Can Allergy Cause Heart Palpitations

Can I Experience Heart Palpitations During Panic Attacks

The startle effect releases substances in the body such as adrenaline which cause the heart rate to increase and the heart to beat more vigorously, creating a sensation of panic, heart pounding and heart racing. This is the experience of becoming aware of a natural or normal functioning of the nervous system. Anxiety, panic, and startling cause the adrenaline level to rise and create the sensation of palpitation.

Heart Palpitations: Frequently Asked Questions

The symptoms of palpitations vary from patient to patient with some common features.

A perception of irregularity of the pulse, an uneasiness in the chest, a flip-flopping in the chest frequently people describe their palpitations as “my heart stops.” Certainly a feeling of strong pulse throughout the chest, head, and neck could well be described as a palpitation.

Occasionally palpitations can be perceived in unusual ways including a general sense of uneasiness, and, rarely, palpitations are associated with lightheadedness or even loss of consciousness.

What Allergy Medicines Can I Safely Take If I Have Heart Disease Or High Blood Pressure

Oklahoma Heart Institute Director of Interventional Laboratories, Dr. Wayne Leimbach, shares insights on allergies, heart disease and high blood pressure on our blog today.

Springtime brings not only beautiful weather and beautiful flowers, but it also brings high pollen counts and suffering to people with allergies. Many people often ask what allergy medicines can I safely take if I have heart disease or high blood pressure. Many allergy medications include decongestants that can raise blood pressure, create palpitations and interfere with some other heart medications.

Medications that often can be safely used by people with significant allergies include nasal corticosteroids. In addition, antihistamines are very effective. The antihistamines include fexofenadine , cetirizine , loratadine and diphenhydramine .

Often manufactures will include a decongestant with the antihistamines in order to provide additional control of the runny nose often seen with allergies. Manufacturers will often indicate which of the antihistamines also contain a decongestant by adding the letter D to the name of the medicine. These decongestants can be phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine or oxymetazoline.

Therefore, advertised medicines such as Allegra, Zyrtec, or Claritin should be safe for most patients with heart disease and allergies however, Allegra-D, Zyrtec-D, Claritin-D could cause problems for patients with allergies and heart disease.

Read Also: Claritin Dissolving Tablets

What To Do If Foods Cause You Heart Palpitations

First off, take note if you feel any additional symptoms, because those could signal that youre experiencing more than simple palpitations. Seek emergency medical help if at any point you also have:

• Shortness of breath
• Pain or discomfort in the upper back, arms, neck, or jaw
• Feeling of impending doom

If its the first time youve ever noticed heart palpitations, make a follow-up appointment with your doctor. Its likely nothing is wrong, but its always best to err on the side of caution and make sure that the food-related episode isnt the first sign of a bigger issue.

Next, start a log and record times when the palpitations recur. Note what you ate or drank and what sort of emotional state you were in. If specific foods or beverages tend to cause recurrences, take that as a sign you should reduce or eliminate those foods from your diet. Your body and your heart couldnt be telling you any more clearly that those substances are doing you harm.

Why Are Decongestants Bad For Your Heart

You reach for a decongestant to help clear a runny, stuffy nose. A decongestant eases congestion by constricting the blood vessels in your nasal passages. This dries up nasal mucus.

But these medications can also abnormally stimulate the heart and blood vessels throughout the body. This can cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, or skipped beats. And it can interfere with your heart medications, Dr. Kaminski says.

If you have a heart condition, heart palpitations can last several hours after you take a decongestant. It is a dangerous and worrisome feeling that should be avoided at all costs.

Recommended Reading: Antihistamine Effect On Blood Pressure

A Look At Allergies And Heart Health With Tips To Endure Pollen Season Amid Coronavirus Fears

Lea en español

Spring brings warmer temperatures, blooming flowers and, for millions of Americans, the arrival of allergy season. It also coincides this year with the arrival of COVID-19, which could make allergy sufferers hyperaware of every sneeze and sniffle.

But there are key differences in symptoms. Seasonal allergies can cause sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and cough. Yet unlike allergies, coronavirus causes a fever, with other symptoms including cough and shortness of breath.

When seeking relief, people with allergies who are concerned about heart disease or high blood pressure must be especially careful when taking blood pressure-raising, over-the-counter decongestants. They’re also stimulants, which can increase heart rate.

