Causes of arrhythmia after eating, first aid and prevention

Patients often turn to cardiologists and therapists with complaints of palpitations after eating. This condition may not pose a particular threat to health, although in some cases specific treatment is required, including taking medications.

Arrhythmia after eating is a common phenomenon that manifests itself as a rapid heartbeat. The fluttering sensation usually appears shortly after eating, and can last minutes or hours depending on the intensity of the pulse, as well as the underlying cause and associated diseases.

In a normal state, in an adult, the beats per minute are from 60 to 90, and before the measurement the subject must be at rest for 15-20 minutes.

In most cases, heart palpitations are not dangerous. However, if a person experiences rapid heartbeat for the first time, then you need to talk about these symptoms with your doctor. If you experience symptoms such as cardiac arrest, arm pain, chest discomfort or pressure, dizziness, or difficulty breathing, you should seek immediate medical attention.

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Description

If the heart begins to beat too fast or too hard, flutters or beats intermittently, the person is experiencing an arrhythmia. It can develop as tachycardia, extrasystole, or atrial flutter.

A rapid heartbeat is often felt in the throat, chest or neck. Some people may experience a racing, racing, or fluttering heartbeat after eating. Palpitations may become noticeable while eating or immediately after finishing a meal.

Overweight people often complain of irregular rhythm after eating, while this pathology is much less common among patients with normal weight.

Symptoms accompanying palpitations after eating

There are many clinical signs that can be associated with palpitations after eating. These symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Mild or very tired
• Pain in the chest or behind the breastbone
• Stiffness and tenderness in the chest
• Yawning too often and too much
• Sweating and restlessness
• Discomfort in the abdomen
• Inability to sleep soundly immediately after eating
• Irregular breathing

List of factors that cause heart palpitations:

• Excessive physical activity
• Exposure to various substances such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, amphetamines and cocaine
• Associated medical conditions such as low blood pressure, thyroid disease, hypoglycemia, anemia, dehydration and fever
• In women, hormonal changes during pregnancy, menstruation, or perimenopause
• Medicines such as decongestants, asthma inhalers, diet pills, and medications for arrhythmias and thyroid deficiency
• Nutritional supplements and herbal substances
• Impaired electrolyte levels

The cause may be a problem with the pancreas

Palpitations after eating can also be the result of increased insulin secretion. For example, some patients in the early stages of type 2 diabetes experience a temporary increase in insulin secretion. Additionally, enlargement of certain pancreatic cells may cause increased insulin secretion. In some patients, increased insulin production is caused by an insulin-producing tumor. In all these cases, increased insulin production after meals can lead to cardiac arrhythmia.

Types of arrhythmia

There are several types of heart rhythm disorders, the most common of which are atrial fibrillation/flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation.

• Atrial fibrillation

It is an irregular contraction of the upper chambers of the heart, which is almost always accompanied by a too high heart rate. The pathology is widespread among the population and is mainly detected in elderly patients.

In AF, the chambers, instead of contracting regularly and forcefully, contract erratically and ineffectively. In some cases, the rate of atrial contraction can reach 350 beats/min, and in extreme cases - up to 600 beats/min.

• Atrial flutter

Although fibrillation consists of many random and variable atrium contractions, atrial flutter usually originates from a single area in the atrium that is not conducting impulses properly. In AFL, abnormal cardiac conduction is consistent. Yet none of these types of arrhythmia allow the heart to function normally.

Some patients may experience alternating atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. Atrial flutter can be a serious condition and, if left untreated, usually progresses to fibrillation. In a patient with atrial flutter, as a rule, 250-350 beats/min is determined.

• Supraventricular tachycardia

It represents an orderly, but at the same time abnormally fast beating of the heart. The patient experiences an attack of accelerated heart contractions, on average lasting from several seconds to several hours. Typically, a patient with SVT will have a heart rate of 160-200 beats/min.

• Ventricular tachycardia

It is an abnormal heart function based on ventricular dysfunction and excessively rapid heartbeat. Pathology often develops if there is a scar in the myocardium from a previous heart attack. Typically, the ventricle with this form of arrhythmia contracts more than 200 beats/min.

• Ventricular fibrillation

Is an uneven heartbeat based on very fast, disordered, fluttering contractions of the ventricles. In this state, they do not perform their functions normally, but simply tremble. Ventricular fibrillation is life-threatening and is usually associated with heart disease or injury. The disease is also often a complication of a heart attack.

