Continuous Social And Economic Pressure
Having limited financial means or belonging to a marginalized or persecuted ethnic group can increase the risk of mental health disorders.
A 2015 study of 903 families in Iran identified several socioeconomic causes of mental health conditions, including poverty and living on the outskirts of a large city.
The researchers also explained the difference in the availability and quality of mental health treatment for certain groups in terms of modifiable factors, which can change over time, and nonmodifiable factors, which are permanent.
Modifiable factors for mental health disorders include:
- socioeconomic conditions, such whether work is available in the local area
- occupation
- age
- ethnicity
The study lists gender as both a modifiable and nonmodifiable factor. The researchers found that being female increased the risk of low mental health status by 3.96 times.
People with a weak economic status also scored highest for mental health conditions in this study.
How Are Palpitations Diagnosed
Keep track of your palpitations. Note when they happen, how long they last, how you feel and what you are doing when they start. Bring this log to your appointment.
Your doctor will review this information along with your medical history, symptoms, diet and the medications and herbal products you may take. Your doctor will also listen to your heart and lungs.
You may need tests, such as blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram , stress test, chest X-ray and echocardiogram . You may need to wear a monitor after you go home so your doctor can get more information about your heart and symptoms.
Other tests to check for a heart problem include an electrophysiology study and cardiac catheterization. You may also need to see an ++electrophysiologist++ a doctor that specializes in abnormal heart rhythms.
What Is The Difference
Dysrhythmia and arrhythmia refer to the same issue: when the heart is not beating at a regular rhythm or speed.
The terms dysrhythmia and arrhythmia differ mainly in a linguistic sense. Dys is a Greek prefix that means bad, ill, hard, or difficult. A is another Greek prefix that generally means not or without.
Therefore, dysrhythmia essentially means bad rhythm, and arrhythmia basically means without rhythm.
Since they generally refer to the same issue, doctors and researchers typically use the words interchangeably.
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Home Remedies For Palpitations
Heart palpitations are an abnormality or irregularity in the heartbeat, characterized by a feeling like your heart is fluttering, or beating too slow or too fast. This can last from just a few seconds to as long as hours.
There can be various causes of palpitations, including external stimulants, psychological factors, and hormonal or biological conditions.
Anemia, overactive thyroid, an electrolyte imbalance in the body low blood sugar, high levels of adrenalin due to stress or anxiety strenuous exercise, excessive intake of caffeine, nicotine or alcohol and use of illicit drugs like cocaine and marijuana are some of the most common causes of palpitations.
Moreover, pregnant women and those who suffer from panic attacks are more prone to this problem. Certain prescription medications may also cause the same.
Palpitations are actually a symptom in themselves. However, they may accompany other symptoms, such as shortness of breath and a sensation of constriction in the throat.
In some cases, heart palpitations can be a symptom of a more serious heart condition, especially when accompanied by symptoms like dizziness, fainting, blurred vision, chest pain, sweating, nausea and vomiting.
Do consult your doctor if you experience these symptoms, especially if they worsen or occur frequently, or if you have a history of heart disease.
Here are the top 10 home remedies for palpitations.
What Do Heart Palpitations Feel Like
Heart palpitations can cause a fluttering sensation in the chest or a feeling that your heart has skipped a beat. You may also feel like your heart is beating too fast or is pumping harder than normal.
If you have GERD, you may sometimes feel tightness in your chest, but this isnt the same as having heart palpitations. Some symptoms of GERD, such as air being trapped in the esophagus, may cause palpitations.
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Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- What is the likely cause of my heart palpitations?
- Will I need to wear a heart monitor? For how long?
- Would it be helpful if I kept track of my palpitations? Do I need to track anything else, such as what I ate or my physical activity?
- Do my heart palpitations indicate a more serious problem?
- What are some symptoms that would indicate my condition is getting worse?
- Will I need to change my lifestyle, such as diet and exercise habits?
Can Something I Eat Or Drink Cause Heart Palpitations
A common substance associated with palpitations is caffeine. Some people are sensitive to any amount of stimulant, but we began to see more caffeine-related palpitations when espresso-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes became popular in the 1990s. Frequently reducing or eliminating beverages that contain caffeine such as coffee or soda can improve palpitations.
Some patients complain of palpitations when they eat too much chocolate, and some patients respond with palpitations around the holiday when they tend to drink too much alcohol.
Some over-the-counter medications such as cold and allergy remedies that contain decongestants often can precipitate palpitations.
Frequently, palpitations occur without any obvious precipitating factor, although fatigue, stress, and lack of sleep also cause palpitations to occur or worsen.
