Your Guide to Finding the Perfect Eyeglasses

Updated on Mar 18, 2025 | Your Health

Selecting new eyeglasses can be a challenge. But with assistance from a trusted resource and an experienced optometrist or optician, you can find the perfect eyeglasses to complement your style and budget.

In this Q&A, Niki Mirzaei, OD, a board certified optometrist, offers some helpful tips when you are preparing to get new glasses, including when you need an eye exam, how to find the right frame, and the suggestions about prescription sunglasses.

Should I have an eye exam before buying new glasses?

Niki Mirzaei, OD

It all starts with an eye exam and a current prescription. Adults under 40 years old whose eyes are healthy and whose vision is good should have a complete exam by an eye care professional every two to three years, or an annual exam if you wear contact lenses.  If you are experiencing vision changes, eye pain, seeing spots or blurry vision, you should have your eyes checked.

After age 40 (or for people with a family history of glaucoma), eye exams should be scheduled at least once a year to test for glaucoma. Anyone with diabetes should have an eye exam at least once a year or as recommended by their health care provider.

A vision test (also known as a refraction test) can be done as part of a routine eye exam. This test determines whether you have a refractive error (a need for glasses or contact lenses) or your prescription needs to change in order maintain clear vision. Your provider will give you a copy of your updated prescription so you can adjust your eyeglasses as needed.

How do I find the best frame to suit the shape of my face?

It’s important to choose a frame to complement your facial features. Typically, an oval face can accommodate a wide range of frame styles. Round faces are best suited to angular shapes, such as a square or rectangular. Those with faces that more square typically opt for softer round or oval-shaped frames. Oblong faces are suited to a frame that adds width or is a bold, oversized frame. It’s best to spend time trying on several styles to determine which frame will provide the best fit and flatters your face shape.

Is there a difference between plastic and metal frame options?

What material you pick is based on your personal preference and style. Metal frames are more durable, especially if made of stainless steel or titanium, and many wearers favor the nose pad as it can be adjusted to fit their face. However thin metal frames may not be able to accommodate thicker lenses.

Plastic frames are resilient, are available in a wide range of prices, and offer many colors, designs, and shapes. Also, they can accommodate a thicker lens better than a metal frame. It is best to try on several styles of each material type and see what works best for you.

How do I choose a frame that is best for my prescription?

If you have a thicker lens prescription, consider a small, full-rimmed frame that is round, cat-eye, or oval shaped as they can best hide the thickness of the lenses. You may want to avoid frames with little to no rim as they make thicker lenses more noticeable. An optician can help guide you to a selection of frames that best suit your needs.

What is the best lens coating?

When you purchase new eyeglass lenses, certain coatings are included in the price, such as a coating to reduce reflections or bolster scratch resistance. Ask your provider or optician to review what coatings are included in the price and what other options are available. Four common lens coatings are UV-protective, scratch-resistant, anti-glare, and tinted lenses. Your optometrist or optician can explain the benefits of each coating and help you choose which ones are best for you.

Are there any special considerations when buying prescription sunglasses?

The same considerations would apply to selecting sunglass frames, however larger frames provide additional eye protection. Sunglasses use the same prescription as your eyeglasses and are essential for protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays and ensuring optimal vision while driving or being outside.  The color of your lenses filter light in different ways. Some enhance colors and some are better at blocking light. Your optometrist or optician can help you choose the right one. Instead of sunglasses, you may want to consider getting “transition” lenses. These lenses darken automatically when exposed to sunlight and return to clear indoors so there is no need to switch to sunglasses when you go outdoors.

What services does the NYEE Optical Shop at East 14th Street offer?

Our Optical Shop has an experienced team of eye care experts and a wide array of quality frames, offering you value and convenience.  Make an appointment with our optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam then have your prescription filled from a trusted source. Receive personalized service, complimentary repairs, and the highest level of care.

Learn More About the Optical Shop at NYEE

Measles Is Back—Here’s What to Know

Updated on Mar 7, 2025 | Featured, Infectious Diseases, Your Health

Once thought eradicated from the United States, measles is beginning to spread in communities with low vaccination rates. Texas is experiencing a measles outbreak affecting a growing number of people, a majority of them children, with one dead. In New York City, two people are reported to have contracted measles, as well as three in New Jersey. A number of other states have also reported cases, though the outbreaks are small.

