ِAll A bout Heart palpitations
Heart palpitations (pal-pih-TAY-shuns) are feelings of an irregular, often pounding heart beat. You may have them for a few moments or for longer periods of time. They can happen when you are at rest or during physical activity and may result in feelings of anxiety, even to the point where people fear they are having a heart attack.
Symptoms of Heart Palpitations
Heart rate is rapid: The more rapid the heart rate, the more severe the palpitation feels. This is due to a decrease in blood flow (and hence oxygen) to your heart muscle.
Palpitation episodes occur suddenly without any warning: When palpitations strike there may not be anything that triggers them like caffeine or vigorous exercise that preceded it before.
Palpitation episodes are recurrent: Palpitation episodes can occur several times per day, or they may be infrequent. The frequency and severity of palpitations varies from person to person. Some people experience palpitations only when they exercise or drink caffeinated beverages, while others experience them more frequently and at rest as well.
A feeling anxiety: Palpitation may cause a feeling of anxiety or fear in the chest area.
You often worry about your palpitations: You tend to worry about the fact that you have heart palpitations, even if this is not warranted by the seriousness of your symptoms. This anxiety can make your palpitations (and associated symptoms) worse.
Heart palpitations may not always be indicative of a serious problem. If you are experiencing heart palpitations, it is important to consult with a healthcare provider to rule out underlying heart problems that can be life threatening, like:
· Cardiomyopathy – the heart muscle becomes enlarged and thickened which impairs the heart's ability to contract. This causes the electrical impulses from the upper chambers of the heart to travel abnormally through your chest and abdomen.
· Arrhythmia – the heart has trouble pumping blood adequately on its own. This causes the electrical impulses from the upper chambers of the heart to travel abnormally through your chest and abdomen.
· Aortic valve stenosis – a narrowing in the opening of your aorta (the large artery that carries blood from your heart).
· Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia – a form of congenital heart disease that causes part of your heart to beat abnormally.
· Aortic aneurysm/dissection – a bulging of the aorta artery.
· Aortic stenosis – a narrowing in your aorta, which normally has two arteries running through it.
· Heart attack – a physical blockage in your heart that occurs when cardiac muscle cells become damaged. The blockage can occur in the very large blood vessels (coronary arteries) or small branches of these blood vessels. If a blockage prevents blood from reaching the brain and vital organs, they will not receive enough oxygen and will die.
Treatment for Heart Palpitations
Treatment is generally aimed at preventing additional episodes by controlling any underlying triggers (e.g. caffeine) and by identifying and treating any physical problems. In many cases, this will be done on an outpatient basis. If you are experiencing heart palpitations or any other symptoms which you think may be related to your heart, see your healthcare provider who can take a detailed medical history, do a physical examination and order appropriate tests.
Treatment for heart palpitations may include:
· Medications for treating underlying causes of the palpitations (specifically, caffeine)
· Treating any associated symptoms.
· Performing an exercise stress test to rule out a heart problem.
Definition of Heart Palpitations:
What do we mean when we talk about "heart palpitations" or "palpitations"?
The American Heart Association Online Dictionary explains that these are two very different things. Glossary or definition of heart palpitations:
The most common definition indicates that this is a sensation of irregular contractions in the lower chambers of the heart, often caused by a rapid heartbeat or racing heartbeat. It is not a disease or condition itself. It is more of a symptom which can be caused by many different conditions, including anxiety, caffeine intake or too much exercise.
However, the definition of palpitations from the American Heart Association also indicates that this term is used to refer to "abnormal variations in the rhythm of the heart". It can also be used in reference to abnormal beats of the heart.
So we can see that this term can be used for either one of two things:
irregular contractions in the lower chambers of a healthy heart OR rapid heartbeat which causes an irregular heartbeat. Both definitions are correct and should be used interchangeably.
Heart Rate Variability:
What does Heart Rate Variability mean? Heart rate variability (HRV) is the measure of a person's heart rate variability. HRV is the spontaneous variation in heart rate during a set time period. This term is used to describe variability in the beats per minute to express variations of a person's heart rate over time, even when they are at rest. For example, if you have elevated heart rate variability, this means your heart beats with less regularity or unpredictability, or both. You may have less than normal HRV because you have an irregular heartbeat (irregular heartbeat).
Heart Rate Variability and Palpitations:
HRV can be affected by many different conditions. It can appear as a result of heart valve problems or conditions that can disrupt your heart rate. It can also be affected by things like caffeine intake, exercise, and even stress. Heart palpitations are a common complaint of many with low HRV.
