Should I Be Worried About Menopause Palpitations?
CALM MENOPAUSE PALPITATIONS DOWN NOW
Irregular heartbeat, pulse rate racing, chest pounding. Menopause palpitations can be scary to any woman who experiences them. You feel like your heart is skipping a beat or beating too many times, and at intervals. To make matters worse, it usually strikes along with another menopausal symptom, hot flashes.
Heart palpitations are just one of the classic symptoms that come with menopause or perimenopause (the phase leading up to menopause). Menopause palpitations are triggered by your hormone levels going awry: estrogen and progesterone levels go up and down, causing an imbalance. Estrogen has an effect on the moderation of the autonomic nervous system, the part of the central nervous system that affects, among others, respiration and heart rate.
Other factors may contribute to menopause palpitations. Consuming stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and diet pills, among others, may trigger episodes of heart palpitations. Exercise, stress and anxiety may also induce irregular heartbeats. There may also be causal medical conditions, such as hypoglycemia, anemia, overactive thyroid, or a heart disease.
Though common, menopause palpitations should still be discussed with your doctor, particularly if they’re accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness, intense chest pain, and fainting. If you have history of diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, you may be a likely candidate for a heart disease, so palpitations should not be taken so lightly.
So what do you do when you feel your heart starts racing at more than a hundred beats per minute?
Breathe. Try to relax and take deep, yoga-like breaths. Breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Relaxation techniques, like simple breathing exercises, can help stabilize your heart rate. There is nothing you can do to avoid menopause palpitations, but you can take necessary steps to reduce the incidence. Avoid further stimulants like your morning cup of brewed coffee or stressful activities. While exercising is good, never overdo it. The moment your heart starts racing, take a break.
It would be wise to know how to measure your heart rate to check if you’re having palpitations or not. With your index and middle finger on your wrist, locate your pulse and count the number of beats per minute. For an adult, the normal resting heart rate is anywhere from 50-100 beats per minute.
Managing your time, your body, and your life will help eliminate undue stress and reduce your encounters with menopause palpitations. Listen very closely to your body and your heart.