The Best Things You Should Do If You Have Heart Palpitations

Consider Alternative Medications

Patients on certain medications known to produce heart palpitations as a side effect may want to consider taking an alternative if their symptoms become too disruptive to their everyday life. Common medications with heart palpitations as a known side effect include pseudoephedrine and other cold medications, certain asthma inhalers, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, some hormonal birth control pills, decongestant medications, biological therapies, stimulant medication, and some immunosuppressants. Many of these medications can cause a net increase in an individual's heart rate and blood pressure that makes them more likely to experience abnormal heart rhythms. Increases in heart rate and abnormal heart rhythms are known to cause cardiac symptoms such as a racing heartbeat and heart palpitations. Not everyone who takes the aforementioned medications will experience palpitations, but numerous alternatives are available for patients who are unable to tolerate their medication because of this adverse side effect.

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Try Splashing With Cold Water

Patients affected by regular heart palpitations can try splashing cold water on their face when they are experiencing symptoms. An individual's heart rate and numerous other autonomic functions are controlled by their parasympathetic nervous system. The vagus nerve or tenth cranial nerve is extremely complex and transmits information between the brain, abdomen, chest, and neck. Taking a shower in cool water or splashing cold water on the face can cause the indirect stimulation of the vagus nerve. This method is thought to work because an individual's body has to adjust to the cold temperatures it is exposed to. During this temperature adjustment, the activity of an individual's sympathetic nervous system decreases, and the activity of their parasympathetic system increases. This mechanism forces the vagus nerve to reset the rate of the affected individual's heart. Resetting the heart rate through vagus nerve stimulation can help alleviate palpitations being caused by a high heart rate or abnormal heart rhythm.