For years, there have been countless reports of individuals suddenly collapsing to their deaths after taking part in badminton matches.
A young man nearly became another addition to the figures after his heart rate skyrocketed beyond normal levels following a badminton match but was lucky to survive, much to his girlfriend’s relief.
Had no underlying health issues
According to a post shared to the Facebook group Icu沒有哭鬧和爭吵, the OP wrote that her boyfriend was a healthy 30-year-old who goes for regular health checkups and suffers no ailments, aside from a slightly high cholesterol level.
She added that he was also an avid badminton player and a former state-level badminton player back in secondary school.
Heart rate shot up to 200 bpm
On the day of the incident, the OP tagged along with her boyfriend to a badminton match with his female colleagues, which she said was “casual” and had an intensity which was “only one-third of his usual games”.
One and a half hours later, his Apple Watch showed that his heart rate had shot up to 150 bpm and even reached 200 bpm at one point.
However, the OP noted that her boyfriend showed no signs of discomfort and could still talk, laugh, and breathe normally.
“While I was drinking water, he came over and told me his heart was beating really fast. I told him to step outside for some fresh air and take a short walk.
“After sitting down, drinking some water, and walking a bit, his heart rate dropped to around 100 bpm. We then decided to go to a mamak for some tea,” she wrote.
Sent to the ICU
An hour later, the OP’s boyfriend’s heart rate still hovered between 100–150 bpm, prompting him to pay a visit to a health clinic.
To his shock, the doctor instructed him to get to the ICU within 10 minutes, leaving him and the OP rushing to the nearest hospital.
A doctor tried massaging his neck artery and had him do breathing exercises, but his heart rate still stayed around 150 bpm.
“Later, another doctor came and gave him an injection and his heart rate instantly dropped to about 80 bpm. He was then admitted to the ICU for observation overnight and discharged after two days.”
Multiple factors to blame?
The OP said the doctor later explained that in the situation, the heart is akin to a thigh muscle that has been been sprinting at full force non-stop until it decides to collapse, adding that her boyfriend was “really, really lucky”.
She added that while a heart function test showed no cause for alarm, she noted that her boyfriend’s sudden spike in heart rate was possibly triggered by the cup of black coffee he had on the morning of the incident, lack of sleep, staying up late, and high work stress.
At the end of the post, the OP encouraged others to wear a smartwatch that monitors their heart rate in real time.
She also urged those who have been under stress or haven’t had enough rest to not take part in intensive workouts.
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