disease.Then, I finally got a heart failure diagnosis.To celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, my husband and I planned a trip to Hawaii. We decided to go, even though I wasn’t feeling great. I couldn’t eat much and felt nauseated. When we got there, I slept so much. I had to sit and rest after walking up just two steps. We had all these activities planned and had to keep canceling because I just couldn’t do them—and that’s not like me. On the day we came home, I put all of my symptoms into a health checker online and it suggested I had a heart problem. At the time, we laughed because I was really pretty healthy.

Because of this, race itself isn’t the end all be all when it comes to heart failure risk. It is in no way as simple as “heart failure is passed on genetically in certain groups,” says Dr. Morris. Here’s why: Since some genetic mutations that are linked to heart failure—such as transthyretin amyloidosis, which can cause a buildup of proteins in the body that can lead to heart failure—are most commonly found in people of African ancestry, it follows that this mutation may be more prevalent in people who self-identify as Black, she explains. But there are many other complex factors at play, including generations of social dynamics, like racism and segregation. “As an African American, I am more likely to have inherited certain traits,” Dr. Morris explains, but that is, in part, because society “kept races apart from each other—intentionally.”There are also “traditional” risk factors to consider.“Traditional” risk factors refer to the more common things we know contribute to the risk of heart failure, thanks to evidence gathered in research, says Dr. Khan. For example, we know that high blood pressure is a key risk factor for heart failure—your heart has to work harder if your blood pressure is high, which can stiffen it or weaken it over time, according to the Mayo Clinic. And about 55% of Black Americans have high blood pressure, per the American Heart Association (AHA).Other conditions and risk factors that fall into this category include having type 2 diabetes; carrying extra weight; not eating enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; and being sedentary. These factors can help your doctor evaluate whether you’re at an increased risk of heart failure, Dr. Khan says. And nearly all of them also disproportionately affect communities of color, per the AHA.Of course, there isn’t a simple explanation as to why high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, for example, are so prevalent in Black communities. “It’s very hard to separate the reasons out because they are very interconnected,” says Dr. Khan. Again, some of it may come down to genetics. Additionally, these so-called traditional risk factors are prevalent in communities of color because of societal factors.Social determinants of health are a big deal.The term social determinants of health refers to “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks,” per the US Department of Health and Human Services.Social determinants of health include things like someone’s financial stability, their access to and quality of health care, their ability to find nutritious foods and exercise opportunities in their community, as well as the likelihood of facing racism, discrimination, and violence in their everyday life. In a 2022 paper coauthored by Dr. Khan and published in Clinical Cardiology, researchers note that a variety of social determinants of health have been associated with heart failure risk, including things like a lack of quality education, living in a low-income household or community, living in a region with a poor public health infrastructure, and a lack of health insurance, among others.2

Sprinting through the final minutes of your run, the stressful seconds leading up to a big presentation, or watching Stranger Things alone in the dark: These are all times when you might feel like your heart rate won’t go down. But just going about your daily life shouldn’t lead to a racing heartbeat. Typically, your heart is part of a fine-tuned system that keeps the essential organ beating at a certain rhythm. So when the beats unexpectedly speed up, it’s understandable to feel concerned that something more serious might be happening to you.Your heart performs an incredible daily balancing act that’s crucial to keeping you alive and healthy. “The heart beats because of electricity,” Shephal Doshi, MD, director of cardiac electrophysiology at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, tells SELF. No, not the type that keeps your lights on, although that would be interesting. Instead, these are electrical impulses from a group of cells in your heart’s right atrium (chamber) that act like your own internal pacemaker. These cells, known as your sinoatrial (SA) node, tell your heart when and how to beat in order to send oxygen-rich blood throughout your body.Sometimes, your body can signal your heart to beat faster, and the SA node responds. Other times, signals start coming from other parts of the heart, causing it to speed up. Whatever the reason, a racing heart rate, or heart palpitations, can