Tachycardia after eating: an uncomfortable condition or a dangerous disorder?

Increased heart rate after eating occurs as a result of increased workload on the heart muscle; the body spends a large amount of energy processing food. The heart has to work harder to maintain blood circulation. Regardless of the age, gender and physical fitness of a person, everyone’s pulse increases during the digestive tract. An increase in heart rate after eating can be both a physiological norm and a hidden threat to the health of the cardiovascular system. To understand why the increase occurs, you need to determine the reasons and understand by what signs you can distinguish a pathological increase in heart rate.

Pulse after eating: what is normal?

After eating, the pulse always increases, but there are indicators that are normal.

The pulse rate norms indicated in the table can be taken for control only if the person is healthy - there are no chronic pathologies of a cardiac/vascular nature, no elevated body temperature and no exacerbation of any inflammatory or infectious diseases.

To monitor the dynamics of your heart rate, you should know your own indicators “at rest”, and if after eating they increase by a maximum of 10-15 beats per minute, then this is considered normal.

We recommend reading about what your heart rate can be during sleep. From the article you will learn about the normal heart rate during sleep in adults and children, changes in the indicator during sleep, the causes of low and high heart rates.

And here is more information about what is the normal heart rate for pregnant women by trimester.

What is the relationship between heart rate and food

There is a direct connection between heart rate and food - when food enters the stomach, the entire digestive system begins to actively work, its organs fill with blood and contract.

And against the background of this, the load on the heart automatically increases, which leads to an excessively rapid pulse. Moreover, such a state is recorded only 10-15 minutes after the end of the meal - this time is just enough for food to completely penetrate into the stomach, for its transformation into food lumps, after which the digestion process itself begins.

Doctors note that an increase in heart rate is especially often observed after eating fatty, smoked food - “heavy”, which requires much more energy to digest.

Mechanism of development of tachycardia

Tachycardia develops after eating as follows:

• In the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, blood circulation increases significantly after eating. A deficiency of nutrients occurs, which is signaled to the higher nerve centers. The latter, through the sympathetic nervous system, transmit impulses to the heart - the result will be too frequent contractions, which increases the volume of circulating blood.
• The regulatory system is disrupted after eating, and receptor signals from the oral cavity, stomach, and intestines are perceived incorrectly by the nervous system. The vagus decreases, but the influence on the heart from the sympathetic nervous system increases. The result is an increase in heart rate.

• After food enters the stomach, quite strong pressure is applied to the diaphragm; it practically stops participating in the breathing process. The result is a decrease in oxygen in the respiratory system, shortness of breath and increased heart rate.

Heart rate increases after eating: reasons

Reasons for increased heart rate after eating:

• Portions too big . Frequent and small meals do not overload the stomach and keep metabolic processes stable. If a person does not eat for a long time, experiences a pronounced feeling of hunger, and then eats a large portion of food, then the load on the heart increases sharply.
• The habit of taking a horizontal position after eating. The acidic contents of the stomach are refluxed into the esophagus, which causes an increase in heart rate. This happens with gastroduodenal reflux disease.

• Eating easily digestible carbohydrates . When sugar enters the body, the pancreas begins to work hard and insulin is produced in large quantities. This process requires a lot of energy, and it is provided by thyroid hormones and adrenaline. The lack of the latter is a stimulus for increased heart rate.
• Vagal irritation . This is the name given to the autonomic fibers of the vagus nerve, which are located in the oral cavity, stomach, myocardium and esophagus. Products that provoke irritation of the mucous membrane, too large a portion size, spasms of the digestive organs - all this is stimulation of the vagus, which leads to the development of tachycardia.

An attack of rapid heartbeat after eating can be triggered by a lack of water (dehydration, impaired drinking), unbalanced diets, a lack of magnesium in the body and some pathologies of internal organs.

If after sweets

Sweet foods and dishes are easily digestible carbohydrates, and insulin is required for their digestion and complete absorption. The hormone is produced by the pancreas; when sugar is consumed in any form, the organ begins to function intensively, but in the first 30-40 minutes there is still not enough insulin - a corresponding signal is received in the centers of the nervous system, which is differentiated as a lack of energy.

Increased heart rate is a kind of protection of the body from hypoglycemic coma.

Hypoglycemia

For the stated reason, doctors do not recommend giving preference exclusively to sweet dishes during meals. They should be consumed in limited quantities and absolutely not on an empty stomach.

If the pressure rises

If your blood pressure regularly rises after eating with a rapid heartbeat, then you should be examined by a cardiologist. This combination of symptoms indicates hypertension or vegetative-vascular dystonia. It is advisable to first keep a diary for 2-3 weeks and record your heart rate and blood pressure “at rest”, immediately after eating and 20-40 minutes after the meal. Such control will make it easier for the doctor to diagnose.

