What Is The Prognosis For Heart Palpitations
Most palpitations, like isolated premature atrial contractions and premature ventricular contractions, are normal variants and do not affect lifestyle or longevity. Other rhythm disturbances usually need medications for control, but the goal is to allow the patient to return to a normal lifestyle with minimal restrictions.
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Use Of Benadryl While Pregnant
Allergies are pretty common during pregnancy. It is reported that 20-30% of women who are of childbearing age are affected by allergies, and in a subset of women, pregnancy can even aggravate some preexisting allergy symptoms such as allergic rhinitis. As a result, antihistamine drugs are often employed to treat these allergic symptoms. This gives birth to a question of whether the use of antihistamines or specifically Benadryl while pregnant is safe?
Although alternative methods, such as fluids and rest, should be attempted first to treat the symptoms of allergies during pregnancy. First-generation antihistamines like Diphenhydramine are drugs of choice, especially during the first trimester, for the relief of allergy symptoms in pregnant women. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists Benadryl as category B, which means that the drug has failed to demonstrate a risk of birth defects or congenital anomalies to the fetus in animal reproduction studies but there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women, OR, animal studies have shown adverse effects, but adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women have failed to demonstrate a risk of birth defects or anomalies to the fetus in any trimester.
Causes Of Heart Palpitations During Pregnancy
1. Stress And Anxiety
Getting pregnant and carrying a baby is not an easy task. Lots of emotions, with varying strength, keeps on fluctuating. Women may experience stress and anxiety which may cause heart palpitations.
2. Hormonal Changes
Pregnancy results in altering the level of various hormones inside the female body. The level of estrogen and testosterone considerably varies during pregnancy. This may also cause heart palpitations during pregnancy.
3. Change In Blood Volume
Blood volume increases during pregnancy. The heart has to beat faster and with more power to cater to the excess volume of blood. This results in heart palpitations during pregnancy.
4. Caffeine-Containing Products
Pregnant women should limit the intake of caffeinated beverages like tea, coffee, energy drinks, aerated soft drinks etc. This is because caffeine is known for increasing the heart rate that may result in heart palpitations during pregnancy. Alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine should also be avoided in pregnancy to avoid heart palpitations.
5. Underlying Medical Condition
Various underlying medical conditions could also be a possible reason for heart palpitations during pregnancy. Women who experience heart palpitation may have a thyroid disorder, hypotension, dehydration, anemia, and low blood sugar level.
6. Effect Of Certain Medications
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Listen To Weightless By Marconi Union
There is a song that was proven to reduce anxiety levels by 65%. created this composition in tight cooperation with Lyz Cooper, the leading sound therapist from the UK and founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy. Combining bass, rhythm, and harmony, this music helps to reduce your heartbeat and blood pressure, and lower your levels of cortisol.
What Causes Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations can be due to 6):
- Anxiety, stress, panic attack, or fear
- Caffeine intake
- Cocaine or other illegal drugs
- Diet pills
- Exercise
- Fever
However, some palpitations are due to an abnormal heart rhythm, which may be caused by 7):
- Heart disease
- Abnormal heart valve, such as mitral valve prolapse
- Abnormal blood level of potassium
- Certain medicines, including those used to treat asthma, high blood pressure, or heart problems
- Overactive thyroid
- Low level of oxygen in your blood.
Cardiac disease was the most common diagnostic category when compiling all the primary emergency department diagnoses for heart palpitations 8). Psychiatric diagnoses and medication/substance-related disorders made up 4.7% and 1.8% of primary emergency department diagnoses, respectively 9). However, in another study, psychiatric illness accounts for the etiology in nearly one third of all patients, cardiac in 43%, miscellaneous in 10% and unknown in 16% 10). A summary of the most common emergency department primary diagnoses are presented in Table 1. Of all admitted patients, 18% had a primary emergency department diagnosis of palpitations, cardiac dysrhythmia, not otherwise specified or tachycardia, not otherwise specified at the time of admission. Cardiac diagnoses made up approximately 62% of all hospital discharge diagnoses. A summary of the 10 most common hospital discharge diagnoses are presented in Table 2.
| Diagnosis | |
| Congestive heart failure, not otherwise specified | 4700 |
| 0.55% |
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The Feeling Of Heart Palpitations Vary From Person To Person But Often Make Your Heart Feel Like It Is:
- Beating in irregular patterns
- Skipping heartbeats
The most common way to describe a heart palpitation is the feeling you get after sprinting up a long flight of stairs. When you reach the top, you are breathing heavy, you can feel your heart pounding, and you might hear the beating in your ears. This sensation usually passes in a few seconds, but it might be a cause for concern if the heart palpations dont go away on their own.
Heart palpitations can occur when you are active or when you are resting. They can be connected to a specific activity or trigger, or the palpitations might happen for no identified reason.
Most people only have palpitations every once in a while. But some patients experience palpitations throughout the day, resulting in discomfort that can feel as strong as a heart attack.
What Are The Health Risks Of Experiencing Heart Palpitations
The irregularity of the heart rhythm per se usually does no damage to the heart itself. Patients with a very rapid heart over a long period of time do run a risk of developing enlargement and failure of the heart.