Measles is a highly contagious virus with symptoms that start with fever, red eyes, cough, and progress to a rash and red spots on the skin. Without vaccination, measles can be dangerous and deadly, especially among children under five.

Jennifer Duchon, MD, MPH, DrPH

In this Q&A, Jennifer Duchon, MD, MPH, DrPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discusses measles and the importance of vaccines.

What do we know about the current measles outbreak?

The current outbreak in Texas likely began with an unvaccinated individual contracting measles after travelling to a region where the disease is active, bringing it back with them, and spreading it in a community with low vaccination rates. One child died. Based on the statistics, we know that if this epidemic spreads, we expect many more children with severe complications and additional deaths.

If measles was eliminated, why has it come back?

Measles was considered eliminated from the United States in 2000. That doesn’t mean we don’t have outbreaks or cases; it means there has been no sustained transmission of measles in a particular region (such as the United States) for 12 months or more.

How contagious is measles?

Measles is a highly infectious viral infection spread through coughing and sneezing. One person with measles will spread it to 12 to 18 other susceptible people after a very short period of contact. To prevent an epidemic, about 95 percent of a specific community needs to be vaccinated. In the region of Texas where the virus is currently spreading, vaccination rates are much lower than the national average, making it extremely difficult to contain.

Could the New York region experience a measles outbreak?

Yes, absolutely. New York State, as a whole, has a robust vaccine coverage. But in some areas, such as parts of Brooklyn and Rockland County, vaccine coverage hovers anywhere from 60 to 80 percent. In 2019, New York had a similar measles epidemic that encompassed parts of New York City and Upstate NY.

Why is it important to be vaccinated?

There is no cure or treatment for measles; however, it is extremely preventable with vaccination. Vaccines vary in what they do in terms of efficacy. Some vaccines will prevent you from getting a very severe form of the disease, some prevent you from getting the disease altogether.

The measles vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines in terms of preventing people from contracting the disease. If you received one vaccine, there is about a 93 percent certainty that you won’t contract the disease. If you got two doses—as recommended—that goes up to 97 percent.

In most cases, immunity from the measles vaccine is lifelong. Unlike vaccines for COVID-19 or the flu, you don’t need booster shots or updated annual vaccinations for measles. If you are a health care worker or work with vulnerable people, such as the elderly or immunocompromised individuals, you may be required to have proof of two vaccines.

Is it true that vitamin A can provide protection from measles?

No, that data comes from outbreaks primarily in under-resourced countries where vitamin A deficiency is rampant because of malnutrition. In children who are malnourished, measles can affect the immune system in such a way that they become much more vulnerable to other diseases, and vitamin A can help prevent complications like blindness and death in those children. Vitamin A cannot prevent or treat measles.

What can I do to keep my children safe?

Vaccinate them. Any child one year or older should get the first dose of the vaccine, and a second dose at age four to six, preferably before they start school. The vaccine is not as effective on children under one year old. If you have an infant, it is important that all members of the family who are one year or older are vaccinated to protect them. In very special circumstances, where an infant could be at high risk, such as international travel, we can give the vaccine as early as six months of age. If you have questions, talk to you pediatrician.

What else would you like people to know?

The famous children’s book author, Roald Dahl, who wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, lost his young daughter to measles in 1962, before an effective measles vaccine was available. In 1986, after the current vaccine was well established and part of the recommended vaccine schedule for kids, there was a measles outbreak in England due to low vaccination rates. Roald Dahl couldn’t understand why. He wrote a letter to the public describing that situation and urging people to get vaccinated. This happened back in 1986, and history is repeating itself now. This is a completely preventable disease in terms of outbreaks and morbidity and mortality. People don’t have to get this disease.

Learn more about measles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Read the Mount Sinai Health System Measles Information Sheet

Don’t Overlook the Connection Between Heart Health and Fertility

Updated on Feb 26, 2025 | Your Health

For those planning to become pregnant, there is an often overlooked yet vital factor: the connection between heart health and fertility.

The growing recognition of the intersection between these two specialties has paved the way for increasingly collaborative care models and shown how fertility and cardiovascular health cannot be treated in isolation. In fact, early referrals, shared decision-making, and team-based care can significantly improve outcomes, particularly for high-risk patients.

