About once a week while Im laying down in my bed relaxing, my heart starts beating very fast as if I had just ran the mile. I get a shortness of breathe and it only stops when I cough. its been happening for about a little less than a year now. whats going on? Do I need to go to a doctor about this?
Hello. Thank you for your question and welcome to Chat Doctor. I read your concern. There are a certain amount of rate and conduction disturbances that can happen in this scenario. The fact that cough stops it, is another important clue. I would recommend you to see a doctor, have an EKG and a 24-hour Holder rhythm monitor. Better yet, I would recommend an episode rhythm monitor, a machine that you can turn on and off when this happens again. Even if it is a harmless arrhythmia or premature beats, my opinion is that you should go through and diagnose it as soon as possible, so the right measures for treating or not treating it, might be undertaken. If there is a problem, feel free to contact me again. I hope I was helpful. Take care.