How To Control Heart Rate

Know About Tachycardia What Are Its Causes And Symptoms

Tachycardia is a serious heart ailment which is characterized by an abnormally high rate of heart beat. The normal heart beat count for an adult is 60-100 beats per minute. If it increases more than 100, it can lead to chronic complications and even death.

Causes of Tachycardia are:

• Congenital electrical pathway abnormalities in the heart.
• Excessive intake of alcohol.
• Consumption of drugs like cocaine, marijuana etc
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Heat conditions resulting in poor blood supply and damage to heart tissues like coronary artery disease , heart valve disease, heart failure, heart muscle disease , tumors, or infections.
• Hypertension
• Smoking and certain lung diseases

The symptoms of tachycardia:

• Fainting

Rate Control In The Medical Management Of Atrial Fibrillation

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Two main strategies are available for management of atrial fibrillation: rate control and rhythm control.

The aims of heart rate control in atrial fibrillation are to minimise symptoms associated with excessive heart rates and to prevent tachycardiaassociated cardiomyopathy. Rate control involves the use of negatively chronotropic drugs or electrophysiological/surgical interventions to reduce the rapid ventricular rate often found in patients with atrial fibrillation. Although the atria continue to fibrillate, this strategy is considered an effective treatment as it can improve symptoms and reduce the risk of associated morbidity. However, the risk of stroke and occurrence of thromboembolic events occurring is reduced by giving antithrombotic drugs.

Rhythm control involves the use of electrical or pharmacological cardioversion or electrophysiological/surgical interventions to convert the arrhythmia associated with atrial fibrillation to normal sinus rhythm. Patients who have been successfully cardioverted are generally given antiarrhythmic drugs for the long term to help prevent the recurrence of atrial fibrillation. Rhythm control strategies also require the appropriate antithrombotic treatment to reduce the risk of stroke and thromboembolism.

What The Experts Do

Monitor Heart Rate for Motivation

For Johns Hopkins cardiologist Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., most workoutstake place on an elliptical trainer in his home. His machine has electrodeson which he can place his hands to automatically see his heart rate. Itgives me a sense of how hard Im working, he says.

Blaha also uses his targeted heart rate to guide the course that heprogrammed into the machine, so that he works up to where he wants to be interms of exertion. Knowing your target heart rate and trying to achieve itcan be very motivating, he says.

Stay on Top of Your Heart Health

If you have a new or existing heart problem, it’s vital to see a doctor. Our heart health checklist can help you determine when to seek care.

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Health And Performance Considerations

Higher heart rates may be an indication of poor heart function and higher than usual stress being placed on the hearts ability to circulate blood. This may further indicate heart disease conditions.

From a performance stand point knowing specific heart rate training zones can optimize our bodys ability to adapt to performance requirements. Determining these zones can be done through many different methods, including VO2 or lactate testing, formulas and general training regimens. It then becomes necessary to monitor intensity in order to optimize your chances for success. To monitor your intensity there are several methods available to you. First is the perceived exertion method in which you rate your perception of how hard you are exerting yourself during a workout. The acronym for this is RPE . The scale on which to base your perceptions range from 1 – 10. See below.

The scale can be broken down as follows:

0: Nothing

How To Lower Heart Rate In The Moment:

If youre having an episode of high heart rate and need to get it down quickly, try one of these options:

Sit in a cool and relaxing place. Heat can raise heart rate.

Take deep breaths to bring heart rate down. Use an app like Headspace or find a Youtube video. Keep sitting and breathing deep until HR declines.

Try taking our HR-lowering supplement duo : Li Zyme and Garlic Force.

Drink more water and ensure proper hydration.

Go see your chiropractor for an emergency adjustment. Sometimes the simple act of adjusting the autonomic nervous system is just enough to balance the body and take it out of the sympathetic state where a high heart rate occurs.

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Slowing A Very High Heart Rate

1Practice slow deep breathing. Although it may seem difficult, lowering your breathing speed will help to lower your heart rate. Take a breath for 5-8 seconds, hold it for 3-5 seconds, and then exhale slowly for a count of 5-8 seconds. Focus on exhaling completely to reduce your heart rate.XResearch source

Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique. This is when you inhale to the count of 4, hold for the count of 7, and then exhale to the count of 8 while making a whoosh sound. Repeat the exercise 3 or more times.XResearch source

2Perform vagal nerve stimulation. This stimulates the vagus nerve which is responsible for controlling your heart rate. To do this, try the valsalva maneuver, after taking a deep breath, strain the muscles in your abdomen the same way you would to give a bowel movement. Hold the pressure for five seconds, and then let go. You may have to do this multiple times to get the desired effect. Other ways to stimulate the vagus nerve include:XResearch source

Coughing

Ways To Lower Heart Rate Naturally Overtime:

Add more fatty fish to your diet Research has revealed that increased intake of omega 3 fatty acids, including EPA and DHA, are linked to a lower resting heart rate. We love wild-caught fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring. Aim to consume fatty fish a minimum of 3-4 times per week and supplement daily with 1-2 caps of our Omega DHA for full heart rate support, as well.