In this Q&A, Tia Jackson-Bey, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at RMA of New York and Assistant Clinical Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Ruwanthi Wijesinghe, MD, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai and Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), explain why maintaining a healthy heart is crucial for reproductive success, how multidisciplinary care can enhance patient outcomes, and steps you can take before, during, and after pregnancy to improve your overall heart health.

Tia Jackson-Bey, MD

What are some common cardiovascular risk factors, and what is their connection to fertility success?

Many of the chronic conditions that affect cardiovascular health also affect fertility. This includes high blood pressure (hypertension), obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. For example, diabetes can cause hormonal imbalances, and dyslipidemia—a condition in which fats in the blood are too high or too low— can affect your cardiovascular health, which in turn can affect ovarian function, hinder implantation, and even prevent the proper development of the placenta.

One critical area that has often been overlooked is a condition called endothelial dysfunction. The endothelium, a thin layer of cells lining blood vessels, plays a pivotal role in vascular health. Disruptions to endothelial function can impair blood flow to the uterus, disrupting implantation and placental development. For women looking to conceive, managing these risk factors before conception is vital for both heart health and reproductive success.

What are some ways to improve overall heart health, both before and during pregnancy?

The same general risk factors that affect your health overall affect your pregnancy and overall wellbeing. It is important to maintain a healthy diet, physical fitness, good weight, and proper levels for blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as control your blood sugar levels and reduce smoking (ideally, to quit). Sleep quality and duration has been linked as a factor in cardiovascular health; it also has a huge effect on hormonal function, which is critical to fertility. Creating a well-balanced, healthy lifestyle is an important first step.

What are some tips you would give to women who are trying to get pregnant now?

The best thing you can do to make a baby healthy is make sure you are healthy before pregnancy. Everything you do in pregnancy helps not just you, but also the baby. If you have high blood pressure, weight issues or high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), it can be worth pausing and getting things more under control. Optimizing your medical health prior to pregnancy can not only increase your chances of success, but also help you and your baby maintain good health for the long-term.

Ruwanthi Wijesinghe, MD

What occurs during a cardiovascular checkup, after a referral from a reproductive, endocrinology, or infertility specialist has been made?

We review a variety of metrics and see where we can make targeted changes before trying to conceive, as well as during and after pregnancy. We look at whether a patient is presenting a healthy weight and check blood pressure, as well as review sugar and cholesterol levels. We discuss cardiologic risk factors during pregnancy, like preeclampsia—high blood pressure that occurs generally later in pregnancy—and cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle. We also talk about family history of pregnancy and look at congenital heart disease to see if that runs in the family; it is something we can screen for prior to patients getting pregnant.

What can be done during the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) to help prevent the continuation of cardiovascular conditions?

We can try to prevent genetic forms of heart conditions in the next generation with testing done prior to pregnancy. If there is a condition caused by a gene mutation there is a way to test embryos prior to pregnancy with preimplantation genetic testing. Making sure patients have a thorough evaluation is important because if this gene mutation is identified, we can prevent passing it to the next generation by doing IVF and screening the embryos for that genetic mutation. Genetic counseling also plays a vital role, enabling both fertility specialists and cardiologists to assess and discuss potential outcomes.

Contact RMA of New York to schedule an appointment
Learn more about reproductive endocrinology and infertility services at Mount Sinai

What Is AFib and Why Is It Becoming More Common?

Feb 25, 2025 | Your Health

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and often fast heart beat that can cause poor blood flow. Usually known as AFib, it is becoming more common. In addition, this condition may affect people at younger ages.

In this Q&A, Georgios Syros, MD, a cardiologist and Director of Arrhythmia Services at Mount Sinai Queens and Mount Sinai Brooklyn, explains the symptoms of AFib, why it is important to see a doctor, and how something as simple as an Apple watch can help.

Georgios Syros, MD

Why are more people diagnosed with AFib?

More people are being diagnosed with AFib these days for a couple of reasons. First, the population is aging, and the older you are, the greater the chance you have of developing AFib. Second, we are seeing increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, and these conditions can also lead to an irregular heartbeat. Third, there is more public awareness of AFib. People know that when they feel symptoms, such as heart palpitations, they should seek medical help immediately.

And why more young people?

With young people, there is an additional reason for the increased rates of diagnosis: technology. More young people are wearing devices like the Apple watch, which help us diagnose AFib earlier, often before there are any symptoms. All of this is to the good. The earlier we diagnose AFib, the easier—and more effective—the treatment.

