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Is Skipped Beats In EKG Related To My Digestion Issue?

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Posted on Wed, 8 Jan 2014
Question: Dear dr, I'm experiencing skipped heartbeats 1 year ago. Terrified , I went to a cardio n had 2 EKG done n wore a holter. EKG was normal n holter showed 451 skipped beats/pvcs . The dr isn't too concern and ask me to rest well n less stress . The skipped beats came n go. Sometime disappearing for few weeks n back again. Recently it had came back with a vengeance! Especially after I had my meals , the skipped beats are too hard to ignore..!! After few hours it subside... It seemed to be related to my digestion issue. It's especially so when I had gas, bloating or after food rumbling in my stomach ... The skipped beats are terribly annoying.. Usually I XXXXXXX feel them when resting and they are least obvious the first one hour when I woke up in the morning , once I had my breakfast the beats will slowly come and increases in the day. Pls XXXXXXX tell me to ignore them becos they are there !!! Had it got to do with digestion. ? Or climate change as I'm working in a winter city... ? Pls advise
doctor
Answered by Dr. Benard Shehu (1 hour later)
Brief Answer: Please refer to the answer below. Detailed Answer: Hi, I read your medical history carefully and understood your concerns. Having irregular heartbeats or palpitations is normal among healthy people, especially when they are physically and/or emotionally involved. As long as your cardiac check-up did not result anything; then, there is nothing to be worried about any probable heart damage/problem. You are also saying to have palpitations after having your meal. If this is your case, the most probable causes could be as following: - reactive hypoglycemia (or post-prandial hypoglycemia): low blood sugar due to high levels of insulin after eating. So, I'd suggest to measure your blood sugar at the time you are having palpitations to rule it out. - having high-calorie meals: when you consume large amounts of foods and with high calories, heart palpitations could be one of its side effect of high calories introduced to the body - having stomach/bowel problems including indigestions, candida infection, colitis,etc could also be associated with heart palpitations. I'd advise to: - have your meals regularly, eat slowly, often and small amounts - avoid foods high in calories, fats, carbonated or caffeine (stimulants) - do not lay down immediately after eating - do use 2 pillows when sleeping - consult a GI specialist and run further tests to rule out gastro-intestinal problems. All the best! Dr.Benard Feel free to ask me again if you have other questions!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj
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Follow up: Dr. Benard Shehu (29 minutes later)
Dear dr, Thks for your prompt reply. May I know if change in weather climate can trigger such things? I had the same issue last winter. Or perhaps I'm being too observant ?? Like we avoid cold food n drinks, but can't avoid cold air atmosphere when we breathe n talk ..?? Worth considering ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Benard Shehu (2 hours later)
Brief Answer: Please refer to the following answer. Detailed Answer: Hi XXXXXXX Thank you for writing back. Yes, it is true that cold climate can trigger heart palpitations. Avoiding foods and drinks that can precipitate irregular heart beats can be helpful. With regards to the cold air, there is no way to change the weather. But, you can change the conditions of the air inside your home. In other words, keep your home area warmed and humid. When going out, can wear scarf as a facial mask in order to inhale the "warmed" air through the scarf and not the outer air. All the best! Dr.Benard
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
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Dr. Benard Shehu

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Is Skipped Beats In EKG Related To My Digestion Issue?

Brief Answer: Please refer to the answer below. Detailed Answer: Hi, I read your medical history carefully and understood your concerns. Having irregular heartbeats or palpitations is normal among healthy people, especially when they are physically and/or emotionally involved. As long as your cardiac check-up did not result anything; then, there is nothing to be worried about any probable heart damage/problem. You are also saying to have palpitations after having your meal. If this is your case, the most probable causes could be as following: - reactive hypoglycemia (or post-prandial hypoglycemia): low blood sugar due to high levels of insulin after eating. So, I'd suggest to measure your blood sugar at the time you are having palpitations to rule it out. - having high-calorie meals: when you consume large amounts of foods and with high calories, heart palpitations could be one of its side effect of high calories introduced to the body - having stomach/bowel problems including indigestions, candida infection, colitis,etc could also be associated with heart palpitations. I'd advise to: - have your meals regularly, eat slowly, often and small amounts - avoid foods high in calories, fats, carbonated or caffeine (stimulants) - do not lay down immediately after eating - do use 2 pillows when sleeping - consult a GI specialist and run further tests to rule out gastro-intestinal problems. All the best! Dr.Benard Feel free to ask me again if you have other questions!