To understand the situation, it is worth excluding from the menu all foods that can cause increased blood pressure:

• fatty, fried, smoked;
• all caffeinated drinks;
• cheeses, deli meats;
• chocolate;
• hot spices;
• alcoholic drinks.

If these measures give positive dynamics, then most likely this is evidence of progression of hypertension.

During pregnancy

During pregnancy, the diaphragm is already in the wrong position for itself, and a full stomach increases the pressure on it. The result is difficulty breathing, inadequate supply of oxygen to the respiratory system and shortness of breath. The latter is a provocation of rapid heartbeat.

Problems of tachycardia after eating during the period of bearing a child occur in the second and third trimester, when the uterus increases significantly in size and exerts pronounced pressure on nearby organs, including the diaphragm.

Additional symptoms

Additional symptoms of heart palpitations after eating include:

• general weakness;
• shortness of breath (difficulty breathing);
• a feeling of mild nausea (as from overeating);
• pain syndrome in the epigastric region (anatomical location of the stomach);
• pulsation in the heart, neck and temples;
• panic, anxiety, presence of fear of death;
• increase or decrease in blood pressure.

Watch this video about the causes of tachycardia after eating:

Facts about blood pressure

Blood pressure is the force of pressure of blood circulating through vessels on their walls. The digital coefficient is influenced by several factors.

Namely:

• Blood flow speed;
• Degree of blood viscosity;
• General condition of blood vessels and the whole body.

  

Reference: the average blood pressure is 120/80, where 120 is systolic pressure and 80 is diastolic pressure. It is generally accepted that a value higher than this indicates hypertension (the initial stage of hypertension).

In hypertension, blood pressure levels are consistently elevated, and this, as a rule, does not depend on external factors. In hypertensive patients, the blood pressure ratio does not change for the better due to the following factors:

1. Increased heart rate. This factor is not so rare, and this happens for physiological reasons (stress, stress, etc.).
2. Violation of vascular tone and the indicator of general resistance of the cardiovascular system. This pathology consists not only in the loss of elasticity of the arteries, but also in the reduction of the lumen between the walls of the vessels, which entails difficulty in blood circulation.

Why is this “silent killer” dangerous? First of all, the fact that in most people the disease goes completely unnoticed for decades. A person does not feel any symptoms and thinks that he is healthy, while the disease gradually progresses. Even if blood pressure reaches a critical point, the patient may not feel any symptoms, and the pathology can only be diagnosed when visiting a doctor.

In a healthy person, blood pressure may fluctuate throughout the day and this is usually considered normal.

So, pressure drops depend on certain factors:

1. Blood pressure can be affected by the time of day. At night blood pressure decreases, and during the day it increases.
2. Different psychological conditions can also change the blood resistance indicator. For example, a person's blood pressure increases when he is stressed.
3. Taking medications affects blood pressure in different ways: depending on pharmacokinetics, medications can either increase or decrease blood pressure.
4. Consumption of fatty or heavy foods. After such a meal, your blood pressure will always be higher.
5. Physical exercise. During training, your heart rate increases and your blood pressure will always be higher.
6. Taking alkaloids or other stimulants always provokes an increase in blood pressure.
7. Overexertion, as a rule, has a far from positive effect on blood pressure. This factor only increases the strength of blood flow.
8. Sexual arousal can also increase blood pressure by several mmHg. Art.

   

How can you find out about the state of your blood pressure without having a tonometer at hand? There are several methods, and the simplest of them is to carefully monitor your health and identify the symptoms of high blood pressure.

More information about the causes of blood pressure changes can be obtained by watching the video:

Increased heart rate after eating: what to do

If your heart rate constantly increases after eating, even when the menu has been adjusted and the principles of proper nutrition are followed, you need to be examined by:

• cardiologist,
• gastroenterologist,
• therapist,
• neurologist.

Only after receiving the results, the doctor will draw appropriate conclusions and be able to give therapeutic or general recommendations to normalize the condition.

Taking an ECG

You need to call an ambulance if, after eating, not only your heart rate increases sharply, but you are also worried about dizziness, severe weakness, severe nausea, tremors of the upper extremities, excessive sweating, and pale skin. Such symptoms may indicate the progression of heart pathology - for example, a developing myocardial infarction, when resuscitation measures are required.

Who to turn to for help

If over the past few days the pressure has risen to a critical level (above 180 mm Hg), and at the same time a person suffers from dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, chest pain - these are the first signs of a hypertensive crisis. This condition is very dangerous and requires urgent help.