What are the most important symptoms I should look for?

There are a lot of symptoms of AFib. The most common is having a sense of a fast, fluttering heartbeat, which we call heart palpitations. You might also feel dizziness, fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, lightheadedness, or an inability to exercise. Some people who have AFib don’t notice any symptoms. In fact, if we tell them they have AFib, they respond, “But I feel fine.” That usually just means we are catching it earlier than if we waited until they felt symptoms or, unfortunately, a stroke.

Why is it important to see a doctor if you think you might have AFib?

The main issue with AFib is that it can cause a stroke. AFib is responsible for about one in four strokes among people over 80 years old. If AFib is untreated, it can also lead to other problems, including heart failure, blood clots, and even dementia. But if we diagnose and treat AFib early on, there is a greater chance we can get it under control.

What causes AFib?

There are a number of causes of AFib. They include:

  • obesity
  • genetics
  • consuming too much alcohol
  • increasing age
  • high blood pressure and high blood sugar
  • structural heart disease
  • sleep apnea

How can I avoid developing AFib?

You can’t do anything about age or genetics, but there are some things you can do to avoid getting AFib. Obesity is a major cause of AFib, and it has been proven that weight loss and exercise can be a powerful combination to help people prevent the incidence of AFib. Another cause of AFib is sleep apnea. Treating sleep apnea, either with lifestyle changes such as weight loss, or with a continuous positive airway pressure machine, also called a CPAP, can help decrease the incidence of AFib. Another cause of AFib is excessive alcohol, so cutting down your drinking of alcohol can lower your chances of developing this condition as well. Stopping smoking can help. It is also a good idea to eat a heart-healthy diet. That means cutting down on salt, saturated fats, transfats, and cholesterol. You can also talk to your doctor about managing your high blood pressure.

How do you diagnose AFib?

We diagnose AFib with an electrocardiogram, known as an EKG or ECG. We may also do blood tests to see if there are any other issues that might be causing the arrhythmia. But the definitive test is the electrocardiogram. To do this test in our office, we put sticky patches or electrodes on your chest and sometimes arms and legs. The electrodes are connected to a computer, which shows us how your heart is beating. We can also use other types of electrocardiograms, including a wearable device called a Holter monitor, an at-home machine, or a smart watch.

How do you treat AFib?

One approach is with medications. We use several types of medications. Blood thinners prevent blood clots, which cause strokes. Calcium blockers and beta blockers slow the rate at which your heart pumps blood throughout the body. Other medications can restore a regular heartbeat. But all of these approaches come with side effects.

Another method, if it is appropriate for you, is an electrophysiology procedure called an ablation, a procedure in which small, malfunctioning spots in the heart are targeted and eliminated, and this can improve symptoms.  The latest form of this procedure is pulsed field ablation, or PFA. This approach was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January 2024. It uses short bursts of high energy (rather than heat or cold, which are the older approaches). The bursts of energy let us precisely target the cells that are causing AFib and render them inactive. This approach is faster than the others, which means you are under anesthesia for less time. It is also safer. Depending on the situation, we may even likely be able to do the PFA as an outpatient procedure, meaning you can go home after the operation rather than spend the night in the hospital. The fact that the approach is faster also means we can treat older patients than we used to be able to. If you develop AFib these days, we’re much better position to help you now than we were 20 years ago.

Five Years Post-Pandemic: Here’s What We’ve Learned About Long COVID

Updated on Feb 24, 2025 | COVID-19 Reflections, Featured, Your Health

The year 2025 marks five years since the COVID-19 pandemic went global. Among the many who contracted COVID-19 and recovered from the acute infection, some feel as though the disease has changed their day-to-day health for the worse. Many report a “brain fog” in which it has become harder for them to focus or think clearly, while others have various symptoms, including fatigue, pain, or even digestion issues.

This collection of symptoms has many names, but it became most commonly known as “long COVID.” When it was first observed a few years ago, physicians and researchers were divided on how to define, diagnose, or even treat it. Even less was known about why long COVID occurs and who is at risk of developing it.

Today, the medical and research communities have come a long way in understanding and tackling long COVID, says David Putrino, PhD, Director of Rehabilitation Innovation at the Mount Sinai Health System. There are, unfortunately, still misconceptions about long COVID among patients and even some health providers, and dispelling such myths is key to proper treatment, he adds.