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Are Premature Ventricular Contractions Life Threatening
If someone has normal heart function and no evidence of structural heart disease, the PVCs are a nuisance, but benign. If the PVCs are so symptomatic as to be disruptive, try eliminating all of the factors such as caffeine, certain foods, stress, before considering any treatment with medications. When we do treat with medications, we usually try to use simple medications such as beta-blockers first before going on to specific anti-arrhythmic agents. Very frequently, this is enough to improve patients’ symptoms.
Interesting Heart Palpitations Causes And Treatment For A Case Of The Heart Flutters
Does your heart unexpectedly start to race or pound, or feel like it keeps skipping beats? These sensations are called heart palpitations. For most people, heart palpitations are a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence. Others have dozens of these heart flutters a day, sometimes so strong that they feel like a heart attack.
Most palpitations are caused by a harmless hiccup in the heart’s rhythm. A few reflect a problem in the heart or elsewhere in the body.
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Heart Palpitations: Frequently Asked Questions
The symptoms of palpitations vary from patient to patient with some common features.
A perception of irregularity of the pulse, an uneasiness in the chest, a flip-flopping in the chest frequently people describe their palpitations as “my heart stops.” Certainly a feeling of strong pulse throughout the chest, head, and neck could well be described as a palpitation.
Occasionally palpitations can be perceived in unusual ways including a general sense of uneasiness, and, rarely, palpitations are associated with lightheadedness or even loss of consciousness.
What To Expect From Your Doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you questions, such as:
- Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional?
- Do your palpitations start and stop suddenly?
- Does it seem like your palpitations have a pattern, such as occurring the same time every day or during a certain activity?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- Are you having other symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, or dizziness when you have palpitations?
- Have you ever had heart rhythm problems before, such as atrial fibrillation?
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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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Heart Palpitations: When To Visit The Er
Ideally, many people barely notice their hearts beating, which is natural. However, any noticeable change in the heartbeat should be concerning, be it slow or fast. Chances are, youre experiencing whats usually known as heart palpitations, a term for feeling your heart is beating hard, fast or erratically.
Although heart palpitations can be worrisome, they are usually harmless. In rare cases, they can be a symptom of a more serious heart condition, such as an irregular heartbeat that might require treatment or visit to ER .
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Testing And Diagnosis Of Heart Palpitations
If your child experiences heart palpitations without any other symptoms, you should keep a log of when palpitations occur and under what conditions, then talk to your primary care pediatrician at a regular checkup. If the palpitations occur often and you are concerned, call your doctor or make an appointment to discuss the issue.
If you are able to check your childs heart rate by taking the pulse or touching the chest directly when the palpitations occur, that information will be helpful to your doctor. Ask your pediatrician for information on how to check your child’s heart rate.
Your pediatrician may also refer you to a pediatric cardiologist, a doctor who specializes in heart problems in children. He or she will perform a full evaluation of your child’s health, including getting a medical history and performing an examination. He may order heart tests such as an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress test or, rarely, cardiac catheterization.
Your child may also have to wear a Holter monitor, which records the heart rhythm over 24 hours. Another type of monitor that your doctor may have your child wear is a loop recorder, which is worn for one month but records only when the child pushes a button on the recorder at the time of an event of palpitations.
Based on the results of these tests, your pediatric cardiologist will determine whether your child has an arrhythmia, which is an irregular heartbeat caused by a problem with the heart’s built-in electrical system.
What Are Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations are a feeling in your chest when your heartbeat is abnormal. Palpitations can be a fast heartbeat , a skipped heartbeat, a slow heartbeat, or an irregular heartbeat.
Heart palpitations are usually nothing to worry about. But they can be a sign of a serious arrhythmia that needs to be treated with medication or surgery.
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What Do People Mean By Sudden Death
Sudden death is used to describe a situation in which a patient loses cardiac function and essentially will die within minutes if assistance is not provided. By assistance, I mean cardiopulmonary resuscitation and frequently, electrical cardioversion to restore the heart rhythm to normal. Obviously, patients where these efforts are successful will require extensive evaluation to determine the cause of cardiac arrest and to prevent it from occurring in the future.
The internal defibrillator devices that have become commonplace in the care of these types of patients have proven to be very effective in preventing death from heart arrhythmias in patients who have already had one or more episode of attempted sudden death.
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What Is A Heart Palpitation
A heart palpitation occurs when your heart feels like it’s beating irregularly. It might feel like the heart is skipping beats, or is beating faster than usual when you’re at rest . Sometimes exercise can cause the palpitations to occur: the heart continues to race despite stopping exercise.
Heart palpitations often don’t indicate a health problem.
Rarely, heart palpitations can be a sign of a serious medical condition, such as anemia, thyroid problems or an arrhythmia.
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Supplements That Might Help
- Many people with irregular heart rhythms are low on magnesium. So you might try taking 400 milligrams of magnesium twice a day.
