Does it feel like your heart is beating more powerfully than usual? It’s called a pounding heart. Also sometimes referred to as a bounding pulse, it’s nothing serious most of the time. However, being checked by a cardiologist is important if you have a heart disease or is at risk for it.
There are many different reasons why your heart pounds. If you are out of shape, it’s very much likely for you to encounter it each time you engage in strenuous activities. Are you stressed or suffering from anxiety? Then chances are you will experience it on a regular basis. If you are a coffee drinker, your heart pounding can be a commonplace due to caffeine, a stimulant. Another stimulant that can make your heart pound is nicotine in cigarettes.
Wanting to lose weight and that’s why you are taking diet pills? It’s very much likely for those things that you pop in your mouth to be the cause of that pounding heart because many of them rely on stimulants to work.
A variety of medical conditions can be the root cause, too, and some of them include anemia, asthma and dehydration. Another usual culprit is an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).
Certainly, numerous problems concerning the cardiovascular system can bring about a pounding heart. Most especially if it’s something that is accompanied by symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion and fainting, immediate medical assistance is definitely warranted.
If a cardiologist has just told you that your heart is in a phenomenal shape and you still occasionally get that pounding heart, worry not. There a few lifestyle and dietary changes that you may do in order to bring back a more normal beating of the heart. Some of them include:
Reduce Stress Levels
Living a stressful everyday life? Then you may regularly experience that pounding heart. High levels of stress can surely cause it to strike. Engaging in stress-busting activities such as listening to soothing music, doing yoga or having a professional massage can help bring your stress levels down and put an end to your pounding heart.
Try to Stay Calm
People who are suffering from anxiety can encounter a pounding heart on a regular basis. If you’re one of those individuals, your best defense in preventing or eliminating a pounding heart is by calming down. Thinking positively, taking deep breaths, doing guided meditations — these and many others can help fight off anxiety.
Drink Plenty of Fluids
Medical experts say that being dehydrated can cause your heart to beat much stronger. That’s because it’s trying to supply your body with blood, whose volume has decreased due to dehydration. Making sure that you are drinking enough fluids on an everyday basis can keep that pounding heart from striking.
Reduce Intake of Coffee
Are you a coffee-lover and you are bugged by a pounding heart on a regular basis? It’s quite obvious that the culprit is the beverage you adore so much. Caffeine is a stimulant, thus it can make your heart pound. Limit your consumption of coffee and other caffeinated beverages. The same is true with alcohol, which can also cause the same issue.
Avoid Smoking Cigarettes
Lots of cigarette smokers experience a pounding heart because of their bad habit — they are flooding their systems with nicotine, which is a stimulant. If you are a smoker, turning your back on cigarette smoking can put an end to your pounding heart, plus lower your risk of various deadly diseases.
Lose Excess Pounds
Being out of shape can definitely bring about a pounding heart, most especially when strenuous physical activities are carried out. If you are overweight, it’s a good idea to get rid of those unwanted pounds. Exercising can make your heart race, but it’s a healthy way to get in shape and avoid all sorts of heart-related problems.
Sources: upi.com