In this Q&A, Dr. Putrino discusses to say what is known about long COVID today.

Is there a clear definition for long COVID today?

Physicians now have clear clinical guidelines and criteria for diagnosing long COVID. According to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, long COVID is an infection-associated chronic condition whereby somebody who has survived an acute infection with SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—fails to return to their pre-infection health status within a period of three months.

Long COVID symptoms can present in different ways:

  • Continuous, where symptoms remain constant and do not go away
  • Progressive, where symptoms worsen over time
  • Relapsing and remitting, where a patient can feel good for a while, and then have a period of feeling very poorly, and back and forth

“We need to start thinking about long COVID in the same way that cancer researchers have been thinking about cancer for the past three or four decades.” —David Putrino, PhD, Director of Rehabilitation Innovation at the Mount Sinai Health System

 

What different kinds of long COVID symptoms can patients have?

Long COVID has been described as a highly diverse disease state, with studies collectively noting more than 200 symptoms.

The most commonly reported symptom, which affects more than 90 percent of patients, tends to be fatigue and a phenomenon known as post-exertional malaise. The latter is a distinct kind of energy limiting illness where if you ask someone to perform an action—such as walking on a treadmill or riding a bike—they are able to do so. But after they exert themselves, they experience a significant worsening of symptoms or a cluster of new symptoms that persist weeks to months afterwards.

Cognitive symptoms are also common, such as a worsened ability to make decisions, plan things in advance, or even regulate emotions. People speak of “brain fog,” which includes changes in attention and in short- and long-term memory, and it is evident that SARS-CoV-2 infection can significantly affect cognition. In fact, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2024 showed that any person who survives a COVID-19 infection experiences, on average, a loss of six IQ points. This is a sobering fact that makes a strong case for all healthy individuals to avoid SARS-CoV-2 infections by taking the appropriate precautions.

Some people also report gastrointestinal disturbances. These can be wide-ranging, including having diarrhea, having to go to the bathroom more than usual, increased difficulty in food moving through the body, and/or extreme constipation. In addition, some might gain new intolerances to certain kinds of food, have difficulty finishing a meal, or reduced appetite.

Recently, researchers are discovering that around 50 percent of long COVID patients might have new-onset pain. This is a disease state that really affects every organ system.

In 2024, about 17 million adults report having long COVID
For adults with long COVID, 79% say long COVID has limited their activities
Of those who said long COVID limited their activities, 25% say it has done so by a lot
The group most likely to experience long COVID is adults ages 35-49
Women are more likely to experience long COVID than men, with 8.5% of women reporting past long COVID, compared to 5.2% for men
Source: CDC

Do we know why long COVID happens?

We are starting to understand that in some cases, it could be just one path causing the symptom. In other cases, it could be a combination of pathologies. Here’s what we have found so far:

  • Viral persistence: Different studies have identified the presence of SARS-CoV-2 remaining in the bodies of patients with long COVID, even after the acute COVID-19 phase. There is evidence of circulating viral antigens, spike proteins in plasma, viral fragments in the gut, and so forth. We are seeing that the persistence is not latent and it’s not harmless for people with long COVID—it’s causing problems.
  • Latent pathogen reactivation: For some people, even if persistent SARS-CoV-2 does not cause any damage to organs, it could have caused immune dysregulation, leading to reactivation of other latent viruses. There are studies that have shown herpes virus reactivations, such as Epstein-Barr virus, in patients with long COVID, and others showing reactivation of Bartonella infection as well. It may be that the SARS-CoV-2 viral infection kicks up other pathogens that were smoldering below the surface, causing inflammation and other problems.
  • Autonomic nervous system dysfunction: This is the part of your nervous system that controls blood pressure, digestion, sweating, and temperature control. And we’re seeing that the virus can knock this system out of balance. When it is disrupted, people can experience something called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: when they go from lying down flat to standing, they experience unpredictable blood pressure and heart rate changes that can lead them to feel as though they’re about to pass out. This is frequently misdiagnosed as anxiety or panic attacks.
  • Autoimmunity: Relating to immune dysregulation, we are starting to see evidence that for a subset of people with long COVID, they have functional autoantibodies circulating in their body that are designed to attack and cause damage to the body’s own tissues. We have animal studies where mice that were injected with IgG antibodies from patients with long COVID started to develop symptoms similar to that of the patient, especially in new-onset pain, whereas that phenomenon was not seen in mice receiving IgG from healthy controls.
  • Hormonal dysregulation: There are multiple papers on long COVID impacts on hormones like cortisol, which affect wakefulness and inflammation, as well as androgenic hormones, such as testosterone and estradiol. So women with long COVID are much more likely to have extremely low levels of testosterone, and men with long COVID might have low levels of estradiol. This may also explain why long COVID is more frequently diagnosed in women compared with men.