How Can I Increase My Heart Rate Variability?
Increasing HRV is typically done through exercise since it helps to elevate your heart rate beyond normal levels and then brings it back down again. This not only raises your HRV, but also helps improve your overall health and fitness level. If you have palpitations, raising your HRV may help you identify triggers that could be causing the palpitations you experience.
Here are some exercises that can help you:
· Sprinting is an excellent form of exercise that not only raises your heart rate, but also encourages a brief surge in adrenaline (stress hormone). This can lead to increased HRV.
· The more intense and faster paced your exercise, the higher your HRV.
· The more oxygen-rich your exercise, the higher your HRV will be.
· If you have palpitations and want to improve your HRV, consider working out on a rowing machine or an elliptical machine. Both increase blood flow through the body and through different sections of the lungs which leads to improvements in HRV.
· Regularly performing isometric exercises can also increase HRV because it increases your muscle strength in the heart and other muscles as well.
· Try to avoid too much exercise, as this can lead to increased stress and low HRV in some individuals.
· Combining exercise with meditation has been shown to help increase HRV.
· Resistance training is another good form of exercise that can raise your heart rate, improve your muscle strength, and help you increase your heart rate variability.
· Try to avoid eating foods that contain caffeine or large amounts of sugar. Both can raise your heart rate and lead to increased HRV.
· Make sure you are getting enough sleep and avoiding too much stress. Both of these can negatively impact your HRV.
· Adding some omega-3 fatty acids to your diet may help too, as well as pomegranate juice and green tea.
How Can I Increase My Heart Palpitations?
There are a few things you can do to slightly increase your heart palpitations:
· If you have anxiety or stress, work on reducing your anxiety by taking deep, slow breaths and using relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation (enrolling in a class or instructional video).
· If you are not stressed, try to do a little bit of exercise or movement. This will help get your heart moving and give you some palpitations that are not as intense as those which can occur during a panic attack.
· Try to avoid drinking a lot of caffeine because it increases your heart rate and may lead to palpitations.
· Caffeine can also constrict your blood vessels which may limit the amount of oxygen that reaches your heart muscle, which can cause increased palpitations over time.
· Avoid foods that contain caffeine or large amounts of sugar and salt like chocolate, donuts and potato chips. All of these contain caffeine or sugar in large amounts which may lead to palpitations over time.
· If you are exercising, try doing some mild exercise or movement with your heart rate elevated. This will help get your heart beating more quickly and can increase palpitations over time.
· If you are not exercising and are not stressed, try to exercise a little bit every day. This will lead to increased heart rate and therefore increased HRV overtime.
Summary:
Heart Rate Variability is the measure of a person's heart rate variability. It can be measured by either using sensors attached to your skin, or by using an electrocardio-monitor (EKG). It can also be measured in a test called heart rate variability, or HRV. If you have low HRV, this means your heart beats with less regularity or unpredictability, or both. It is important to note that irregular heartbeat (irregular heartbeat) is not the same as the term "heart rate variability". Irregular heartbeat refers to a problem in which your heart doesn't beat consistently thoughout the cardiac cycle; meaning your heart's electrical impulses take longer to travel from one end of your ventricle to the other. Heart Rate Variability is a measure of how regular or irregular your beats are per minute.
It's important to note that Heart Rate Variability can be affected by many different conditions. It can appear as a result of heart valve problems or conditions that can disrupt your heart rate. It can also be affected by things like caffeine intake, exercise, and even stress. Heart palpitations are a common complaint of many with low HRV.
· If you have anxiety or stress, try to work on reducing your anxiety by taking deep, slow breaths and using relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation (enrolling in a class or instructional video).
· If you are not stressed, try to do a little bit of exercise or movement. This will help get your heart moving and give you some palpitations that are not quite as intense as those which can occur during a panic attack.
· Try to avoid drinking a lot of caffeine because it increases your heart rate and may lead to palpitations.
· Caffeine can also constrict your blood vessels which may limit the amount of oxygen that reaches your heart muscle, which can cause increased palpitations over time.
· Avoid foods that contain caffeine or large amounts of sugar and salt like chocolate, donuts and potato chips. All of these contain caffeine or sugar in large amounts which may lead to palpitations over time.
· If you are exercising, try doing some mild exercise or movement with your heart rate elevated. This will help get your heart beating more quickly and can increase palpitations over time.
· If you are not exercising and are not stressed, try to exercise a little bit every day. This will lead to increased heart rate and therefore increased HRV overtime.
