Causes And Risk Factors Of Caffeine Overdose
A caffeine overdose occurs when you take in too much caffeine through drinks, foods, or medications. However, some people can ingest well above the daily recommended amount each day without issue. This isnt recommended because high caffeine doses can cause major health issues, including irregular heartbeat and seizures. Consuming high caffeine doses on a regular basis can also possibly lead to hormonal imbalances.
If you rarely consume caffeine, your body may be especially sensitive to it, so avoid ingesting too much at one time. Even if you regularly consume large amounts of caffeine, you should stop when you feel any unpleasant symptoms.
- uncontrollable muscle movements
- convulsions
Babies can also suffer from caffeine overdose. This can happen when breast milk contains excessive amounts of caffeine. Some mild symptoms include nausea and muscles that continually tense and then relax.
More serious signs of caffeine overdose can accompany these symptoms, including vomiting, rapid breathing, and shock.
If you or a child under your care is experiencing these symptoms, seek a doctors help immediately for diagnosis and treatment.
New Research Challenges Age
If youre a coffee drinker, you may be concerned about how your daily cup of joe is affecting your heart health.
Because caffeine is a stimulant, you might think it puts stress on your ticker, especially if you are prone to irregular heart rhythms called arrhythmias. For a long time, doctors didnt think coffee was heart-healthy, either. But times are changing.
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Heart Conditions That Cause Palpitations
As mentioned above, heart palpitations may occur for absolutely no reason. But they may also occur because of a heart condition, specifically a condition that affects the heart rhythm.
Stress and anxiety may also worsen heart conditions if you have one, and trigger symptoms. Again, keep in mind that many of these conditions are absolutely harmless and/or can be treated. Lets get into these conditions that can cause disturbances in heart rhythm.
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What Are Anxiety Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations feel like your heart pounds, flutters, races or skips a beat. When you have a palpitation, you may feel your heart beating in your chest, neck or throat.
Many people experience heart palpitations along with anxiety. Anxiety sets off the bodys fight or flight response as part of the autonomic nervous system . When you feel uneasy about a situation, your ANS kicks in, increasing your heart rate.
Eating Plenty Of Fiber
Fiber is extremely important for supporting heart health. Foods that are high in fiber, such as oat bran, wheat bran, and other whole-grain products, help lower inflammation throughout the body. One way that they do this is by supporting a healthy balance of gut flora in the microbiome. When we eat fiber, fiber particles travel through the digestive tract and into the intestines relatively intact. In the intestines good gut bacteria break down and feed on the fiber, producing anti-inflammatory compounds as by-products. These anti-inflammatory compounds are then absorbed through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream where they can then circulate through the bloodstream and reduce inflammation. Eating a diet high in fiber is associated with lower cholesterol levels and a lower risk of developing heart disease.
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A Patient’s Anxiety Or Heart Disease
One patient I saw, who was over age 70, had a lifelong history of anxiety and panic attacks. She’d stopped leaving her home out of fear of another attack after she’d tried multiple anxiety medications without benefit. But when I saw her, we found that each episode of her anxiety was caused by a rapid heart rhythm. It was easily corrected by a simple procedure called an ablation.
Shortly after the ablation, she attended a close relative’s wedding free of anxiety. This was the first time she’d participated in a large family activity in nearly 40 years.
Fad Diets: Use Extra Caution
Many weight-loss diets can be harmful to your heart if you have an arrhythmia. Fad diets such as liquid-based programs or high-protein regimens can affect the concentrations of electrolytes in your bloodstream. This can, in turn, cause problems with your hearts electrical system, which relies on electrolytes to function properly. If you have experienced an arrhythmia in the past, you should be cautious of fad diets. In order to avoid recurrences of your arrhythmia, always check with your doctor before making drastic changes to your eating habits.
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Can Caffeine Cause Irregular Heart Rhythms
Can caffeine cause irregular heart rhythms? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
Answer by Keck Medicine of USC, 500+ internationally renowned doctors at a leading academic medical center, on Quora:
New research challenges age-old assumptions about caffeine.
If youre a coffee drinker, you may be concerned about how your daily cup of joe is affecting your heart health.