Are there any misconceptions about long COVID?

For the clinical community, we’ve been focusing on getting out a main message, which is that long COVID requires a precision response. If a physician is asking, “Is there a cure—singular—for long COVID,” that is the wrong question. The correct question should be, “What are the tests and techniques I should be using to identify the symptoms of the patient with long COVID in front of me, and how do I proceed from there?”

We need to start thinking about long COVID in the same way that cancer researchers have been thinking about cancer for the past three or four decades. We have seen attitudes about cancer change, starting in the ‘80s when patients were told they got cancer because they had a “Type A” personality, to one today where a patient gets individualized treatment based on age, sex, gene profile, and so much more.

That’s the sort of precision we need in long COVID. What is your medical history? Your immune history? Any genetic expression that might predispose you to chronic illnesses?

Long COVID is classified as an infection-associated chronic condition, which includes chronic Lyme disease and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Historically, these chronic conditions have been viewed as largely psychogenic, and people have been told they can be cured with cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise.

I cannot stress how damaging this is to patients, and perhaps in 30 years, we will be looking back at our approaches and be ashamed of how we were framing long COVID for patients.

Long COVID affects many people, and it disproportionately affects young people too. These are people who are in their active, prime years and we need to help them lead their best lives.

Want to make an appointment for long COVID treatment, or curious to learn more? Visit our Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illness

What Does My Heart Rate Say About My Health?

Updated on Feb 21, 2025 | Cardiology, Your Health

Mary Ann McLaughlin, MD

Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute. You may pay little to no attention to your heart rate, but it can give you vital insight into your health—and may even save your life.

In this Q&A, Mary Ann McLaughlin, MD, MPH, FACC, Medical Director of Cardiovascular Health and Wellness, Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, and Associate Professor of Medicine, Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discusses the importance of heart rate, as well as how to monitor it.

What is a normal heart rate range?
The normal heart rate for an adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. The average is 72 beats per minute.

How can I measure my heart rate?
The easiest way to detect your heart rate (without a device) is to feel your pulse in your wrist or neck for 60 seconds. For a more accurate heart rate, you can purchase a device, such as a wearable fitness tracker (e.g., smart watch), which can monitor your heart rate during sleep (resting heart rate) and exercise.

What affects my heart rate?
Heart rate increases to deliver more oxygen to your muscles. With any physical activity, your heart rate will go up. In addition, anxiety or emotional stress can cause an increase in adrenaline leading to high heart rates, often called the “fight or flight” response.

Can I improve my heart rate, and how?
You can improve your resting heart rate with regular exercise, adequate sleep, a healthy diet, and avoiding too much caffeine.

When is it time to see a doctor?
If you notice a very strong thumping sensation in your chest, feel dizzy or light-headed or faint, you need to talk to a doctor. If you are sitting or relaxing, and your heart rate is more than 100 beats per minute, you should talk to your doctor. If you have a family member who is diagnosed with an arrhythmia or irregular heart rate, you should notify your doctor. One particular arrhythmia, which can run in families, is called atrial fibrillation, and it can lead to stroke.

What is atrial fibrillation, and how is it related to heart rate?
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rhythm. Symptoms are palpitations or thumping in the chest. If a family member has a history of atrial fibrillation, your risk for it is higher, which is why you should speak to a doctor.

My heart rate is below 60 beats per minute. Is that bad?
Having a low heart rate is generally a good thing, and is common among athletes. In most cases, it means the heart and cardiovascular system are working efficiently. However, in rare cases, a low resting heart rate can be a sign that something is wrong, especially if it is unusual for you. If you feel dizzy, fatigued, out of breath, or feel pain in your chest, you should see a doctor.

Schedule an appointment with a primary care doctor.

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