Tachycardia is a condition where the heart’s rhythm is unusually fast. When you experience a fast heart rate, you can be diagnosed with tachycardia. Of course, rapid heart rate can be associated with strenuous exercise, but tachycardia occurs when the heart rate is fast while you are at rest.
Tachycardia happens when there is a disturbance in the normal electrical pathways of your heart. In some situations, this condition does not cause any symptoms, but when left untreated, it can impact normal heart function and lead to complications, such as heart failure, stroke, or cardiac arrest. While some drugs and medical procedures can address the symptoms, tachycardia treatment at home is also possible.
Here we explore tachycardia home remedies, which include diet and other lifestyle adjustments.
Easy Ways for Tachycardia Treatment at Home
In some cases, tachycardia sufferers experience symptoms of chest pain, lightheadedness, and difficulty breathing. The comprehensive list below outlines some of the most common home remedies for fast heart rate.
Vagal Manoeuvres: These are techniques that can stimulate the vagus nerve running from your brainstem, through your neck, and into both sides of your chest and abdomen. The nerve carries messages from your brain to major organs. You can decrease the rate of electrical impulses by stimulating the nerve. You do this by gagging, holding your breath and bearing down, immersing yourself in ice-cold water, which is referred to as (diving reflex), or by coughing. Taking a breath and bearing down is one of the tachycardia natural home remedies recommended by The American Heart Association.
Control Stress: Tachycardia can be triggered by episodes of stress and anxiety. Practicing stress-relieving techniques is considered a tachycardia home remedy. Some people may like reducing stress through breathing exercises. For example, breathing in for four seconds through the nose, holding the breath for a moment, and then releasing the breath through the mouth for another four seconds.
Repeating this cycle several times allows you to begin to feel calmer. Meditation, which focuses on relieving stress by letting go of your thoughts, is another good approach, as is yoga. Yoga is known for helping to strengthen the body, but it also acts as a way of clearing the mind.
Progressive muscle relaxation is also becoming a popular technique to reduce stress. This exercise teaches you how to relax your muscles to experience and eliminate stress. First, you tense certain muscle groups in the body, and then you release the tension to see how your muscles feel when you relax them. Body scanning is another approach. It’s really a way to increase your awareness of your body and promote physical relaxation.
Exercise Regularly: Exercise improves circulation and releases endorphins that can address stress. Regular exercise is defined as 30-minutes, four to five times a week. Jogging, bicycling, or swimming are all good examples of exercises that are thought of as tachycardia remedies. Keep in mind that many people who suffer from tachycardia find that they have to combine exercise with other home remedies.
Slow Down: If you experience a fast heart rate; stop what you’re doing. Research shows that rest is the best approach for stopping an attack if you are engaged in some kind of activity. If you are having a hard time slowing down, try the breathing exercise we described above.
Stop Smoking: If you are a smoker and you are diagnosed with tachycardia, stop smoking. The reality is that smoking can trigger tachycardia. Those who have difficulty with quitting should talk to their doctor about different cessation options.
Lower Alcohol Consumption: Since binge drinking can trigger an irregular heart rhythm, it makes sense that home remedies for tachycardia include reducing the amount of alcohol you consume or even better, not drinking alcohol at all.
Reduce Caffeine: This is also a stimulant that can lead to faster heart rate. If you are drinking a lot of caffeine, you should cut down for a number of health reasons, but in the case of tachycardia, it is especially important to reduce consumption. Did you know that one cup of coffee, which is about eight ounces, contains between 95–200 mg of caffeine? A cup of tea generally has about 14–60 mg.
Get Ample Rest: Tachycardia episodes can sometimes be triggered by lack of rest. Getting a good night’s sleep may lower your chances of having an episode if you have been diagnosed with tachycardia. Heart rate tends to increase when a person does not get enough rest as a response to the body’s need for more energy.
Hydrate: Dehydration can cause tachycardia. Eight fluid ounces of water daily is the recommended amount of water to prevent dehydration. If you are having a tachycardia episode, try having a glass of water.