Reduce stress Chronic stress is one of the top causes of a high heart rate. The higher your stress level, the higher your heart rate. Stress causes the heart to have to work harder which causes vasoconstriction and often results in a higher heart rate and blood pressure. Reducing stress is essential to getting HR down. Create a daily stress reduction protocol and commit to it daily. Try meditating, deep breathing, tapping, progressive muscle relaxation or simply sitting in silence.

Increase physical activity Exercise is one of the best ways to begin to normalize your heart rate over time. A sedentary lifestyle contributes to high heart rate.. While your HR increases acutely during exercise , what is actually happening over time is your heart is becoming stronger and more resilient. This means your heart is more efficient at pumping blood and as a result HR lowers during resting periods. Aim for some type of movement each day to get blood pumping and strengthen your heart. Exercising daily gradually helps to lower a resting heart rate.

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Lowering Your Heart Rate

There are several ways you can do this to help your heart stay healthy:

Exercise. Physical activity strengths your heart just like other muscles in your body. It trains your heart to be more efficient so it doesnât work as hard when youâre at rest. A walk, bicycle ride, or yoga class can all help.

Quit smoking.Smoking causes your arteries and veins to get smaller. This can lead to a higher heart rate. Nixing tobacco products can bring your pulse down to a healthier level.

Relax.Stress can send hormones like adrenaline and cortisol racing through your blood, which can raise your heart rate. Things like meditation and yoga can help lower stress levels. Over the long term, they can lower your resting heart rate, too.

Eat more fish. A healthy diet is the cornerstone of heart health. In addition to fruits and vegetables, which are rich in vitamins and minerals, add fish to your menu. Eating it regularly can help lower your heart rate.

Control The Heart Rate

Rate control means you and your doctor have agreed to accept atrial fibrillation as condition, but you may have to control the rate of the heart to avoid symptoms.

Controlling the heart rate is the treatment option when your doctor was unable to restore normal rhythm , or the doctor considers that because of your underlying heart condition, restoring the normal sinus rhythm is almost impossible.

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Easy Things You Can Do To Lower Your Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is dangerous. It can lead to many health problems, including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, angina, coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, kidney disease, vision loss, sexual dysfunction and more.

Fortunately, high blood pressure can often be prevented or controlled.

Here are some easy things you can do to lower your blood pressure or help prevent high blood pressure in the first place.

Exercise. Doctors recommend at least 150 minutes per week of exercise to help reduce blood pressure. Brisk walking is excellent for reducing blood pressure and improving overall cardiovascular health, but other exercises can work too. Try jogging, riding a bike, swimming, dancing, or interval training to get your aerobic exercise. Strength training is also important to your heart health and can help reduce blood pressure.

Eat a heart-healthy diet. Eating a well-balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds that is also low in sodium, saturated fat, added sugar, and cholesterol is important for your heart. There is a diet specifically geared toward lowering blood pressure. Its called the DASH diet, which stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension. Talk to your doctor or make an appointment with a dietitian if you need help making changes to your diet.

Set small, easily attainable goals, and when you reach them, set bigger ones. Step by step, you will take control of your health and your blood pressure.

Rate Control Versus Rhythm Control

Until recently, there were uncertainties about the most appropriate initial treatment strategyeither rate control or rhythm controlfor individual patients.

The Atrial Fibrillation Followup Investigation of Rhythm Management study enrolled 4060 patients with atrial fibrillation over 6years. Patients were aged at least 65years or had another risk factor for stroke or death. Virtually any atrial fibrillation was allowed, including firstonset atrial fibrillation and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with a documented paroxysm of at least 6h duration. The mean followup was 3.5years, with no noticeable mortality difference with either a ratecontrol or a rhythmcontrol strategy. Notably, noncardiovascular deaths accounted for most of the excess deaths in the rhythmcontrol limb. The rhythmcontrol strategy was associated with a slightly higher incidence of stroke , probably owing to more frequent discontinuation of anticoagulant treatment, and greater rates of torsade de pointes and hospitalisations . The subgroup analyses suggested a better outcome in younger people < 65years and in patients with left ventricular dysfunction who were assigned to rhythm control.

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Where Is It And What Is A Normal Heart Rate

The best places to find your pulse are the:

• wrists
• side of your neck
• top of the foot

To get the most accurate reading, put your finger over your pulse and count the number of beats in 60 seconds.

Your resting heart rate is the heart pumping the lowest amount of blood you need because youre not exercising. If youre sitting or lying and youre calm, relaxed and arent ill, your heart rate is normally between 60 and 100 .

But a heart rate lower than 60 doesnt necessarily signal a medical problem. It could be the result of taking a drug such as a beta blocker. A lower heart rate is also common for people who get a lot of physical activity or are very athletic. Active people often have a lower resting heart rate because their heart muscle is in better condition and doesnt need to work as hard to maintain a steady beat. A low or moderate amount of physical activity doesnt usually change the resting pulse much.

Bringing Your Heart Rate Down

Steps:

1.) Sit in a comfortable place.

