Our blog discusses which lifestyle changes may help you manage arrhythmia and how these factors affect your health. Many people are told by their doctors to cut down on alcohol consumption, quit smoking, or exercise more without being told why. It’s easy to think that doctors are just doing it because they’re supposed to tell everyone to do these things, but here are the exact benefits of these lifestyle changes. 

Managing arrhythmia at home

There are many types of arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), and each person needs to adapt their treatment for their condition and needs. Remember to take your medication exactly as your doctor or specialist has told you to gain the full benefit.  

Aside from your recommended treatment, you can change your daily routine to prevent uncomfortable symptoms such as breathlessness and palpitations. Once you have found potential triggers, you can alter your lifestyle to manage them accordingly. For example, exercising more, developing a better sleep habit, and eating more healthily. 

Monitoring your pulse

Remote heart monitoring via your smartphone or watch can help you keep track of abnormal heart rhythms. Some devices can detect and record an irregular rhythm. With these, it might be easier to figure out what could be triggering your condition.  

You may also find it easier to decide when to book a follow-up appointment with your cardiologist. As some people experience few or minor symptoms with a serious condition, a remote heart monitor may help you recognise if your current medication is ineffective. 

Vagal manoeuvres

We might recommend vagal manoeuvres if you have a fast heartbeat due to supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or paroxysmal (occasional) atrial fibrillation (AF). A vagal manoeuvre helps you slow your heartbeat by stimulating your vagus nerve. The vagus nerve travels from the brainstem to the abdomen and is the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).  

The PNS is responsible for relaxing our bodies after danger or stress. It can lower our blood pressure, slow our breathing and heart rate, and help us settle into a relaxed state. 

Examples of vagal manoeuvres: 

  • Valsalva manoeuvres – forcing an outward breath against closed airways 
  • Carotid sinus massage – massaging the carotid artery for five to ten seconds 
  • Performing a handstand for 30 seconds, if you can 
  • Dunking or splashing your face with ice-cold water 
  • Straining while holding your breath 
  • Activating your gag reflex 
  • Coughing 

Speak to our specialist before trying a vagal manoeuvre, as they are not safe or right for everyone. 

Unhealthy habits

Many factors can increase our risk of problems with arrhythmia, such as drinking alcohol, smoking and other stimulants.  

Drinking alcohol often, whether a little or a lot, can increase your risk of heart rhythm problems and trigger an episode. It can also increase your blood pressure and risk of heart disease. 

Certain gums and patches may help you quit smoking. The NHS also runs smoking cessation programmes to provide support and personal advice for quitting. There are many positives to quitting smoking. Smoking can trigger an arrhythmia and raise the risk of diabetes, stroke, infections, heart disease, and lung cancer. Nicotine is also a stimulant which can increase your heart rate. 

Other stimulants, such as artificial caffeine, speed up your heart rate. Some people find that caffeine causes palpitations and worsens other symptoms. However, coffee, a natural source of caffeine, may reduce AF symptoms in men in small amounts – one to three cups daily. Discuss your circumstances with our specialist to decide whether this may benefit you. You may not be aware that some over-the-counter medications are stimulants. Ask our cardiologist for advice before trying any new medication that you don’t have a prescription for. 

Exercise and physical inactivity

While exercise is crucial for supporting good overall and heart health, an inactive lifestyle can cause multiple health problems.  

Sitting for prolonged periods with little movement can increase your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Physical inactivity can also lead to a build-up of fatty material in your arteries. Blocked arteries can cause a heart attack or stroke, which people with arrhythmias already have a higher risk of. AF, in particular, is a risk factor for stroke. 

However, when we recommend improving your physical activity, we mean gradually and at a level you can handle. Steadily increase your movements, from trying to do more housework or gardening to taking short walks that slowly get longer or faster. If you can, try to incorporate some moderate exercise into your week, ideally 150 minutes, or 2 and a half hours, per week. Our cardiologist can work with you to ensure your exercise plan is not too strenuous. 

Regular exercise can also help your mental health. Dealing with a heart condition can be stressful and anxiety-inducing, but exercise may help you manage some of this stress and anxiety. Certain exercises, such as yoga, are encouraged for improving your mental health. Some studies show that yoga can also reduce symptomatic and asymptomatic AF episodes alongside anti-arrhythmics. 

Diet

Your diet plays a vital role in the health of your heart. A heart-healthy diet is low in salt and solid fats. You could replace salt with fresh herbs for flavour and reduce your fat intake by eating lean meats. Instead of cooking with butter or vegetable oil, try olive oil. 

Reduce your snacking habits if you often reach for processed foods when bored. If you are feeling a little hungry, try a healthier snack, such as cut slices of pepper or cucumber. Less often, you could have a handful of nuts as a snack. 

We recommend including a diverse range of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet and fish twice a week. Many studies show the benefits of eating a Mediterranean diet for heart health. It may also help with managing blood pressure and blood sugar problems, preventing obesity by controlling weight, and avoiding other health issues. 

Obesity 

People who are obese will develop structural and functional changes in their heart. As a result, they may experience more abnormal rhythms. One of the changes obesity causes is left ventricular hypertrophy. This means the wall of the left ventricle thickens, affecting the heart’s ability to pump blood. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is common in people who are obese and may further increase your risk of abnormal rhythms. 

Sleep

Poor sleep can cause palpitations, a faster heart rate, and increase your risk of an irregular heart rhythm. People with sleep disorders, such as insomnia and OSA, have a higher risk of AF and vice versa. 

OSA causes a person to stop breathing temporarily while they sleep. Some sleeping apps may help you discover whether this is happening to you, and you could also ask a partner if they have noticed anything similar. There are many methods of managing OSA, such as changing sleeping positions, reducing alcohol intake, or using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. Talk to our cardiologist about your risk of OSA if you haven’t done so already. 

Managing other problems

Managing other health conditions and problems, such as diabetes, can prevent or reduce the risk of an irregular heart rhythm. Ensure your doctor monitors all aspects of your health to put you in the best place for treatment to work. You may be experiencing similar symptoms to arrhythmia because of another condition. Managing all health issues can help us check which one is causing your symptoms. 

Our other blogs may help you learn more about managing health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. 

If you’re experiencing mental health difficulties that worsen or are due to your condition, controlling these may reduce your symptoms. Certain emotions have greater links between AF episodes, such as anger, stress, impatience, anxiety and depression.  

Mindfulness or relaxation activities may help as well as breathing exercises. Acupuncture, along with its mental health benefits, has also shown to reducing abnormal rhythms in people with arrhythmia alongside anti-arrhythmics. Visit our blog for more tips on managing your mental health: How to calm your anxious heart. 

When is further treatment necessary?

Whether you need further treatment or not will depend on how your symptoms affect you, the severity of your condition, and which arrhythmia you have. We may recommend monitoring your condition or starting anti-arrhythmic medications to prevent an episode. 

Some conditions require immediate surgical intervention, such as catheter ablation or insertion of a cardiac device like an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or a pacemaker. Read our blog to discover four common arrhythmias treated with catheter ablation. 

Visiting the London Heart Clinic

Only a specialist can evaluate whether your arrhythmia needs medical intervention. You should watch your condition and always seek professional help if you are concerned about your symptoms. Book an appointment with our Heart Rhythm Specialist, Dr Syed Ahsan, today to learn how to manage your arrhythmia.

You might also like

VIEW All