• Long QT syndrome

Defined as an abnormal heart rhythm, often causing a fast, irregular heartbeat. This condition can lead to loss of consciousness and, in severe cases, cardiac arrest. Ventricular fibrillation can also be caused by genetic susceptibility or certain medications.

Prevention and treatment of the disease

The first priority is to treat the organ that caused the arrhythmia.

Diseases of the nervous system require the prescription of sedatives or the help of a psychotherapist. For the treatment of extrasystole, beta-blockers, Amiodarone and Sotalol are prescribed. Holter monitoring monitors the effectiveness of the treatment used. If the patient’s condition does not improve, the doctor chooses a different method. A healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, and giving up bad habits are the key to effective treatment of extrasystole. If prescribed by a doctor, taking sedative herbal infusions is useful.

Source: etodavlenie.ru

Arrhythmia after eating

Palpitations can be caused by eating a large portion of food. After food enters the digestive tract, the body sends an increased volume of blood there, which allows the digestion process to be activated.

The amount of blood entering the gastrointestinal tract depends on the size of the meal eaten. This increase in blood circulation peaks approximately 25-40 minutes after eating, and can last for 1 to 2 hours, corresponding to the digestion of food. To make up for this modification in blood circulation, the heart must work harder. This can lead to a faster heartbeat (tachycardia), and other symptoms such as nausea, abdominal discomfort, etc. may appear.

If you notice that your heart palpitations tend to occur after eating large amounts of food, you may want to try eating smaller portions more frequently throughout the day. In some cases, this method of solving the issue can help with other problems of the digestive system.

Diagnosis of pathologies caused by food intake

All symptoms that are triggered by food intake require a thorough examination to exclude serious diseases. If persistent disturbances in cardiac activity or a persistent increase in heart rate occur, you should urgently consult a specialist and undergo an examination to rule out organic pathology of the cardiovascular system or other organs and systems. An increased risk of developing these pathologies occurs under the influence of the following factors:

• elderly age;
• pregnancy;
• the presence of chronic diseases of the digestive tract, blood system, endocrine pathology;
• professional sports;
• obesity.

As a rule, the following examination is recommended at the first stage:

• electrocardiogram (ECG);
• blood pressure (BP) control;
• Ultrasound of the heart (EchoCG);
• consultations with narrow specialists;
• if necessary, additional examination, including video esophagogastroduodenoscopy, ultrasound of the abdominal organs, functional tests.

Stomach and vagus nerve

The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve that runs from the base of the head to the internal organs. The influence of the vagus nerve extends to the respiratory organs, digestion, and heart function. Although these signals come from the brain, tension in the abdomen caused by overeating, gas, or bloating can also contribute to the stimulation of the vagus nerve, called vagotonia.

This harmless stimulation can cause an immediate disturbance in the heart rhythm, that is, an arrhythmia. Heartburn can also stimulate the vagus nerve, causing heart palpitations such as tachycardia.

Other reasons

It’s not just food lovers who experience this kind of heart discomfort. People in “special” conditions are also susceptible to it:

• This is especially true for women during menstruation, experiencing menopause, and also during pregnancy.
• The first time is not easy for anorexics who are trying to recover - they also have attacks of arrhythmia. But as the body gets used to eating normally, they disappear.

It is worse if gastrocardial arrhythmia appears without obvious reasons. In this case, you will have to visit a specialist. He will determine whether this is a functional disorder or a signal of pathological changes in the body.

Sometimes arrhythmia indicates damage to the vagus nerve (or vagus). It is of great importance in the functioning of the body, transmitting impulses from the brain to the organs of the digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems.

Also, hormonal diseases, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease and other troubles can be hidden behind attacks of arrhythmia.

Foods that increase heart rate

Some foods act as heart palpitation triggers. A rapid heartbeat after eating can also be caused by eating habits. Some of these triggers involve high doses of caffeine or alcohol, which are very easy to monitor. However, some people develop other types of food sensitivities that a person is not always able to fully understand. In this case, it helps to keep a food diary for several days or weeks, which will allow you to track foods to which the body reacts adversely.