2.) Take a quick inhalation through your nose or mouth.

3.) Purse your lips and gently breathe the air out of your mouth very slowly as though you are breathing out through a straw. Do not tense your muscles while doing this be as relaxed as possible.

4.) Imagine as the air is flowing out that a wave of relaxation is flowing down your body from top to bottom.

5.) Repeat the process several times for around 5 10 minutes a day. The longer the duration the deeper the effect at lowering your blood pressure and heart rate.

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When Your Heart Rate Spikes

Sometimes, your pulse might jump up for a little while. Most of the time, you heart will slow down naturally. If not, or if it happens regularly, these things can help get that number down.

Vagal maneuvers: These physical actions can reset your heart rate. For example, hold your nose and breathe out of your mouth. Itâs similar to when you want to pop your ears when youâre on an airplane. Or you can put your face in ice-cold water for several seconds or cough forcefully.

Medication: Your doctor may prescribe it to help treat an abnormal heart rate. Things like beta-blockers may help prevent future episodes.

Pacemaker: This small device can sense a rapid heartbeat. When it does, it sends an electrical signal and helps the heart return to normal. Your doctor would implant it under your skin.

Catheter ablation: Sometimes the cause of your racing pulse may be an extra electrical pathway in the heart. Your doctor would perform this procedure, which makes it so the extra circuit no longer sends signals. It doesnât require surgery. Usually, this is suggested only when medicines don’t work.

American Heart Association: âKnow your target heart rates of exercise, losing weight and health,â “Tachycardia: Fast Heart Rate,â “Ablation for Arrhythmias.”

CDC: âHealth Effects of Cigarette Smoking.â

Circulation: âFish Consumption is Associated with Lower Heart Rates.â

The Heart Foundation: âYour Heart Rate.â

âWhatâs a normal resting heart rate?â

Lower Tachycardia Quickly With Cold Water

Although nervous tachycardias pass after a few minutes, here are the best tips to lower tachycardia due to anxiety. As strange as it may seem, cold water is the best remedy to lower tachycardia quickly. In the cold, our body sends signals for the metabolism to slow down, something that causes the heart to slow down and, therefore, lower tachycardias.

A cold shower, the colder the better, will immediately end the tachycardia. However, you do not have to do it, you simply have to immerse your face in cold water to notice its effects. The fact is that the nerves of the face also act on the heart rate, causing a reaction that is also known as the diver reflex.

So a good way to calm anxiety tachycardia is to fill a bucket with cold water, inhale deeply, and soak your face in for as long as you can.

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Exercise Moderately At Least Two And A Half Hours Each Week

If youd rather go hard, you can get the same heart-healthy benefits with 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Exercise intensity is unique to you. Exercise thats moderate intensity for you may be vigorous for someone else. Moderate exercise should feel somewhat difficult, but you should still be able to carry on a conversation. Vigorous exercise should feel very challenging and youll only be able to get a few words out at a time between breaths.

Symptoms Of Atrial Fibrillation

In atrial fibrillation, the heart rate is irregular and can sometimes be very fast. In some cases, it can be considerably higher than 100 beats a minute.

This can cause problems including dizziness, shortness of breath and tiredness.

You may be aware of noticeable heart palpitations, where your heart feels like it’s pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly, often for a few seconds or, in some cases, a few minutes.

Sometimes atrial fibrillation does not cause any symptoms and a person who has it is completely unaware that their heart rate is irregular.

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Perform The Valsalva Maneuver

The Valsalva maneuver is a breathing technique that leads to several rapid changes in our heart rate.

How to do it:

• Pinch your nose closed with the fingers of one hand
• Close your mouth
• Exhale, as if you are inflating a balloon
• Bear down, as if you are having a bowel movement
• Do this technique for about 1015 seconds.

Our Goals For Treatment

At Heart Rhythm Associates, we strive to determine exactly why youre suffering with a heart arrhythmia. Some arrhythmias are harmless and just reflect your hearts normal processes. But if yours is putting you at risk for complications, Dr. De Bruyn offers treatment.

If you have an arrhythmia, our goal is to control it within a relatively normal range. If you have heart disease or another underlying condition causing your arrhythmia, well focus on treating it and reducing risk factors for heart disease and stroke. If you have atrial fibrillation , a treatment goal is to prevent blood clots and reduce your risk of stroke.

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When Apple Watch Measures Your Heart Rate

When you use the Workout app, Apple Watch measures your heart rate continuously during the workout and for 3 minutes after the workout ends to determine a workout recovery rate. If you don’t see your heart rate, check your settings.

This information, as well as other data it collects, helps Apple Watch estimate how many calories youve burned. In addition, Apple Watch measures your heart rate throughout the day when youre still, and periodically when youre walking . Since Apple Watch takes these background readings based on your activity, the time between these measurements will vary. Apple Watch also calculates a daily resting rate and walking average by correlating background heart rate readings with accelerometer data when sufficient background readings are available. You can control which third-party apps have access to your health data from the Health app in Sources.

Some anomalies may appear in the displayed data, resulting in occasional heart rate measurements that are abnormally high or low.