Menopause and Heart Palpitations
Menopause isn’t typically life-threatening, but it can bring symptoms like a rapid heartbeat in extreme cases. The occasional feeling that your heart skips a beat does not necessarily indicate a serious medical problem. For those with menopause, your doctor should monitor rapid heartbeat to check for a mitral valve prolapse, a mild heart valve deformity.
Palpitation is when the heart repeatedly races without any sign of stopping. It is not only highly uncomfortable; it is downright frightening. Premature contractions cause the heart to beat twice quickly, causing more blood to enter the seat on the third beat. This increased amount of blood makes the heart contract even more. It is a violent pulsation that can sometimes be caused by stress.
Stress can come from menopausal symptoms like irregular periods, annoying ringing of the ears (tinnitus), insomnia, panic attacks, depression, and everyday occurrences like the simple yelling and shouting of a child at the playground.
When you perceive a stressor, your brain’s hormones pass into the bloodstream, alerting the adrenal glands. In response, they secrete corticosteroid hormones, including cortisol.
When cortisol sometimes rises twentyfold, the body speeds up its blood sugar-burning capacity providing an instant surge of energy. Cortisol causes your heart to beat faster to pump oxygen-bearing blood more quickly into your tissues. Too much cortisol can lead to diabetes or high blood pressure, so this is a process that you can to be conscious of and learn to cope with by practicing such relaxing techniques as yoga, meditation, and Pilates.
The addition of caffeine-loaded drinks can worsen this condition, as can smoking. In order to avoid rapid heartbeat and palpitations, it is best to refrain from stress and maintain a healthy diet. Alcohol and coffee excite the heart processes, causing it to work much harder than it has to. Beginning to eliminate these substances can help your health and lessen the probability or heart related problem. If you have any questions make sure to contact us today!
