May 21, 2009 8:03 pm US/Eastern
Go! New York Report: Is Your Heartbeat Racing?
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
There's usually nothing normal about a fast heart rate: it happens during exercise, and sometimes when you're excited or stressed out.
But if your heart starts racing out of the blue, it could signal a medical condition.
Laura Grillo was a Playboy model, the epitome of beauty and health.
"To be accepted in the magazine is a big honor," Laura says.
But she has a potentially serious heart problem called supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT.
"Your heart pounds out of your chest, your heart races, you're very light-headed, you get dizzy," Laura says. "It's something very scary to deal with."
Laura, who is a single mom, worries about her seven-year-old daughter Mia.
"I want to see her get married," Laura says. "I want to see her get older."
SVT is an abnormally fast heart rhythm that starts in the upper chambers of the heart. It happens when the heart's electrical system doesn't function properly.
For some, it's harmless. For others, it increases the risk of stroke.
Laura was put on medication, but the sporadically racing heart hasn't stopped – so doctors recommended a cardiac ablation.
"[Cardiac ablation is] creating a little burn that stops the circuit from causing the heart to beat fast," cardiologist Dr. Nazanin Moghbeli says.
Dr. Moghbeli says ablation is minimally invasive and usually successful, but SVT can be hard to diagnose.
"I think there may be an overlap with the symptoms, and it's understandable why they're misclassified," Dr. Moghbeli says.
"They thought I was having anxiety attacks, and they gave me anxiety medicine," Laura says.
Laura plans to have her procedure soon, and she just wants women to know not to ignore their symptoms.
"There are so many women that are young and healthy and fit, and still have heart problems," Laura says. "They are focused on it being a man's problem, or condition, and it's really not.
"They didn't think it was a big deal. It's a scary big deal. We're talking about my life," Laura says.
If you experience palpitations often, or an uncomfortable feeling that your heart is racing or pounding, let your doctor know.
Caffeine and medications could be to blame, but if it's rhythm problems with the heart, getting diagnosed early is crucial.
Problems with the rhythm of the heart are usually diagnosed by having patients wear a monitor around their necks for 24 hours or longer.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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