- Take coenzyme Q10. This naturally occurring substance, sold over the counter in pill form, helps keep your heart rhythm regular, especially if you have heart disease. Take 150 milligrams once a day with food.
- If youre not eating much fish, take 2 to 3 grams daily of cold-pressed marine fish oil, which is high in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
Palpitations Of The Heart
Palpitations are a sensation or awareness of your heart beating. They may feel like your heart is racing, thumping or skipping beats. Almost everyone has had palpitations at some time in their life. They are usually associated with an abnormal heart rhythm .
Palpitations may have no obvious cause, but can be triggered by:
- physical activity
- nicotine
- illicit substances.
An occasional palpitation that does not affect your general health is not usually something to worry about. However, see your doctor if you have more frequent or consistent palpitations, which may be associated with a serious arrhythmia.
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Are Pvcs That I Can Feel More Significant Than Those I Can’t
There is no prognostic difference between the PVCs that are felt by the patient and those that are not. Obviously the symptomatic PVCs are of more concern to the patient because they can be annoying and distracting. Beyond that, the PVCs are all the same, prognostically. In most patients who are otherwise healthy, PVCs on a Holter are of little prognostic value regardless of whether they’re experienced or not.
What Can I Do To Prevent Palpitations
Depending on the cause of your palpitations, these tips can help you have them less often:
- Reduce your stress level or biofeedback techniques.
- Avoid or limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Avoid or limit the amount of caffeine in your diet.
- Do not smoke or use tobacco/nicotine products
- Exercise on a regular basis .
- Avoid foods and activities that trigger palpitations.
- Control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
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Psychotherapy Or Talking Therapies
This type of treatment takes a psychological approach to treating mental illness. Cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy are examples.
Psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and some primary care physicians carry out this type of treatment.
It can help people understand the root of their mental illness and start to work on more healthful thought patterns that support everyday living and reduce the risk of isolation and self-harm.
Heart Palpations And Stress
- If you are experiencing palpitations, there is a good chance that stress is to blame. In fact, palpitations can be the bodys way of alerting you that your stress level has exceeded the safe range. Meditating helps get your stress level back down. So set aside 30 minutes each day just to let your body relax and your mind unwind.
- Soothe yourself with aromatherapy. Sprinkle a few drops of relaxing lavender oil onto a handkerchief, and inhale the pleasant aroma. Or try rubbing two drops of bitter orange oil on your chest.
- Get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Being tired can set the stage for out-of-rhythm heartbeats.
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When Should I See My Gp About Palpitations
You should make an appointment to see your GP if:
- your palpitations last a long time, don’t improve or get worse
- your palpitations cause symptoms such as sudden dizziness, feeling short of breath, fainting, chest pain or tightness
- you have a history of heart problems
- you’re concerned about the palpitations.
A Fast But Regular Heartbeat
There are many reasons why the heart rate can be faster than normal. Some of these are:
- Exercise.
- In other cases, you may need a test of your heart while you exercise.
- Electrophysiology tests may also be used. Small wires are inserted into your heart via one of your veins. These wires measure the electrical signals in your heart and can determine where any abnormal electrical signals are coming from.
All these tests are to make sure there is no abnormality in your heart causing the palpitations. However in many cases, palpitations are NOT caused by any problem with your heart.
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Natural Treatments For Irregular Heartbeat
1. Vagal Maneuvers
Vagal maneuvers are used to slow down a rapid heartbeat by stimulating the receptors in the internal carotid arteries. This stimulation causes a reflex stimulation of the vagus nerve, which results in the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that can slow down the electrical impulses that lead to a rapid heartbeat. The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve, extending from the brainstem to the abdomen. The vagus forms part of the involuntary nervous system, and it commands unconscious body procedures, such as keeping the heart rate constant. Studies show that vagal maneuvers are simple, non-invasive methods of stopping irregular heartbeat by stimulating the vagus nerve.
Vagal maneuvers are natural treatments that can be done before turning to medications or other more invasive procedures. There are different types of maneuvers that you can try, and remember that not one maneuver works for everyone.
2. Eat a Healthy Diet
Because many people with irregular heartbeats have underlying health issues like heart disease, its important that they stick to healthy diets. Eating anti-inflammatory foods is important because they contain antioxidants and phytonutrients that lower the immune systems overactive response. Healthy fats and animal proteins help to balance cholesterol levels and raise HDL cholesterol. To improve the health of your heart, eat the following foods:
- healthy fats
- raw, unpasteurized dairy
3. Engage in Physical Activity
4. Quit Smoking
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Deep Breathing for Immediate Relaxation
Exercise for better heart healthWhat treatments are available? Nutritional interventions Pharmacological treatments:Beta blockersAnti-arrhythmic drugsCalcium channel blockersCatheter AblationJust remember, don’t panic!
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