At times your heart beats faster than usual when you are down with a fever, excited, stressed out, anxious or doing exercises. It is normal to have occasional rapid heart palpitations due to an outburst of emotions or feelings. However, with repetitive cases that occur for no apparent reason, it can damage your heart, if ignored.
The medical terminology of rapid heartbeats, generally, more than 100 beats per minute is known as Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia. In this article know all about Tachycardia, its common causes and how to prevent Tachycardia.
What is Tachycardia?
Tachycardia is a fast heart rhythm that comes from the upper or lower chamber of the heart. The electrical system of the heart’s pumping mechanism gets out of whack due to various causes or triggers that can lead to this condition.
It generally affects people of all ages – from newborn babies to senior adults who have heart ailments. The younger population can experience this condition due to structural defects in the heart like an extra connection between the ventricle and atrium or abnormal circuitry in the middle of the heart or even anemia. However, the older population is at more risk of developing this condition especially if they have heart diseases and also due to wear and tear of the heart associated with aging.
Causes of Tachycardia
Tachycardia can have several causes and triggers. It can also occur due to inappropriate signaling of the nerves that increase the heart rate. Here are some of the causes of Tachycardia:
- Pain
- Hypovolemia – Loss of extracellular fluid due to a decrease in blood volume, salt or water
- Anxiety or panic attack
- High Temperature or Fever
- Hypoxia or Lack of Oxygen
- Anemia
- Drugs – Alchohol, Smoking, and Over-Consumption of Caffeine
- Overactive Thyroid
- Lung disease
- Heart ailments
Symptoms of Tachycardia
A higher heart rate can lead to other complications like heart attack, stroke or high blood pressure if the signs and symptoms are overlooked. Listed below are some of the common symptoms:
- A sensation of a rapid heartbeat (palpitations), which may be uncomfortable or happen for no reason
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Chest pain
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Decreased ability to exercise
A diagnosis of Tachycardia often involves Electrocardiogram or ECG and Holter monitor to analyze the heart rate, blood tests, echocardiogram to check the size, structure, and pumping of the heart and Chest X-ray, to view the heart and lungs.
Remedies for Tachycardia
If you experience signs or symptoms, check with your healthcare provider. Fortunately, you can treat tachycardia with some natural remedies you can try to alleviate this condition:
Use of Cold Packs
An effective remedy to allay rapid heart palpitations is to rub your forehead, face or neck with an ice pack. This will stimulate the vagus nerve that is responsible for the production of the heartbeat to decrease its activity of heart and rhythm contraction.
Diet
Include high sources of potassium as it is an electrolyte that is known for monitoring heart rate by decreasing the over-stimulation of the cardiac muscle tissue. At the same time, monitor the amount of sodium you intake and avoid high sodium usually found in processed food.
A beneficial salt that can be taken is that of Himalayan Rock Salt or Celtic Salt where sodium is found in the right balance along with other essential minerals. Include heart-healthy fats of Omega-3 and consume more of a plant-based diet. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and heavy food.
Natural Herbs
Some natural herbs you can try are Motherwort, Hawthorn and Valerian Root that help decrease the heart rate and increase nerve conduction to regulate the right pulse rates.
According to Ayurveda, movements, and pulsation of the heart is controlled by Vata dosha. Avoid excessive intake of bitter, pungent, astringent, excessive dry foods to balance Vata. Other potent herbs to treat this condition are Amalaki, Haritaki, Guggulu, Ashwagandha, Brahmi.
Relaxation Technique
About 30 minutes of relaxation session of Yoga, Meditation and other types of mental relaxation is vital to regulate heart rate. This will help to lower anxiety and balance hormone secretion that can stimulate tachycardia.
Ablation
In extreme cases, ablation, a procedure to destroy tissue overgrowth in the heart that is triggering excessive heart rate is necessary.
Lifestyle modifications with the right exercise and balanced diet are essential along with any medications, supplements or herbs to tackle tachycardia. Therefore, adopt a healthy lifestyle and watch out for symptoms that might need immediate attention.