How to Stop Heart Palpitations

The heart beats 60 to 100 times per minute but surprisingly we do not feel the heart beating unless we put our hand on the chest or perform a rigorous exercise routine. However, strange heartbeats can be easily felt even without touching the chest or doing any exercise.

This unusual sensation of an erratically beating heart that is experienced in the chest area is nothing but a heart palpitation. Although these heart rhythm changes or abnormal heart beats may not raise a serious concern every time, palpitation can be annoying and make a person feel restless, especially when the heart palpitations occur every now and then.

Discarding certain beverages from the diet can go a long way in preventing recurrence of heart palpitations. So, which are the drinks that produce these unwanted cardiovascular effects? They are -

Avoiding or minimizing intake of alcoholic beverages is helpful in keeping these unusual sensations in the chest at bay. Excessive alcohol consumption is bound to cause irregular heartbeats. In some cases, drinking just a few pints of alcohol is enough to increase the heart rate.

Many also complain of rapid heartbeat after drinking alcohol. This proves that alcohol can trigger abnormal heartbeat and so those wanting to stop heart palpitations should abstain from alcohol consumption.

Caffeine, found in popular beverages like coffee and tea, is a stimulant. It can interfere with the normal heartbeats, especially when caffeinated beverages are consumed excessively.

No wonder, heart palpitations are strongly connected to drinking caffeine. Those who are very sensitive to this substance (caffeine) may suffer from arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats). Binging on chocolate also has to be avoided as it contains caffeine.

Smoking can be a major cause of heart palpitations at night and during day. Quite a few smokers feel their heart beating faster and in a peculiar way after smoking. Other than heart palpitations, smoking primarily contributes to clogging of arteries, leading to a heart attack. So, quitting smoking would be a key to a healthy heart.

In today's stress ridden lifestyle, anxiety has been one of the main causes of heart palpitations. We often experience our heart pounding when confronted with a stressful situation. We normally respond to anxiety with a racy heart. In fact, rapid heartbeat is considered to be one of the anxiety symptoms.

Practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing can benefit in stopping heart palpitations due to anxiety. Focusing on the breathing, and practicing slow deep breathing relaxes the mind and is one of the best ways to relieve anxiety, thereby reducing heart palpitations.

Inadequate sleep can also reduce one's ability to handle stress, eventually causing fluttering of the heart. Hence, taking a good night's sleep everyday may help to stop heart palpitations.

Quite a few prescription and non prescription drugs are notorious for causing irregular heartbeats. People taking prescription medications for the treatment of blood pressure, depression and asthma may also experience palpitations in the chest area.

Pseudoephedrine based cold medicines can also cause the heart to palpitate. So, reducing the dosage may assist in reducing the frequency and the intensity of heart palpitations.

Ever heard of valsalva maneuver that helps in stopping heart palpitations? Well, this method involves making an effort to expel air at a moderately high-speed while ensuring that both the nose and the mouth are closed.

This technique is similar to that of stopping/suppressing a sneeze. Thus, with fingers pressed against the nose and keeping the mouth shut, one has to breathe out forcefully. This method has proved beneficial in stopping heart palpitations.

A diet lacking in essential minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium can also lead to irregular heartbeats. Abnormal heart rhythm is often linked to magnesium deficiency. So, for proper functioning of the heart, following a diet rich in these nutrients is a must. This is one of the best ways to stop heart palpitations.

Heart palpitations have also been associated with hyperthyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Hence, identifying the cause of heart palpitations is very important before proceeding to the treatment. Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, one can follow the specified treatment to stop heart palpitations.