Be Still My Beating Heart

One of the lesser known and understood symptoms that women can experience during perimenopause is an occasional irregular heartbeat otherwise known as a heart palpitation. The most important thing to do if you are experiencing this symptom is to make sure that it is not due to underlying heart disease. Before you blame perimenopause for your palpitations, you will need to see an internist or cardiologist for a basic workup that will include an EKG, Chest Xray and some labs.

Heart Palpitations and Perimenopause

The suddenness and unexpectedness of heart palpitations can be very scary. Your heart will feel like it is racing, pounding, fluttering or skipping beats. The overall experience is an unpleasant awareness of your own heartbeat. This can also be accompanied by feelings of panic, anxiety, sweating, weakness and fatigue.

Once you are sure that you do not have underlying heart disease, there are some natural ways to relieve an irregular heartbeat. Drinking cold water or splashing it on your face may provide an instant end to the sensation. Getting enough sleep and practicing relaxation techniques may also reduce the likelihood of experiencing an occasional irregular heartbeat. There are also triggers you can avoid, like caffeine, appetite suppressants, alcohol, and smoking.

Treating perimenopausal hormonal fluctuations with a continuous low dose birth control pill can often alleviate these palpitations. And if you are already menopausal, hormone therapy has been shown to be helpful as well for overall heart health when used early on in your menopause transition.

Women’s Heart Health

The only heart flutters worth having are those that occur when we fall in love!

So let’s start taking good care of our hearts. Cheers to heart health. I’ll drink to that. Unless, of course, it causes a palpitation!

Menopause Confidential:

Where I reveal the secrets to thriving through midlife- everything you ever wanted to know but were too hot, tired, and cranky to ask.