Because caffeine is a stimulant, you might think it puts stress on your ticker, especially if you are prone to irregular heart rhythms called arrhythmias. For a long time, doctors didnt think coffee was heart-healthy, either. But times are changing.
Caffeines impact on arrhythmias
Some research has looked specifically at the effects of caffeine on irregular heart rhythms. One study found that the instances of arrhythmia were no different among caffeine consumers and those who didnt consume caffeine.
In a small Brazilian study, participants with heart problems were randomly assigned to drink a caffeinated or decaffeinated drink, then assessed with ECGs and stress tests. Researchers found no difference in irregular heart rhythms between the two groups.
So whats the bottom line on coffees role in heart health, specifically irregular heart rhythms?
Coffees impact on your overall heart health
See how caffeine makes you feel
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Should You See Your Doctor About Panic Attacks
A panic attack can make you feel like youre about to collapse or even die, but it’s usually harmless. However, in some cases, you may need medical advice to rule out an underlying physical cause.
Get medical advice if:
- your panic attack continues after doing 20 minutes of slow breathing
- you still feel unwell after your breathing returns to normal
- you still have a rapid or irregular heartbeat or chest pains after your panic attack
- you regularly have panic attacks, as this could be a sign that you have panic disorder
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Next Time You Get Heart Palpitations Try This
If you feel your heart pounding, use these strategies:
- Relax: Lower your stress levels by using relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation and deep breathing. These techniques can help bring your heart rate back to normal.
- Reach for some water: Dehydration can cause a heart palpitation, so if your heart flutters, chug some H20.
- Workout: Exercise keeps your heart healthy and increases your heart rate, which can prevent palpitations. Try a brisk walk around your neighborhood.
- Cough: Vagal maneuvers, such as coughing or throwing cold water on your face, can stimulate the vagus nerve which helps regulate heart rate. Talk to your doctor first before performing vagal maneuvers at home.
While heart palpitations often cause a lot of discomfort, most of the time they arent dangerous. If you can perform those at-home tips to temporarily relieve discomfort, then you can always decide if you want to see a cardiologist.
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What Is The Most Common Cause Of Irregular Heartbeat
The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular and fast heart beat. Many factors can affect your hearts rhythm, such as having had a heart attack, smoking, congenital heart defects, and stress. Some substances or medicines may also cause arrhythmias.
You will need to be able to recognize the four lethal rhythms. Asystole, Ventricle Tachycardia , Ventricle Fibrillation , and Polymorphic Ventricle Tachycardia . Use this study guide and other resource books to review ECG interpretation.
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I Have Symptomswhat Should I Do
If you have any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor. Whether anxiety or AFib is the cause, both conditions can be treated. More importantly, the consequences of AFib are too severe to take chances with your health.
Your doctor may ask if you have any close relatives with an anxiety disorder or a heart arrhythmia. Both these conditions can sometimes run in families. Youll also have a physical exam and you may have imaging or other tests that can diagnose AFib.
You can help your doctor make the most accurate diagnosis by paying attention to how you feel during an episode. Keep track of these aspects of your symptoms:
- How long they last
- If they start and end suddenly
- If your heart beats erratically
- When they occur
Your age can also be a clue AFib is more likely as we get older, while anxiety attacks can begin in childhood.
What Is Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is one of the most common types of irregular heartbeats. If you have AFib, your heart beats much faster than normal. It also beats irregularly, which means your body doesnt get enough blood.
Atrial fibrillation can happen for just a few hours or last up to a week or longer. For some people, atrial fibrillation lasts more than a year. It causes symptoms such as:
- Chest pain
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Shortness of breath, especially when lying down
If atrial fibrillation isnt treated, it can lead to serious health problems such as stroke, heart failure or heart attack.
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How To Tell If Youre Experiencing Atrialfibrillation
Sometimes, an episode of atrial fibrillation can actually trigger a panic attack or vice versa.
Symptoms of atrial fibrillation, also called AFib,arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, can vary, and some people have no symptoms.The most common symptoms include:
- Heart palpitations
- Chest pain
- Lightheadedness
When it comes to telling the difference between AFib and anxiety, technology is your friend. Technological advancements are making it easier for you to keep track of your own heart rhythm. Sensors connected to the newer models of smartphones and smartwatches can monitor your heartbeat and notify you when something seems off. Ive actually seen these devices discover hidden heart problems in some of my patients.
