You must be at least 17 years old to donate to the general blood supply, or 16 years old with parental/guardian consent, if allowed by state law. Learn more about the reasons for a lower age limit.
Other Causes of Elevated Heart Rate. Elevated heart rate when sick is actually your heartâs aid in order to quell the sickness. However, there can be other causes for elevated heart rate as well. Electrical signals produced and sent to the heart tissues are responsible for controlling the heart rate.
So people who have fast arrhythmias should avoid caffeine-containing foods. Caffeine can make symptoms such as palpitations stronger and more noticeable. Since caffeine is a stimulant, it speeds up your heart rate, making your heart beat even faster and making symptoms like chest pain or lightheadedness worse. In some cases, large amounts of caffeine can even trigger a new episode of an arrhythmia by irritating your heart's conduction system.