But determining the extent of the direct connection between allergies and heart health is a topic that needs more research. A look at two studies offers examples of differing conclusions.

A 2016 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology examined the relationship between airborne allergen concentrations and emergency room visits for heart attacks in Ontario, Canada, from 2004-2011. The study found the risk of having a heart attack was 5.5% higher on days with the highest pollen levels compared to days with the lowest levels. Heart attack risk was highest in May and June, when tree and grass pollen are most common.

And her advice for patients still hasn’t changed.

Other general tips for allergy sufferers:

Getting Help For Allergies

See a GP if you think you or your child might have had an allergic reaction to something.

The symptoms of an allergic reaction can also be caused by other conditions.

A GP can help determine whether it’s likely you have an allergy.

If they think you might have a mild allergy, they can offer advice and treatment to help manage the condition.

If your allergy is particularly severe or it’s not clear what you’re allergic to, they may refer you to an allergy specialist for testing and advice about treatment.

Recommended Reading: Zyrtec Allergic Reactions

Are Pvcs That I Can Feel More Significant Than Those I Can’t

There is no prognostic difference between the PVCs that are felt by the patient and those that are not. Obviously the symptomatic PVCs are of more concern to the patient because they can be annoying and distracting. Beyond that, the PVCs are all the same, prognostically. In most patients who are otherwise healthy, PVCs on a Holter are of little prognostic value regardless of whether they’re experienced or not.

Can Allergies Cause Heart Palpitations Yes They Do

Do you doubt that can allergies cause heart palpitations? Yes, allergies sometimes in rare conditions can cause heart palpitations.

Sometimes, food allergies, drug allergies, and even insect allergies can cause heart palpitations.

Heart palpitations are not life threatening in most of the cases, they go away by themselves. But it is best to consult a doctor, if you are regularly having them.

Read Also: What’s The Difference Between Zyrtec And Claritin

The Heart As A Source Of Mediators Of Anaphylaxis

Studies performed with human hearts obtained from recipients of transplants have shown clearly that cardiac tissue from patients with ischaemic or dilated cardiomyopathies contains a significantly larger number of mast cells compared to hearts from normal individuals who have died accidentally . Consequently, the cardiac tissue from patients with heart diseases contains and releases larger quantities of mast cell-derived mediators upon immunological and non-immunological activation . These observations may contribute to explaining why cardiac manifestations of anaphylaxis are more severe in patients with ischaemic or degenerative heart diseases.

How Does It Feel While Having Heart Palpitations

Actually, heart palpitations is abnormal beating of heart i.e. heart beats very fast. We will even experience uneasiness in chest, dizziness, and difficulty in breathing along with this racing heart beat.

Apart from allergies, it is caused by stress, anxiety, during pregnancy, panic attacks, being anemic, heart problems, caffeine, nicotine, low blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, etc.

Read Also: Dextromethorphan Allergy

Palpitations Of The Heart

Palpitations are a sensation or awareness of your heart beating. They may feel like your heart is racing, thumping or skipping beats. Almost everyone has had palpitations at some time in their life. They are usually associated with an abnormal heart rhythm .

Palpitations may have no obvious cause, but can be triggered by:

• physical activity
• nicotine
• illicit substances.

An occasional palpitation that does not affect your general health is not usually something to worry about. However, see your doctor if you have more frequent or consistent palpitations, which may be associated with a serious arrhythmia.

Why High Blood Pressure And Cold Meds Dont Mix

Cold medicines are not off-limits if you have heart disease, but patients with high blood pressure, or hypertension, should check the label carefully when choosing a cold or allergy medicine.

LISTEN UP: Add the new Michigan Medicine News Break to your Alexa-enabled device, or subscribe to our daily audio updates on iTunes, and Stitcher.

Thats because decongestants such as pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, phenylephrine, naphazoline and oxymetazoline can increase your blood pressure and heart rate. Make sure the cold or allergy medication you plan to take is free of those ingredients.

For allergy sufferers with heart disease, medicines such as Allegra, Zyrtec or Claritin should be safe. However, medicines containing decongestants including Allegra-D, Zyrtec-D and Claritin-D could increase your blood pressure and heart rate or interfere with your heart medication.