Foods and ingredients that may cause heart palpitations

• Dishes high in salt and nitrates. Most often these include store-bought packaged products, similar to semi-finished products. Labels often mention “monosodium glutamate” and this refers to the salt content of the product. A quick way to reduce your intake of these additives is to eat more fresh food instead of canned or processed foods.
• Some people with a sensitivity to gluten, which is found in large quantities in wheat and other similar grains, experience increased heart rate in response to meals containing gluten.
• Eating a diet based on sugars or “empty calories” can cause heart palpitations.
• Foods containing carbohydrates, especially sugars, can also cause cardiovascular disease, including arrhythmias. This is due to the body’s functional ability to process sugar. A high amount of this component causes disruption of the pancreas, since it has to produce more insulin. However, if the pancreas releases too much insulin, blood sugar levels can drop and drop to critical levels. In such cases, the person may even lose consciousness. Low blood sugar can trigger the release of adrenaline, which then often contributes to heart palpitations.

Ultimately, if a person takes medications with food, it can cause an increase in heart rate, and it is the drug that is to blame, not the food. In this case, you need to talk with your doctor about this situation, which will allow you not to rush to make any changes to your usual lifestyle.

Some medications that are known to cause heart palpitations are inhalers for asthma or thyroid replacement medications. This is not a complete list of heart palpitations, so if you experience heart palpitations while taking medication while eating, you should check with your doctor to see if heart palpitations are a known side effect of the medication you are taking.

When not to worry

Before delving into the reasons for increased heart rate after eating, you should understand that heart rate usually depends on the general condition of the body, as well as the conduction system of the heart. If a person is completely healthy, his heart does not suffer from any diseases, then his heart rate is unlikely to exceed the normal rate of 100 beats/min. But it happens that even with a satisfactory state of health, a person begins to experience arrhythmia after eating. Then its main reasons are that for the digestion process the body needs to incur large energy costs, and therefore the heart begins to work faster. Also, food, filling the stomach, puts significant pressure on the walls of the diaphragm. A person has to breathe more often, which provokes the activation of the heart.

When attacks of arrhythmia occur irregularly, rather, are considered a rare occurrence, drug intervention will not be required. You just need to change your habits and diet a little, taking into account the following recommendations:

• provide yourself with fractional meals - take food in small portions, but more often;
• Do not drink water or other liquid immediately after eating. Wait at least 30 minutes;
• try not to eat too fatty foods, as well as fried foods;
• minimize the presence of sugar-containing foods in the diet, as well as carbonated drinks and foods that cause flatulence;
• do not subject the body to intense physical activity immediately after eating. Do not assume a horizontal position. The best thing to do is go for a walk.

Read it! Ventricular arrhythmia of the heart: symptoms, treatment

If changes in diet and lifestyle do not give the desired effect, attacks of arrhythmia continue to appear after eating, you should consult a doctor. After diagnosis, he will be able to make an accurate diagnosis, telling you why eating increases your heart rate. Perhaps the cause of this condition was neurosis, from which many people suffer today.

Important! In addition to food, an arrhythmic attack can be triggered by alcohol, which people often take during meals. It can cause paroxysms of atrial fibrillation, because it disrupts the heart’s ability to transmit bioelectrical impulses to the myocardium.

Treatment of arrhythmia that occurs after eating

Palpitations are usually harmless and may go away without any intervention or special treatment. If there is an underlying cause for the palpitations, the doctor will usually suggest changing the settings that trigger the palpitations.

In some cases, beta blockers or calcium channel blockers are used if lifestyle changes do not prevent heart palpitations. If the underlying disease causes arrhythmia, then treatment is directed at it first. When heart palpitations cannot be treated conservatively, the help of a heart rhythm specialist (electrophysiologist) may be needed to continue treatment. In extreme cases, surgical methods are used.

The table below shows the causes and acceptable treatments for arrhythmias that can be easily followed to avoid heart rhythm disturbances.

Cause	Treatment
Eating large amounts of food at once after fasting for a long period of time	Eat at regular intervals and in moderation
Hormonal imbalance	Hormone levels should be checked regularly
Obesity	It is important to limit your intake of foods high in sugar and fat
Severe anemia	Doctors may recommend special iron supplements
Stress and anxiety	It is necessary to reduce the influence of irritating factors using relaxation and / or meditation methods
Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, potent substances	Avoid foods, drinks and other substances that increase heart rate
Medicines, herbal supplements and nutritional supplements	Avoid medications or herbal supplements that cause arrhythmias

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What will the doctor suggest?