make you feel anxious, among other unpleasant symptoms.A racing heart rate has many potential causes, very few of which signal something life-threatening like a heart attack or heart failure. What is important, however, is how your racing heart makes you feel and how often this switch in pace happens. Here are the most common reasons it feels like your heart rate won’t go down—and when you should consider seeing a doctor.What is a “healthy” resting heart rate? | Common causes of a fast heart rate | When to see a doctorFirst, how do experts typically define a “healthy” heart rate?A “normal” or healthy resting heart rate for most adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, according to the US National Library of Medicine. Between these rates, your heart can pump the oxygen-rich blood it needs to your vital organs. If you’re very physically active—say, you’re an avid runner—you may find your resting heart rate is much lower (sometimes as low as 40 beats per minute). This is because exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, helps your heart work more efficiently, meaning it can squeeze out more blood at a slower rate, per the Mayo Clinic.A resting heart rate that’s consistently higher than 100 beats per minute or lower than 60 beats per minute (if you’re not an athlete) can signal an underlying health issue, according to the Mayo Clinic.Back to topWhat are the most common causes of a fast heart rate?Normally, your body’s systems run on autopilot, thanks to your autonomic nervous system, which regulates all the vital functions you don’t really need to think about. “This includes things like your heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, urination, and various gastrointestinal functions,” Brent Goodman, MD, a board-certified neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, tells SELF.Sometimes, though, certain lifestyle habits, situations, or even health conditions can cause your heart to start beating very rapidly or irregularly. Here are a few common culprits to keep on your radar.1. You’re feeling very stressed.Let’s be real: With everything going on in the world, there’s an extremely good chance you’re stressed right now. When you encounter something stressful, your body releases a surge of norepinephrine, also known as adrenaline, Camille Frazier-Mills, MD, a cardiologist at Duke Electrophysiology Clinic, tells SELF. Receptors in your heart respond to this trigger and can make your heart rate pick up.1If you can’t immediately solve whatever’s making you stressed (which is hard to do on a good day, let alone in the chaotic reality we live in), try deep breathing exercises to at least help you feel better in the moment. The Mayo Clinic suggests taking deep breaths through your nose so that you feel your stomach rise instead of your chest, and exhaling through your nose as well. Focus on your breath and the rise and fall of your abdomen throughout. (If you’re looking for a more detailed exercise to try, check out these relaxing deep breathing videos.)2. You’ve had a lot of caffeine.While most people can handle a certain level of caffeine just fine, overdoing it can make your heart rate speed up. “A bunch of patients come to see me with an elevated heart rate, then they tell me they drink multiple highly caffeinated beverages daily,” Dr. Mills-Frazier says. “They’re revving themselves up.” This is most likely to happen if you’ve had too much caffeine, but it could also happen in response to small amounts if you’re just sensitive to this stimulant.According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it’s technically safe for adults to have up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, or around the amount in four or five cups of coffee. If that sounds like a lot to you, it may be, since there is a wide range in how sensitive certain people are to the effects of caffeine and in how fast it gets broken down in the body. Certain medications and health conditions may also make you more sensitive to caffeine, including being pregnant. Try cutting back on caffeine gradually to see if it reduces your racing heart (just don’t try to cut it out cold turkey if you rather not deal with the unpleasant side effects of caffeine withdrawal). If that doesn’t help, get in touch with your doctor.3. You smoke.Smokers (tobacco, cannabis, marijuana, you name it) tend to have higher resting heart rates than those who don’t smoke, according to a 2015 study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics. Although doctors don’t exactly know why this happens, an increase in heart rate from smoking could come with other cardiovascular complications, including a heart attack.24. You have cold- or flu-like symptoms, like a fever.If your pounding heart is accompanied by typical cold- or flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, coughing, and sneezing, a viral illness might be the likely culprit. Battling any type of infection requires your body to work harder than usual, and that includes making your heart beat faster in order to fight for homeostasis (its usual stable condition) and kick the infection to the curb, Dr. Mills-Frazier says.