The patient needs to see a physician to measure blood pressure and collect anamnesis. This specialist also prescribes a number of tests (blood and urine tests). In addition, you need to visit a cardiologist and neurologist. These are highly specialized professionals who conduct detailed diagnostics (interpretation of ECG data, assessment of blood vessels).

If your pulse is strong after eating, how to help yourself

If a strong pulse bothers you after eating, then you first need to adjust your diet, eliminating all dishes and foods that are provoking factors - hot, spicy, fatty, and so on. The second step to normalizing the condition is to eat food often and in small portions; this regime must be followed constantly.

To quickly get rid of a rapid pulse, you can use vagal tests on yourself - you need to influence the points that are stimulators of the vagus nerve:

• Aschner's test - close your eyes tightly (do not squint) and simultaneously press with your thumbs on the eyelids of both eyes for 2-3 seconds;
• Valsalva maneuver - take a deep breath and hold your breath, strain and try to exhale through a closed mouth, exhale completely after 20 seconds;
• Müller test a - exhale, close your nostrils with your hand and try to inhale through your nose for 5 seconds;
• “diving dog ” - take a maximum breath, close your eyes and lower your face into cold water for 20-30 seconds.

Usually, after such manipulations, the heartbeat returns to normal, unless it is caused by pathological processes.

Diet if your heart rate increases after eating

If your heart rate increases after eating, it is recommended to follow a diet that involves excluding from the diet:

• spicy, fried and fatty foods;
• spices and hot spices;
• alcoholic drinks;
• tea (strong), coffee, sweet carbonated drinks;
• chocolate;
• mayonnaise and other industrial sauces.

You shouldn’t completely give up meat, baked goods and butter/vegetable oils, but you need to reduce the amount of them on the menu. But doctors allow the consumption of spinach, bell peppers, broccoli and white cabbage almost without restrictions, if there are no other medical contraindications.

It is also important to observe the drinking regime - we are talking about drinking clean water at the rate of 30 ml for every kilogram of a person’s weight. You can start with small portions, drinking 1 glass of liquid before each meal.

Treatment of a patient if the pulse rises after eating

Sometimes it is impossible to solve the problem of rapid heartbeat only with diet and proper drinking regimen, and then you should consult a doctor. He will make prescriptions after diagnosis - they can be medicinal, but often folk methods can also cope with the problem.

Medicines

Some medications can dilate blood vessels and temporarily stop an attack of tachycardia. They are not curative, but they can relieve unpleasant symptoms:

• Valocordin;
• tincture of motherwort or valerian;
• Validol;
• Corvalol.

They are taken according to standard instructions, but they should not be perceived as full-fledged therapy - this is symptomatic treatment. The effect of lowering heart rate occurs after 15 minutes; repeated use is not recommended, because you can get the opposite effect by lowering your heart rate to a critical state.

Traditional methods

Of the folk methods, the most effective for palpitations after eating are sedatives:

• Motherwort decoction . It is prepared from 1 tablespoon of plant material and 250 ml of water; the composition is simmered in a water bath for 5 minutes, then cooled and filtered.

Take 50 ml after each meal. The duration of therapy is no more than 5 days. Has a weak sedative effect.

• Cinnamon drink. Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder to a glass (200 ml) of warm water, stir thoroughly and boil for 20 minutes. The finished product is taken in small sips when you feel a palpitation; you can drink no more than 50 ml at a time.
• Mint tea . You can drink it on a regular basis, but only if there are no contraindications. It is prepared on the basis of fresh or dried mint - 1 teaspoon of the raw material is placed in 200 ml of hot water and infused for 10-15 minutes.

Any folk remedies can be used only in the absence of diseases of the heart and vascular system - some are contraindicated in certain pathologies.

We recommend reading about which pills you can take to lower your heart rate, taking into account your blood pressure. From the article you will learn about the best pills to lower heart rate, types of tachycardia and the choice of medicine, sedatives.

And here is more information about how to increase bullets using folk and medicinal means.

Rapid heartbeat after eating does not always indicate the development of cardiac pathology; more often the causes are physiological processes in the body.

The problem can be solved by adjusting the diet, taking sedatives or herbal decoctions with a sedative effect. But in any case, it is worth undergoing an examination and getting a doctor’s recommendations so that there is a positive effect without side effects.

Additional symptoms associated with tachycardia

Due to the fact that a rapid heartbeat affects the functioning of the entire body, symptoms accompanying tachycardia are observed:

• Nausea.
• Pain in the chest.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Dizziness.
• Fear and anxiety.
• Feeling tired.
• Yawn.

Why does my heart rate increase and shortness of breath occur after eating? There is only one reason for shortness of breath with a rapid heartbeat - lack of oxygen.