To effectively get rid of arrhythmia after eating, consultation with a cardiologist, gastroenterologist, nutritionist and psychotherapist is required. Only comprehensive treatment can be effective.

Therapeutic nutrition is based on fractional meals. There should be three main meals and three snacks. However, you should not drink water later than an hour before meals and two hours after. From the menu you need to remove foods that stimulate increased gas formation: cabbage, white bread, legumes, radishes, mushrooms, pearl barley, barley, apples, grapes, sweets, dairy products.

During an exacerbation period, salads from fresh vegetables are not recommended. If you are overweight, it is necessary to reduce it.

Drugs are used as an auxiliary method. Most often, plant-based sedatives are used: tinctures of mint, valerian, hawthorn, passionflower, and hops. From tablet dosage forms the following can be recommended:

• sedatives - Persen, Fitosed, Novo-Passit;
• antispasmodics – No-shpa, Papaverine;
• reducing gas formation - Meteospasmil, Espumisan.

In case of severe bradycardia, stomach tablets with belladonna are taken; in case of rapid heart rate and extraordinary contractions, beta blockers are prescribed. To prevent an attack, medications should be taken half an hour before the intended meal.

In the presence of stomach diseases, hernias, and reflux disease, they are treated using both conservative and surgical methods. Gastrocardiac syndrome with rhythm disturbances against the background of neurocirculatory dystonia responds well to treatment with psychotherapeutic sessions, water and physiotherapeutic procedures.

Positive results were obtained after a course of electrosleep, endonasal electrophoresis of Dalargin, pine and valerian baths, and galvanization of the collar area.

If pain occurs after coffee

Coffee does not affect the functioning of the internal organs of a healthy person, but its excessive consumption can affect the entire body as a whole. For example:

• caffeine, which is abundant in freshly ground coffee, does not allow blood pressure to decrease, so for hypertensive patients this is fraught with negative consequences, including when taking antihypertensive drugs;
• in addition, coffee removes potassium, calcium, and magnesium from the body, that is, it contributes to the development of osteoporosis, arrhythmias, and neurological disorders;
• coffee increases the excretion of gastric juice, thereby exacerbating gastrointestinal pathologies;
• caffeine causes blood stasis in the lower extremities, aggravating the course of varicose veins;
• finally, coffee causes chest pain due to vasospasm and cardiac ischemia.

In case of dependence on a popular drink, its use must be combined with the intake of dried apricots, raisins, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, baked potatoes, milk and other products - sources of microelements: potassium, calcium, magnesium. Chest pain is a reason to see a doctor.

Lyudmila Zhavoronkova Higher medical education. 30 years of working experience in practical medicine.

Features of treatment

Be careful about your diet

If the diagnosis showed that the cause of the arrhythmia that develops after eating is a disease, then the doctor will initially begin to eliminate it. Usually, when the root cause of health problems is excluded, the symptoms themselves go away. Drug treatment will be prescribed on an individual basis, depending on the characteristics of the disease.

In this case, the patient will have to follow general recommendations regarding nutrition. They look like this:

• exclude fatty and spicy foods;
• avoid overeating;
• do not eat hot food;
• do not eat foods that cause bloating;
• limit the amount of salt;
• minimize the amount of meat, replacing it with vegetables and fruits;
• enrich your diet with foods containing fiber - it stimulates digestion;
• drink liquid half an hour after eating;
• maintain a physical activity regimen after meals.

When a person is overweight, he will be advised to bring it back to normal. Obesity itself puts a lot of stress on the body, in particular on the cardiovascular system, and therefore becomes one of the main factors provoking arrhythmia.

How to avoid the problem?

If there is no serious primary pathology, arrhythmia after eating is easy to eliminate.

To prevent the occurrence of arrhythmia associated with food intake, you need to eat right, reduce your intake of animal fats and reduce your daily serving. Vegetable dishes should predominate in the diet. Fast food and carbonated drinks should be completely avoided. It is important to monitor the health of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, undergo regular medical examinations, and promptly treat emerging diseases. It is recommended to quit smoking, avoid stress and exercise. Swimming and cycling are useful. Dousing and contrast showers have a good effect on the state of the nervous system and blood vessels.