HomeAnswersCardiologypalpitationsWhat is the reason for my heart beats heard hard against the sternum?

I feel my heart beat hard against my sternum. What to do?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. K. Shobana

Published At July 18, 2017
Reviewed AtJune 7, 2023

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I am a 46 year old female, and I am obese. I do not drink caffeinated drinks, smoke, or do drugs. I took myself off Lisinopril because it was causing more symptoms than helping. I have high blood pressure, but it got too high, so I am back on it. I was born with a small heart murmur, and it never bothered me. About 4 to 5 years ago while training in mixed martial arts, my heart started beating too fast and then pausing. At this point, I was still about 280 to 290 lbs, eating healthy, working out 6 to 7 days a week in training, but it would not last long. Last year or so, it acted up, and my heart will pump hard against my sternum. In the last episode I had, it actually hurt a little when it would hit the wall of my sternum.

This time, it has been a week now, and it has not stopped. It happens every day. The first cardiologist I saw did not find anything after I wore a Holter monitor for two days and did an ultrasound and a few other things. I went to the ER last week, and nothing showed up, but when I got into my car to leave, it started up again. I am beside myself and scared. Can you please help me somehow? Which direction do I need to go? I do not workout anymore because I have a reverse curve in my cervical spine and some curve loss in my lumbar. It has caused the lower thoracic to straighten a bit, and I see improvements in my posture. I was wondering if this could be a cause because I know the innervation to the heart comes from the cervical and thoracic spine. But if not, what would you suggest? By the way, I am improving my food quality, drinking about 2 liters of water a day. Sometimes, I take magnesium. Thank you.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

There are two issues over here. One is obesity, which in itself causes hypertension and can cause the pounding sensation of the heart that you experienced. Also, the loss of spinal curvature may cause the heart to appear closer to the chest wall. Hence, you may experience palpitations. I suggest you try and reduce your weight to bring the BMI (body mass index) to less than 25. Your chest discomfort and blood pressure should automatically be reduced. Good luck.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Vivek S Narayan Pillai
Dr. Vivek S Narayan Pillai

Cardiology

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