This Grandma loves Western medicine and Eastern medicine alternatives. Although I hate needles, I have found acupuncture helpful at times. The key is the expertise of the acupuncturist and honesty about whether or not acupuncture will help for the ailment. Best of all, I love natural methods that work for dealing with medical issues.
I am always surprised when friends complain of palpitations, dizziness, and low blood pressure. I thought I was one of the few who suffered with the trifecta. Several friends suggested that I share what I have learned in a blog post.
I have begun to realize that there is a connection in the symptoms.
I am amazed at the number of women in my age group I know who periodically suffer from palpations, racing or pounding of the heart, noticeably rapid, strong, or irregular heartbeat. “ Palpitations make you feel like your heart is beating too hard or too fast, skipping a beat, or fluttering. You may notice heart palpitations in your chest, throat, or neck.”
I periodically suffer from palpitations, and have identified that for me they are usually due to stress or anxiety, which I learned is common, especially in women. Like many of us Boomers, stress at our age comes from illness, accident, or emergency of a loved one. One would hope we could manage stress but at any age, it might overtake us.
WebMd, which I love, says when you have stress palpations, leave a stressful situation and try to be calm. Anxiety, stress, fear, or panic can cause palpitations.
Trying to be calm has not worked for me in the past. Fortunately, I was referred to Dr. Harmony Reynolds, N.Y. U. Langone Heart Institute, who specializes in women’s heart conditions. The first thing she taught me has solved my problem. Now, when I feel heart palpations, I immediately fill a large glass with ice water and guzzle it. Every time it amazes me how quickly it works. I was with a cardiologist who had two interns with him and told him about this natural miracle. All three touched the right side of their necks at the same time and said, the vagus nerve.
I never heard of the vagus nerve before, but apparently it is important. See, “9 Fascinating Facts About the Vagus Nerve” by Jordan Rosenfeld, NOVEMBER 13, 2018 (UPDATED: APRIL 12, 2021), Mental floss.
On google search, it recommended:
“Stimulation of the vagus nerve with the Valsalva maneuver can help control heart palpitations. The Valsalva maneuver is a procedure in which you hold your nose, close your mouth and try to breathe out, forcibly. This action stimulates the vagus nerve to help stop palpitations and restore your healthy heartbeat.”
I like the ice water maneuver.
Water is a cure for palpations, and palpations can be a sign of dehydration as well. Dizziness also can be caused by dehydration. Yes, we know that the body is primarily made of water, sometimes I read our bodies are two thirds to 80% water. I also know that when one feels thirsty one is already dehydrated. Living in Florida, I always keep a bottle of water nearby. The heat makes one dehydrate easily. In addition to just water, foods that contain water include fruits and certain vegetables, and drinking seltzer and flavored seltzers or flavored waters work as well.
All my life I have had low blood pressure. I have problems if I stand too quickly. I get dizzy quickly. As a yogi, the positions where my head is down are problematic. My yoga teacher taught me a trick when I feel dizzy getting up from a yoga position. She has me make fists and then get up. Now, when I get out of bed, I do it slowly, or alternatively, make fists before I rise. I have taught this helpful natural tip to many others.
This Grandma believes in being forever young, however, we must recognize reality. Yes, as we get longer (we never say older), we get dehydrated more easily, get fatigued more easily, get dizzy more easily. Natural helpful medical tips have limitations. One concern as we get longer we forget. We are seeing multiple specialists who each may prescribe multiple pills for ailments, and we forget the side effects for each may individually cause dizziness, palpations, dehydration, or low blood pressure. When we take two or more with the same side effect, it can exacerbate these conditions.
Please check the side effects of each medication. I keep a chart of the side effects when each new medication is prescribed. When a new medication is sought to be added, discuss any previous side effects that may get worse. Give each treating doctor a list of all medications and update it. When the doctor wants to add or change a medication, always ask the interactions with the medications you are already taking. I cannot tell you how many times the low blood pressure, dizziness, dehydration, and palpitations have been
exacerbated by a medication that I or a loved one are taking.
Yes, pay attention to the side effects for your significant other. More often than not, it is easy to explain away new or worse symptoms as due to living longer, rather than a condition possibly caused by drug interactions. The symptoms may have other causes, and if the natural methods do nothing to help with the symptoms, immediately seek medical advice. . . .
And share every ailment or possible drug side effect, medication you are taking, how much water and liquids you are consuming, and your lifestyle habits. Each and everything we do as we live longer impacts on our health and wellbeing.
We do want many more years, and in good health as possible, with our precious grandchildren.
Joy,
Mema