We see heart enlargment with a very common cause of palpitations called atrial fibrillation. Patients can be in atrial fibrillation for many years without harm, but some patients with very little symptoms may have too rapid and irregular a rhythm present with symptoms of heart failure. There may also be some increased risk of stroke because of blood clots that can form in association with atrial fibrillation.
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When Should You Call The Doctor
As discussed above, heart palpitations in the second trimester or the third trimester is a common phenomenon in pregnancy and there is nothing to feel concerned about. However, if you feel any of the following symptoms along with heart palpitations, you should seek immediate medical help:
- The feeling of dizziness
Which Allergy Medications Affect My Blood Pressure
You should avoid decongestants if you have high blood pressure or heart problems. Decongestants constrict blood vessels to open nasal passages and facilitate breathing. Because decongestants constrict blood vessels throughout your body, they can worsen hypertension. Additionally, decongestants stimulate the release of norepinephrine in your body, which raises your blood pressure and your heart rate.
When choosing an allergy medication, be aware of combination products that contain decongestants. Products that contain a decongestant typically have the words sinus, cold, congestion, or on the label. They may also be labeled with the letters D, PD, or PE after the name.
Examples of allergy medicines that contain decongestants include the following:
- Allegra D
- Sudafed Sinus and Allergy
- Zyrtec D
The list above is a small sample of allergy medications that contain decongestants. Always check with your pharmacist before choosing allergy medications.
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What Causes Heart Palpitations At Night
Usually, heart palpitations are harmless and dont result from an underlying health problem. They happen when the heart beats out of rhythm or contracts too soon. Providers call this a premature ventricular contraction or premature atrial contraction . Nearly everyone has a PVC or PAC from time to time. But not everyone feels them.
Some people get heart palpitations when lying down because of the position in which they sleep. Sleeping hunched over on your side can increase pressure inside your body, causing palpitations. Many other common causes of heart palpitations include:
- Myocarditis, inflammation of the hearts muscles that results from a viral infection.
- Thyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism.
- Structural problems in the heart, including valve disease.
Causes Of Shortness Of Breath During Pregnancy
One of the common symptoms of pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester, is shortness of breath. In early pregnancy, the body responds to a huge rush of hormones, including progesterone, which can affect the functioning of your lungs. Basically, your body needs more oxygen because the body demands more resources, which means that you will inhale and exhale forcefully at times. In the first few months, as you adjust to this new situation, it can cause the feeling of shortness of breath.
Furthermore, as the growing baby puts additional pressure on the diaphragm, it can also cause shortness of breath or a sensation that you cant get enough oxygen. If you have other medical conditions such as asthma or high blood pressure, it can also create shortness of breath. Similar to heart palpitations, shortness of breath in pregnancy is quite common, but it can signal a more serious problem too. Respiratory complications can make delivery dangerous, and raise the chances of a blood clot, so serious shortness of breath should be discussed with your doctor.
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How Do Menstrual Hormones Affect Heart Rate
Heart rate during menstrual cycle is affected by hormonal fluctuations. Menstrual cycle is been reported to modulate the autonomic nervous system . Palpitations occur most during luetel phase, in which estrogen levels are low and progesterone levels are high.
The Parasympathetic system, which dominates in the follicular phase, increases awareness of the heart beating and sympathetic system, which dominates in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, stimulates the heart to beat faster and harder. These changes are reported to trigger heart palpitations during menstrual cycle.
More specifically, the way hormonal fluctuation affects heart rate, by causing palpitations, is as follows:
1. The increase of progesterone in the luteal phase causes the heart to beat faster and harder, by increasing thus the possibility of an aberration in the heart rate, causing palpitations.
2. The decrease of estrogen in the luteal phase modulates autonomic nervous system leading thus to occasional increase awareness of the heart beating, so palpitations.
3. This two hormones, affect also the pituitary gland one of the main functions of which is controlling the emotions. Mood swings, very common experienced during menstrual cycle due to this hormonal imbalance can cause palpitations.
An Increase In Blood Volume
This is the primary cause of heart palpitations during pregnancy. As mentioned above, there is an increase in the amount of blood in the body during pregnancy. More amount of blood means that the heart has to work extra to pump the extra blood. The increased heart rate is indicative of the fact that your heart is working hard and sending blood to various body parts, including the placenta.
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Can Herbal Remedies Help Prevent Heart Palpitations
In terms of herbal remedies, I am not aware of an herbal remedy specifically effective for heart palpitation. I should say that low levels of potassium or magnesium in the body may be associated with palpitations and occasionally even more severe heart rhythm disorders, and in those cases supplements or foods high in potassium and magnesium are quite helpful.
What You Should Know About Arrhythmia During Pregnancy
Under the best of circumstances, pregnancy is a time filled with excitement and considerable apprehension as you do your best to ensure a successful outcome for you and your unborn child. As your body undergoes incredible physiological changes, certain conditions can crop up, which just adds to your already increasing anxiety. Heart arrhythmias are a prime example of one of these unwelcome developments, but theyre not necessarily cause for panic.
