I’ve started having heart palpitations. What should I do? DR ELLIE has the answer – and reveals the hidden clue in your drinking habits

Recently I started experiencing heart palpitations; palpitation feeling in my chest. It’s always a little scary. Should I be worried?

Dr Ellie answers: No matter what age you are, palpitations should always be consulted with your doctor. There are many possible causes, and although not all of them are serious, it is important to understand what is happening because treatment may be necessary to control your heart rate or heart rhythm.

It feels scary because our body perceives the racing heart as a sign of fear; This is our fight or flight response.

One of the most common causes of palpitations may be anxiety, as our heart rate increases when we are nervous or afraid. However, a doctor often wants to investigate physical causes before definitively diagnosing it.

An important investigation for someone experiencing palpitations would be an ECG monitor that you wear for at least 24 hours to see if it registers any changes in your heart rate or rhythm when you feel palpitations.

Some people experience this condition when their heart beats too fast – a condition we call tachycardia – but it can also occur when the heart rhythm changes. This can happen when you experience heart rhythm conditions such as extra beats of your heart, ectopics, and also atrial fibrillation (AF).

Diagnosing the causes of palpitations is very important because some, such as AF, can be a risk factor for serious problems such as heart attack or stroke. Some heart-related causes of palpitations require medication.

Blood tests for palpitations are common since other medical problems, such as anemia and thyroid disease, can cause palpitations. Alcohol, caffeine and nicotine may contribute. Ask your doctor if any tablets you take may cause this condition.

You often talk about hair loss and the situations that trigger it, but you do not mention old age. Is there anything that will cure hair loss in women aged 70 and over?

Dr Ellie answers: Hair loss in women may be related to medical conditions such as thyroid disease or iron deficiency, as well as fungal infections of the scalp. However, in addition to some hair loss that occurs due to the decrease in the female hormone estrogen with menopause, there is also age-related hair loss that affects everyone.

Curing hair loss, even if it is age-related, will also include good nutrition as well as ensuring iron stores are high enough with an iron-rich diet or supplement. It is important to make sure that hair products do not contribute to hair loss.

The blood test to check is called ferritin, which measures the body’s iron stores. It’s often worth trying an pharmacist’s anti-fungal shampoo or scalp treatment to see if it improves the problems.

Good hair growth is also associated with certain B vitamins, and supplements you can buy that focus on hair, including these vitamins and other minerals such as zinc and selenium, can be helpful. Female pattern hair loss can also occur with age and usually involves losing hair on the crown and front, as well as noticing that the space has become wider.

It’s more common if there’s a family history of female hair loss with age, but it can also affect up to half of women over 70.

It is certainly more common in white women and tends to be worsened by sun exposure as well as stress and smoking. A medical treatment for female pattern hair loss called minoxidil can be purchased from pharmacies without a prescription.

My sister suffers in hell for four days every three or four weeks. His pulse is racing and his mouth is so dry that he has difficulty speaking. His doctor tried many ways, including blood tests, to solve this problem, which has been going on for more than a year. Do you have any suggestions?

Dr Ellie answers: When something happens to a woman every three or four weeks, the obvious question to ask is whether it’s a problem with her menstrual cycle.

Although people classically associate premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, with mood-related symptoms, there can be a multitude of symptoms that result from premenstrual disorders, some of which can be disabling.

Elevated heart rate and dry mouth are classic symptoms of anxiety, which is a clear psychological symptom of premenstrual syndrome and may also be associated with physical symptoms such as headaches and decreased brain function.

Another reason why a person may have very regular symptoms in episodes may be allergies or intolerances. For example, something they eat regularly may cause this reaction, or they may even react to certain types of alcohol.

It could even be something random like allergens like chemicals or cleaning products in the home or work environment, or occasional medications.

The only way to detect this would be to keep a symptom diary, as well as documenting what happened each day and the days before the events.

These may be psychological; The symptoms are physical, but they may stem from a mental health or emotional cause.

As a GP, I investigate whether these episodes are related to stress or burnout from work, as the symptoms are very similar to anxiety and fatigue. It may also be possible that these come from a trauma response and that something happens each time that triggers this response.

Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms of menopause

Talk to GPs about menopause

I am pleased that menopause questions are now included in the NHS Health Check for over 40s.

We’ve talked a lot about menopause in recent years, but we still haven’t talked enough about women and heart disease. After menopause, women become more vulnerable to heart attack and stroke as falling estrogen levels eliminate the natural protection provided by menopause.

So this update is specifically about Health Check, an initiative designed to prevent cardiovascular diseases. It is especially true for women who enter menopause before the age of 45 for any reason.

This is a very positive step for women’s health and the NHS.

Have you overcome high blood pressure without using pills? tell me how you are

Of all the long-term health problems I see, the one where patients can make the biggest difference without medication is high blood pressure.

NHS guidelines list lifestyle changes as the first option of treatment and I have seen these work time and time again.

Reducing stress, cutting salt, losing weight and exercising regularly can make a real impact. But we all know that lifestyle changes are not easy.

If you have managed to lower your blood pressure on your own, please let me know using the email address below.