Cool Down: Since heat raises heart rate, you should stay in the shade on hot days, wear light clothing, and only stay in hot environments for a short period of time.
Carotid Sinus Massage: This technique involves gently massaging the carotid artery for a few seconds on one side of your neck while monitoring your heart rhythm and blood pressure.
Healthy Diet: Maintaining a healthy diet that does not include fatty foods and lots of preservatives benefit people who suffer from tachycardia.
Diet for Tachycardia
As mentioned above, smoking, excessive alcohol, excessive caffeine, and tiredness can all trigger episodes of tachycardia. You have the ability to control these factors.
In the case of caffeine, it stimulates the central nervous system, as well as the cerebral cortex of the brain, which can lead to an increase in blood pressure. Higher blood pressure can impact electrical conduction in the heart and cause rapid heartbeats.
Take a look at the following tachycardia diet tips:
Keep Potassium Up: Low potassium levels are a common cause of tachycardia. This mineral is found in fruits and vegetables, so if you are following a healthy diet, you should not have any problems getting enough. You can deplete your body of potassium if your diet is high in sodium or if you use diuretics or laxatives on a regular basis. Foods that are rich in potassium, which is an electrolyte, include bananas, potatoes, oranges, and avocados.
Get Enough Magnesium: This helps balance the effects of calcium and makes the heart less likely to become irritable. Magnesium is found in soybeans, nuts, beans, and bran.
Limiting Caffeine: Since caffeine can aggravate tachycardia, you should be careful about coffees and teas. Some of these beverages may be labeled as “decaffeinated” but can contain trace amounts of caffeine. You should discuss with your doctor how much caffeine you can have. Remember that there are also some foods, like chocolate, ice cream, sodas, energy drinks, and some medications, that have caffeine in them.
Limiting Alcohol: While there are guidelines for moderate alcohol consumption, like caffeine, it is best to discuss with your doctor how much is too much.
Low-Fat Foods: High cholesterol levels can increase your risk of heart disease and tachycardia. Following a low-fat diet is smart. Part-skim cheese, low-fat yogurt, and lean meats are part of a lower cholesterol diet. Avoiding fatty foods like pastries and fried foods is best.
Dash Diet: This diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, protein, and whole grains to help maintain normal blood pressure. Low sodium is also a key component of the dash diet. You should limit your sodium intake to between 1,500 and 2,300 mg daily to lower hypertension.
Reduce Sugar: If you have tachycardia, it is a good idea to monitor your sugar intake. Your heart can beat faster when it experiences a surge of hormones running through your bloodstream that have been triggered by eating a lot of sugar.
Herbal Remedies for Tachycardia
So, if you are wondering how to stop tachycardia naturally, there is no magic solution. What we can tell you is that there are some tachycardia herbal remedies that have been effective for some people.
Many herbs have been traditionally used to treat heart palpitations, but some people have reported that they help ease stress levels. And as we have established, stress can trigger tachycardia.
Here are some potential herbs for tachycardia:
- Motherwort (Leonurus cardiac): Long considered a remedy for anxiety, it is believed that the alkaloids that are in this herb can calm the nervous system, making it a natural cure for tachycardia, especially cases where the rapid heart rate is triggered by stress. A note of caution though, this herb should not be used if you are pregnant.
- Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnate): This herb promotes relaxation and also has anti-anxiety properties. The flavonoids in Passion Flower may account for these properties.
- Valerian (Valerinana officinalis): The valerian root is known for its sedative effects but it can also help with fast heartbeat. Some studies suggest that valerian makes for a good tachycardia herbal treatment because it may bind to GABA-A receptors, which regulate sedation. Being more relaxed means less stress.
- Cordyceps: This herb is used a lot in traditional Chinese medicine and may slow heart rate.
As you can see, when it comes to dealing with how to treat tachycardia naturally, there are several different options. It is important though to make an appointment with a doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms of tachycardia so you can be properly diagnosed and go over the safest treatments. Your doctor will do a thorough examination of your heart health and will be able to tell you if natural remedies are a good approach to your particular situation.