What are heart palpitations and why are you getting them?
When heart palpitations start, it stops you in your tracks. It’s that feeling when your heart suddenly begins to race or flutter. It might feel like it’s skipping a beat or beating irregularly. You can’t ignore it, so you just wait it out. You feel uneasy, even concerned. Then it suddenly goes away, and you can go back to what you were doing.
Fortunately, when not caused by a serious underlying condition, heart palpitations are usually not dangerous. However, they are still unpleasant and scary.
Heart palpitations are usually brought on by stress, fear, or anxiety. When we get stressed out, our bodies go into fight or flight mode. Everyone experiences this differently, and for some people, this hyperactive state -even if mild – triggers heart palpitations. Although they are generally not a cause for alarm, it’s hard not worry when they happen, which only adds to the stress that likely caused them in the first place.
The first step to preventing heart palpitations is finding out why you’re experiencing them in the first place.
Causes of heart palpitations
Stress, fear, and anxiety are the most common cause of heart palpitations, but they can also be triggered by other physical conditions such as:
- Holding the breath
- Shallow, short breaths
- Low blood sugar
- Too much caffeine
- Low potassium levels
- Dehydration
- A fever
- Pregnancy
Certain medications cause the pulse to increase:
- Nicotine
- Alcohol
- Cocaine and amphetamines
- Diet pills, decongestants, and asthma inhalers
Heart palpitations are also associated with medical conditions including:
- Thyroid disease
- Anemia
- Heart disease
- Hypoglycemia
- Low blood pressure
Natural treatment of heart palpitations
The way you treat heart palpitations will depend on what is causing them. Making sure you’re eating enough food and staying hydrated is important for keeping your blood sugar and electrolyte levels where they should be.
If you’re unsure of why you’re getting heart palpitations, please contact our office for an appointment with Dr Gruber. He will be able to evaluate your condition and order appropriate testing for any underlying conditions that could be triggering them.
Stress relief is a natural solution for heart palpitations
If, like most people, your heart palpitations are being brought on by stress or anxiety, you’re going to need to learn to control these emotions in order to find relief. HeartMath tools (CLICK HERE for more information) such as the Neutral Tool are ways to calm yourself during an episode of palpitations as well as good daily practices to try to keep your anxiety at bay. Other natural ways to reduce stress include a healthy diet, regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and making time for activities that you find relaxing and pleasurable.
If you’re struggling to manage your stress by yourself, seeking help from a professional is a great option. Heart Strengths Therapy can help people like you learn take control of anxiety and live a better life.
The concerns that come with extreme and frequent stress go far beyond heart palpitations. Making sure you learn how to properly deal with it can improve your health and quality of life in several ways.
Learn to manage your stress and stop heart palpitations with Dr. Gary Gruber
Dr. Gary Gruber is a licensed naturopathic practitioner and holistic health counselor. He owns Family and Environmental Medicine where he specializes in helping his patients find natural solutions for health conditions related to stress and anxiety causing heart palpitations.
If you’re experiencing heart palpitations and want to avoid them by learning to cope with stress in a healthier way, contact Dr. Gary Gruber.
Family and Environmental Medicine is in the heart of Fairfield County, Connecticut near Downtown Canaan. His office is only 10 minutes from Stamford and Darien, 20 minutes from Greenwich, and an hour from NYC by train.
