A blog by Thomas Boto, co-founder of Natural Rhythm
After dealing with an irregular heartbeat for a number of years now (you can read about my story HERE), I decided to systematically work on managing stress, anxiety and heart palpitations. I spent countless hours online and collected a bunch of research and began to keep records on what worked and what did not. I have found some things that have helped me, so I thought I would post them online and share them with anyone else struggling with heart palpitations, stress, and anxiety. Keep in mind I am not a medical professional. I am just a guy who got sick and tired of dealing with heart palpitations and collected a whole lot of information. Hopefully some of that information will help you on your question to understand heart palpitations and get rid of them.
First off, there are few things you should know:
- I don’t necessarily think there is a magic cure all for heart palpitations (or stress and anxiety for that matter). Some certainly claim there is and I will provide those for you in detail. But there are many different types and causes of irregular heartbeats, and what works for some might not work for others.
- This is a comprehensive approach to heart palpitations. I have found things that work for me, and I have done countless research on what has worked for others. But in the end it is still just an educated guess.
- Please do not do anything described or recommended in this website without the consultation and consent of your Primary Care Physician or Cardiologist. After all, this is your heart we are dealing with.
- This website is a work in progress. And it is a collaboration. So please feel free to let me know what has worked for you!
So now that we got that out of the way, here is a quick overview of some steps to take to manage or cure your palpitations. I go into more detail on each topic, but hopefully this will give you a 10,000 ft. view of where we are headed.
Overview:
- Go See A Cardiologist. Not all irregular heartbeats are created equal. While it is true that most heart palpitations are benign and are nothing more than a nuisance, some irregular heartbeats mean that there are more serious problems lurking elsewhere. You need to get checked out. I will say this over and over again, but I cannot stress the importance of seeing a cardiologist and getting the proper tests done. Get a stress test, blood test, EKG, Hoilter Monitor, and any other test the Cardiologist thinks is necessary. I know that these visits can be expensive (trust me), but they are worth it.
- Examine Your Nutrition. I personally think this is the best place to start after seeing a cardiologist. I thought I ate decently healthy until I began tracking what I eat. Wow, was I wrong. Also, this is the most cited area when it comes to cures for palpitations (i.e. “Just drink more grape juice and you’ll be fine” or “all you need is more Magnesium”). So under this topic I will explore three aspects of Nutrition:
- Food
- Supplements
- Medicine
- Monitor Your Fitness. We all have heard that exercise is good for your heart and it’s even better for reducing stress, so it makes sense to go about it the right way. Here are some exercises that I find helpful with my heart palpitations.
- Learn How To Sleep. I think sleep, or lack of sleep, contributes greatly to the cause and severity of palpitations. So we will look at the latest techniques and remedies to help you get the sleep you need. You can also read a little bit of my experience with trying to sleep with heart palpitations HERE.
- Learn Stress Management Techniques. The area of stress management is vast, but we will attempt to tackle the most popular techniques, which include:
- Breathing Techniques
- Meditation
- Mental Attitude
- Rest
- Organization
- Productivity
- Learn How to Navigate Life. I hate to break it to you, but you are going to die. Probably not because of your irregular heartbeat, but someday you and I will take our last breath and leave this world for good. So we might as well make the most of our opportunities while we are here. So we will explore the topics of dealing with death, faith, and joy, which have an incredible impact on the management of stress.
To get you started though, here are a few of the more popular posts:
- “The Best Cures and Remedies for Heart Palpitations”
- 10 Resources I use to Help Manage My Heart Palpitations
- 6 Ways to Stop Heart Palpitations Instantly
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