What causes irregular heartbeat, hear palpitations, tachycardia and afib
review by Ask a Healer
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BIG OLE DISCLAIMER: Regardless of whether you feel your irregular heartbeat may be caused by one of hte following, you should ALWAYS get any needed medical evaulation or testing in matters concerning cardiovascular health.
I have experienced heart palpitations more than once in my life. Usually, I've been able to narrow down what might be causing it (one obvious example was perimenopause and menopause). Sometimes, though, it's been a mystery to unravel.
Occasional heart palpitations may not be anything to be concerned about but it's always a good idea to check with a doctor if you have them often or they last very long. There are SO MANY potential causes that it's a little staggering. I didn't know this until I had them and decided to see if I could find out what was causing them. I want to start with two Common but often overlooked causes for heart palpitations:
Subluxation: When the spine is misaligned or there is impingement of a nerve along the spine, in the area that innervates the cardiovascular system, heart palpitations may occur. A visit to the chiropractor for an upper back adjustment may work wonders in cases where irregular heartbeat is associated with subluxation of the spine. FYI, I do not recommend the old "crack your neck" chiros. I think they can sometimes do more harm than good. Low force or no force chiropractic is just as effective. In particular, I'd recommend finding a B.E.S.T. Chiropractor
Constipation / IBS: Chronic or severe constipation may actually cause the heart to flutter or feel it's skipping a beat. If you've been diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), heart palpitations is one of the symptoms of that condition.
Irregular heartbeat seems to be a less common symptom with IBS from what I've come across online but it still occurs in some patients diagnosed with irritable bowel so if you've been diagnosed with IBS it's good to talk to your doctor about whether or not it might be a factor.
I personally consider chronic constipation to be a health threat in general. When someone is not eliminating correctly for a prolonged period of time, it can impact all systems of the body. The majority of our immune response comes from the bowel so when the colon is not functioning properly on a chronic basis, health is compromised.
Partial List of Additional Potential Causes of Heartbeat Irregularities: Some of these may cause rapid heart beat, or tachycardia, while others are associated with heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat.
Please note: One of the things that makes it hard to pin down what is causing a problem with the way the heart is beating is that almost any situation that affects any major system of the body may also affect the heart. It's important to notice when symptoms occur and to also notice anything new that you may have added to your diet or any new prescription drugs or natural remedies you may have recently started to take.
~ Stress
~ Undiagnosed mitral valve prolapse
~ Sorbitol
~ Undiagnosed heart disease
~ Undiagnosed panic disorder or anxiety disorder
~ Undiagnosed Atrial Fibrillation
~ Chronic Bulimia
~ Chronic Anorexia Nervosa with attendant drastic weight loss
~ Binge Eating Disorder
~ Methylcobalamin form of Vitamin B-12
~ Teatree essential oil
~ Too much caffeine
~ Perimenopause
~ Menopause
~ High Blood Pressure
~ Sleep Apnea
~ Cane Sugar
~ Pregnancy
~ Pregnenolone
~ Anemia
~ Anxiety
~ Aspartame
~ Paxil Withdrawal
~ Alcohol Withdrawal
~ Electrolyte Imbalance
~ Dehydration
~ Prescription Drugs for Asthma
~ Prednisone
~ Too much smoking
~ Fever
~ Gingko Biloba
~ Ginger
~ Cinnamon
~ Ephedra
~ Chemotherapy
~ DHEA
~ Higenamine
~ EMF Waves
~ Quinine
~ Eating too much and going straight to bed
~ Stimulant diet pills
~ Cathartic laxatives
~ Thyroid problems
~ HCG
~ Illegal drugs
~ Adrenal Fatique
~ Exercise-related hyperventilation
~ Pseudoephedrine
~ Vitamin B-12 deficiency
~ Chakra Imbalances
Health Disclaimer: Rapid or irregular heartbeat may be a sign of a serious, even life threatening, medical condition. If you experience tachycardia, afib or heart palpitations, please take the appropriate measures to be medically evaluated. Some supplements that support healthy heart rhythms include magnesium (I use Natural Calm every night because it is so quickly and easily absorbed by the body), Omega-3's and hawthorn.
