Palpitations, pressure fluctuations, chest pains ... Often the cause of these problems is not in romantic feelings, but in the intense rhythm of life.
Our whole life is sheer stress! Repeating this common phrase over and over again, we don’t even think about the consequences of physical and emotional overload. Today, problems with heart and blood pressure are found not only in older people - unfortunately, these diseases have significantly “rejuvenated”. And we ourselves can only stop their further development.
Heartbeat
Usually a person does not feel the beat of his heart. But sometimes the knock of the "fiery motor" becomes so strong that it is given in the ears, chest, temples, epigastric region or fingertips. Such a heartbeat can be accompanied by a pulsation of the vessels of the neck, tinnitus, pain in the region of the heart, a feeling of discomfort in the chest, difficulty breathing. It can be difficult to fall asleep, it seems that even the bed is pulsating with your heart. In this case, the pulse rate remains completely normal, and the examinations carried out for signs of heart damage do not record. In scientific terms, such a heartbeat is called an amplified heart beat. As a rule, it occurs against the background of a prolonged emotional overstrain: during the session, during an emergency at work, etc.
Tip: learn to relax! If you have a hard day, go to the pool in the evening, go to the gym, or just take a walk in the park. Physical activity perfectly relieves stress, reduces the level of stress hormones in the blood and helps bring the heart rate back to normal.
Pulse
From increased heartbeat, an increase in heart rate (HR) - tachycardia should be distinguished. In an adult, at rest, the pulse rate ranges from 60−80 beats per minute. Does your heart make 10-15 beats more than normal? The reasons can be different: heat, a quick climb up the stairs, a sudden fright, caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, cola), some medications (especially for a runny nose or hypertension). If there are no provocative factors, but the pulse is still constantly increasing to 96 or more beats per minute, you should be wary. The fact that the heart rate has reached alarming values will be indicated by unpleasant sensations when it seems that the heart is about to jump out of the chest, and with the slightest physical exertion weakness and shortness of breath occur.
Tip: the next technique will help calm the heartbeat. Close your eyes and press for 10 seconds with the pads of the middle and index fingers of both hands on the eyeballs. Repeat 3 times in a minute. But the main thing - do not postpone the visit to the clinic! Such tap dance is dangerous: it depletes the energy reserves of the heart muscle. Get examined by a cardiologist, neurologist, and endocrinologist. The most likely diagnoses are paroxysmal tachycardia, hyperfunction of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands.
Slow rhythm
Sometimes, on the contrary, the heart beats very slowly. If the pulse is only 50-60 beats per minute, perhaps it is already a matter of bradycardia. With this disease, the heart beats too rarely, the blood supply to organs and tissues worsens - as a result, the brain, kidneys and the heart itself begin to suffer from a lack of oxygen and nutrients. When heart rate drops to 40 beats per minute, sharp weakness, dizziness, fainting, and short-term loss of consciousness occur.
Tip: be sure to consult a doctor. Bradycardia can be functional if the cause of the rare rhythm is not associated with the heart (for example, with cholecystitis), or organic with angina, inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) or its other diseases (cardiopathies). Let an expert make an accurate diagnosis.
Chest pain
It is not always associated with the heart, as is often believed. One possible cause is osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine. In this case, there is a feeling that the pain pierces the person through, does not allow to take a deep breath, and when the position of the body changes, it only intensifies. Another cause is lung disease - then the pain intensifies during a deep breath. However, chest pain often accompanies esophageal diseases, such as a hiatal hernia, diverticula, and inflammation of the mucosa. In addition, peptic ulcer, inflammation of the gallbladder and pancreas can be masked as heart ailments.
Tip: with incomprehensible pain in the chest, do not self-medicate, you must undergo a medical examination.
Low pressure
Some say that arterial hypotension is the "sister" of hypertension. Others consider low blood pressure not a disease, but a physiological feature of the body. Meanwhile, hypotension causes many problems: headaches, decreased performance, weather sensitivity, poor mood, discomfort in the heart. We add that with hypotension, the level of physical activity often decreases, sexual function is impaired. Often, with age, hypotensives turn into a squad of hypertensive patients, and for them even a small jump in pressure can become a hypertensive crisis. Alas, no effective medications have been found to treat this ailment. Nevertheless, you can keep pressure under control.
Tip: learn to get up correctly. If a hypotonic patient jumps out of bed abruptly, he may lose consciousness. Having woken up, do not get out of bed, do light gymnastics: rub your ears, rotate with your hands, bend and bend your knees. Having warmed up a bit, take a contrast shower (without sudden changes in water temperature). Water procedures improve blood circulation, and at the same time charge with vigor and energy for the whole day. Be sure to do sports: swimming, yoga, aerobics - that’s what you need. Natural stimulants - infusions or decoctions of Eleutherococcus, ginseng, lemongrass - will also help keep the vessels in good shape. Coffee is also not forbidden, but not more than 1 cup per day.
Above norm
● About 40% of the adult population suffers from arterial hypertension, but only half of them control the pressure and follow the recommendations of the attending physician. The rest either do not know about their disease, or are treated irregularly. By the way, hypertension can also be secondary in nature, that is, develop against the background of other diseases associated with the endocrine system, kidneys, etc. In any case, hypertension cannot be taken lightly, because it can lead to such serious complications as heart failure, heart attack, stroke.
● EVERY HOUSE SHOULD BE A TONOMETER - a device for measuring pressure. Depending on your weight, age, concomitant diseases, it can range from 120 / 80–135 / 85 mm Hg. Does the tonometer show 140/90 or more? This is an alarming symptom. If, within two weeks of regular measurements, the pressure rises above these figures 2-3 times, be sure to consult a doctor and do a comprehensive examination: blood, urine, electrocardiogram, ultrasound of the heart and blood vessels, chest x-ray.
● EXTRA WEIGHT provokes the development of hypertension: among obese people, it occurs 3-4 times more often. Therefore, it is important to monitor your diet, be sure to include in it products that reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood: fish, vegetable oil, legumes, vegetables and fruits. And preparations with vitamins A, B, C, E and P, magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc in general will strengthen the heart and blood vessels.
TEXT: ELENA SHVEDOVA. PHOTO: FOTOLIA.COM
Material prepared by Julia Dekanova
