Dizziness, Heart Palpitations and general Tiredness

[Leonardo118]

Hi all. Im 31 and normally in good health. Started out as a normal cold just coughing and generally feeling bunged up. Then one night I got severly dizzy and my heart started pounding out of my chest. It only lasted about 30 seconds but was a terrifying experience.

I put it down to being unwell and not sleeping/eating properly. A week passed and it happened again. It happened 4 times that night and I checked into the hospital as I was so worried. They said it was probably my ears and to go doctors. Doctors found fluid in my ear but didnt prescribe anything and said it would go away on its own. Its been a month of dizzy spells, heart palpitations and feeling like im going to pass out. Does it sound like anything more sinister other than an inner ear infection?

How would I know if it's a heart problem or brain issue? It happened again today. Could feel my heart fluttering all morning and then I have another dizzy episode this afternoon. Any information would be grateful. Thank you.

[mkh9]

Have you resolved your cold issues? Are you drinking enough fluids and eating well now? Sometimes with a cold and/or fever you can get dehydrated and your electrolyte (sodium, potassium, chloride and CO2) levels can get off and make you feel dizzy and off. This can cause palpitations if your potassium is way off for example. But usually that happens with a bad flu not a cold. You could get dizzy and/ or vertigo from an inner ear infection. But usually not palpitations. So if your symptoms have resolved other questions are do you eat a lot of sugar, or are you diabetic? Do you drink lots of coffee or caffeine? Sometimes if you have a minor arrhythmia these things can trigger them. So cutting back on the sugar and caffeine will make you feel better. If you want to check if you have an arrhythmia, you can get an EKG, if negative get a 24 hour monitor and a echo-cardiogram done. The EKG takes a snap shot of your heart rhythm and would show a big problem at the time. If it is negative and the doctor didn't hear anything with the stethoscope then the echo-cardiogram can look for structural abnormalities and the 24 hour monitor looks for arrhythmia's.  

Also, you can have your ears checked by an ENT.

Do you get off balance or vertigo where the room is spinning?

Regards,
mkh9

[mkh9]

p.s. have you had your blood pressure checked? Low or high blood pressure can make you feel faint too.
mkh9

[Leonardo118]

Thank you for your answer. I've done a lot of research online and a lot of people experience palpitations when having a dizzy spell. Yes, have been to doctor and he said I have an inner ear infection which could cause dizziness but he wants to be sure if it's the dizziness causing the palpitations or the palpitations/heart causing the dizziness so has referred me to a cardiologist. Blood pressure is normal. Room is not spinning, I just feel pressure in my head and then my heart starts racing crazy fast. I'm hoping it's just a symptom of my ear infection but it's quite scary and worrying when people say it's not a usual symptom for heart to race.

[mkh9]

It can be palpitations. I have them and they are usually benign. I have a fluttering feeling or something like that and sometimes pain. It can feel like racing. I had the 24 hour monitor and the echo and the echo was negative and EKG neg but mine was positive for a benign type of palpitations. My heart does race according to the 24 hour monitor (especially at night) but it isn't fast enough to be treatable or called a tachycardia. So i cut down coffee and use Stevia instead and hardly feel them now. I never had them before but the just started up after being on a muscle relaxer for a few months. It maybe the ear infection is causing them or you had them and it is irritating them. I have a slight murmur and not from strep. The doctors can hear it. But infections can trigger things like this and having your electrolytes off and of course the more you stress the worse they feel. So, most of the time even if you have palpitations they are usually pretty benign and just bothersome. It is best to get checked. Rule it out.  
mkh9