You can also make use of the heart rate monitor on a home blood pressure cuff or pulse oximeter. Using an objective monitor can help you determine if your symptoms are from anxiety or truly from an AFib episode.
Keep Your Diet Low In Saturated Fat
Saturated fat is a major culprit when it comes to heart disease. Eating too much saturated fat drives up cholesterol levels, which facilitates the process of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis describes a buildup of plaque on arterial walls. Plaques are accumulations of cholesterol and other debris in the bloodstream, which then builds up on the sides of blood vessels. The formation of plaques greatly increases the risk of conditions like coronary artery disease. These plaques impeded blood flow, and in some cases, they may break off from the wall of the blood vessel and travel to other parts of the body. These plaques can then form blockages in the heart, brain, and lungs, leading to very serious and potentially life-threatening symptoms.
So, how can you limit saturated fat in your diet? You can limit saturated fat in your diet by avoiding fatty cuts of meat and whole dairy products, such as cream, cheese, and whole milk.
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Medical History Provides Clues
Your medical history may offer hints as to whether you’re experiencing a panic attack or afib. Often panic attacks are precipitated by some anxiety or depression or another psychiatric difficulty. Also, whether you’ve had a panic attack in the past could be a clue. Dr. Sobel said the presence of one panic attack increases the likelihood of another. Likewise, he said, a family history of cardiac disease and arrhythmias may point in a different direction.
Women may have atypical symptoms of a heart attack or other heart condition, such as a burning sensation in the upper abdomen, an upset stomach, or sweating. Doctors don’t always consider a heart attack or heart arrhythmia when women come to the ER with those symptoms, said Michelle B. Riba, MD, a professor and associate chair for integrated medical and psychiatric services at the University of Michigan.
How Can Stress Have An Effect On Your Coronary Heart
But stress could have an effect on behaviors and components that improve coronary heart illness danger: hypertension and levels of cholesterol, smoking, bodily inactivity and overeating. Your physique releases adrenaline, a hormone that briefly causes your respiratory and coronary heart fee to hurry up and your blood strain to rise.
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The Solution For Irregular Heartbeat
The irregular heartbeat/skipped beat is usually fairly instant. The rapid heartbeat that tends to follow can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on how you react to it. Panic attacks are often the biggest issue to worry about. If your skipped beat causes a panic attack, it may take you quite a while to feel fully “calm” again.
Because these rhythms can have different causes, there’s no one size fits all way of treating it. If it’s caused by adrenaline, you simply have to wait for your adrenaline levels to die down and your heartbeat will go back to normal. Once they’re in your body they’ll only stop when they’re used up.
If they’re caused by hyperventilation, the key is to simply make sure they don’t get any worse. As hard as you can, try not to compensate for your skipped beat by trying to breathe in too quickly or too much to “test” your heart. A very common reaction is taking huge breaths to make sure that your body gets enough air. But these breaths may make hyperventilation worse and cause more anxiety that leads to further symptoms.
In general, when it comes to a rapid heartbeat, the most important thing to do is simply give yourself time to relax. Walking may help a bit to calm you down, but there are otherwise very few things to do to stop the feeling of an irregular heartbeat once it starts. However, if you take steps to treat your underlying anxiety more generally, youll be less likely to experience irregular heartbeats in the first place.
Eating Lots Of Fruits And Vegetables
Eating loads of fruits and vegetables is very therapeutic for the heart. Fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that fight against inflammation. Antioxidants like polyphenols and carotenoids fight against oxidative damage that occurs within cells and contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Many vegetables are also packed with nitrates that naturally increase the movement of the endothelium in blood vessels, allowing them to dilate more readily. This in turn decreases blood pressure, which takes the pressure off of the heart and decreases the incidence of heart palpitations. To add more nitrates to your daily diet, eat foods like beets, arugula, and spinach.
To support your heart health, incorporate lots of fresh fruits and veggies into your diet on a daily basis. Great options include kale, carrots, sweet potato, swiss chard, celery, pomegranate, blackberries, blueberries, and watermelon.
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