At Heart Rhythm Associates, Dr. Van H. De Bruyn and our team help patients in all stages of their lives better navigate their heart health. And for women who are building their families, we take extra care to ensure that the journey is a safe one.
Heres what you should know about arrhythmia during pregnancy.
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How To Get Heart Rate Into A Normal Range
People whose heart rate falls outside their normal range should focus on why this happens, rather than trying to reach a particular number of BPM. Talk to a doctor before trying to change the heart rate.
In general, a healthful lifestyle may help a person remain healthy during pregnancy and can support a normal heart rate.
How Do I Manage Heart Palpitations At Night
Most of the time, heart palpitations at night dont require treatment, especially if they only happen occasionally. You may be able to relieve heart palpitations at night yourself. If your heart is racing at night, you should:
- Breathe deeply: Try pursed lip breathing techniques, which involve long, deep breaths. You can also meditate and try other relaxation techniques to reduce stress.
- Drink a glass of water: If youre dehydrated, your heart has to work harder to pump blood.
- Roll over or get up and walk around: A change of position might be all you need to relieve heart palpitations. Try rolling over in bed, sitting up or going for a short walk around the room while taking deep breaths.
If a health condition is causing palpitations, your provider will treat the condition. Treatments vary depending on the cause. Sometimes, providers prescribe a type of medicine called beta blockers to treat palpitations. These medications slow the heart rate and reduce palpitations.
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Diagnosis Of Heart Palpitations While Pregnant
If you experience heart palpitations during pregnancy, you should report your symptoms to your doctor. Your doctor will then ask you about your medical history. Your doctor will also inquire if you experienced palpitations before or if any of your close family members experience heart palpitations. Your doctor may ask you to undergo the following tests:
- An electrocardiogram to measure the electrical activity of your heart and check for irregular heartbeats.
- Blood tests to check conditions like thyroid, anaemia, etc.
- Screening or tests if any complications are suspected.
- You may be told to wear a Holter monitor that will observe your heart rate for 24 to 48 hours to find out any abnormality. And the electrical activity of your heart may be measured. But this is suggested rarely.
Memory Loss Or Dementia
Taking Benadryl may cause memory loss or dementia. Although rare, this side effect may be more common in older adults or people whove taken the drug long term. Symptoms can include:
- trouble speaking or finding the right words to say
- trouble concentrating
What might help
If youre experiencing memory loss or dementia while taking Benadryl, talk with your doctor. Theyll likely suggest that you stop taking Benadryl. Theyll also look for the cause of your memory loss or dementia so that they can recommend the right treatment for you.
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Diagnosis Of Increased Heart Rate During Pregnancy
Your doctor will conduct a series of tests to ensure that both you and your baby are in the prime of health. He will also review your medical history. If you have experienced this problem before, you should inform your doctor about it. The doctor will determine the cause of increased heart rate through an EKG or ECG that measures changes in the blood flow and heart rate.
Basis the results, the doctor will most likely suggest you to follow a healthy diet and indulge in light exercises. This will keep your weight in check and will also prevent additional pressure on the heart.
How To Deal With An Increased Heart Rate While Pregnant
Although an increased heart rate is usually normal, if you have it, it is suggested that you make certain changes in your lifestyle for your good health. If an increase in your heart rate is because of some serious problem, your doctor will prescribe the course of treatment and suggest that you take precautions. There are many drugs available to you that can help with tachycardia, but it is best not to use them while pregnant as some medicines can hamper with your babys development. Before taking any medicines, you must consult a doctor.
If you experience heart palpitations during pregnancy, you can drink moderate amounts of chamomile tea or try aromatherapy with lavender these may calm you down. You should make sure that you get enough sleep daily and that your sleep pattern remains undisturbed. Practising yoga and meditation can also calm you down, but you should clarify with your doctor before trying anything new.
Experiencing heart palpitations occasionally is normal during pregnancy, provided they return to normal on their own. But if you feel uncomfortable because of increased heart rate, you must consult your doctor at the earliest.
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Evidence For Cardiovascular Benefits Of Endogenous Melatonin And Melatonin Supplementation
A strong inverse relationship exists between endogenous melatonin levels and cardiovascular disease . Epidemiological studies report that both nocturnal melatonin synthesis and circulating levels are reduced in patients with coronary heart disease , hypertension , heart failure and cardiovascular risk conditions such as diabetes and obesity . Incidence for adverse cardiac events, including myocardial infarction , sudden cardiac death and cardiac arrhythmias increases in the early morning, when circulating melatonin levels are considerably lower . Similarly, low melatonin secretion levels are associated with a greater risk of incidence for myocardial infarction in women with increased body mass index , supporting the crucial role of endogenous melatonin in cardiovascular pathologies.
Solid evidence supports the beneficial effects of melatonin supplementation in various cardiovascular pathologies . Since the cardiovascular benefits of melatonin have recently been reviewed elsewhere , only the evidence for the benefits of melatonin supplementation in hypertension, pulmonary hypertension and ischemic heart disease is summarized below.