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Halloween season is a time for scary tricks and sweet treats. But people with heart conditions may need to take extra precautions before participating in fright nights. Baylor College of Medicine cardiologist and electrophysiologist Dr. Mohamed Gabr explains what you need to know to keep your heart healthy during this spooky season.

Scary movies and haunted houses are popular Halloween traditions that make our hearts race. A scare or excitement triggers the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in a faster heart rate, increased blood pressure and constricted blood vessels. While this is generally harmless for most healthy individuals, people with heart conditions should be cautious.

"With a normal scare, the heart rate will go up and then it will come down," said Gabr, assistant professor of medicine—cardiology at Baylor. "If someone is conscious that their heart has been beating fast for a long period of time, that's something to be concerned about."

Arrhythmias and other heart conditions may cause an abnormally high heart rate. Lightheadedness, shortness of breath or chest pain or tightness, along with an elevated heart rate, is a cause for concern.

"If you're feeling dizzy or like you're going to pass out, have a seat and make sure others around you know that you're not feeling well," Gabr said. "Call 911 for fainting, a racing heart for an extended period, chest pain or if your other symptoms aren't going away.

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