Also Check: Allergies Swollen Lymph Nodes

Managing A Cold With Hypertension

If you cant take a decongestant because of high blood pressure, there are other ways to reduce your cold or allergy symptoms:

• Take Coricidin HBP, which is free of decongestants

• Drink plenty of fluids including water, juice, tea and soup to prevent dehydration and clear mucus from your lungs

• Take a pain reliever such as Tylenol or Motrin for fever, sore throat, body aches and headache

• Flush your sinuses with a saline spray to relieve nasal congestion

• Soothe a sore or scratchy throat with lozenges

• Use a vaporizer or humidifier if necessary to boost humidity

• Get plenty of rest

• Return to your doctor after five to seven days to make sure youre on the road to recovery

Why Your Heart Pounds Fast After Eating

With the winter holidays over, its time to get back to healthy eating and, for some residents, cold weather workouts. The holidays for many folks mean time spent with friends and family. It also means heavier meals and more opportunities to eat a few too many sweets. Whether you change your eating patterns at this time of year, or you stay consistent year-round, you may have noticed something unusual after you finished eating. In this post, we examine why some people experience a pounding heart after finishing a meal.

You May Like: Robitussin Runny Nose

Is Caffeine Causing My Heart Palpitations

For years researchers believed caffeines stimulant effects on the heart were responsible for heart palpitations. Recent research suggests this isnt necessarily the case. That doesnt mean caffeine isnt causing your heart symptoms, and it doesnt vindicate caffeine completely.

The body adapts to the effects of caffeine. Therefore, healthy people who regularly drink coffee are unlikely to experience symptoms such as heart palpitations. Caffeine can cause heart palpitations in people with a sensitivity to caffeine and those with an underlying heart condition.

If youre new to caffeine consumption or drink excess amounts, youre more likely to experience heart symptoms. The only way to know for sure is to visit a heart specialist for a checkup.

Dangers Of Allergy Meds For Your Heart

Have high blood pressure, heart rhythm problems, or another heart condition? Heres what you need to know about allergy drugs.

Allergy medications might seem harmless enough they’re sold over the counter , so that makes them safe, right?

Not necessarily.

Though allergy drugs can stop the misery of seasonal bouts with pollen, hay fever, and grasses, some can aggravate a heart condition, or be downright dangerous when mixed with blood pressure drugs and certain heart medicines.

“If a patient has allergies or a cold and is considering OTC medications, it is always recommended to talk with the pharmacist on site, or to ask your physician for recommendations in the context of the other medications that are prescribed,” says L. Kristin Newby, MD, MHS, a cardiology professor at Duke Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

“Some OTC medications for example, those containing pseudoephedrine or similar components may cause increases in heart rate or blood pressure that could exacerbate some cardiac conditions,” explains Dr. Newby.

Don’t Miss: Clariton Medicine

So Why Are Decongestants Bad For Your Heart

You reach for a decongestant to help clear a runny, stuffy nose. A decongestant eases congestion by constricting the blood vessels in your nasal passages. This dries up nasal mucus.

But these medications can also abnormally stimulate the heart and blood vessels throughout the body. This can cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, or skipped beats. And it can interfere with your heart medications, Dr. Kaminski says.

If you have a heart condition, heart palpitations can last several hours after you take a decongestant. It is a dangerous and worrisome feeling that should be avoided at all costs.

How Your Heart Works

Your heart has a right side and a left side, separated by a wall. Each side has a small collecting chamber , which leads into a large pumping chamber . There are four chambers the left atrium and right atrium , and the left ventricle and right ventricle .

Normally, the upper chambers of your heart contract first and push blood into the lower chambers . The ventricles then contract the right ventricle pumping blood to your lungs and the left ventricle pumping blood to the rest of your body.

In a healthy heart, heartbeats are set off by tiny electrical signals that come from your hearts natural pacemaker a small area of your heart called the sinus node, located in the top of the right atrium. These signals travel rapidly throughout the atria to make sure that all the hearts muscle fibres contract at the same time, pushing blood into the ventricles.

These same electrical signals are passed on to the ventricles via the atrioventricular node and cause the ventricles to contract a short time later, after they have been filled with blood from the atria. This normal heart rhythm is called the sinus rhythm, because it is controlled by the sinus node.

Don’t Miss: Robitussin For Nasal Congestion

What Are The Health Risks Of Experiencing Heart Palpitations

The irregularity of the heart rhythm per se usually does no damage to the heart itself. Patients with a very rapid heart over a long period of time do run a risk of developing enlargement and failure of the heart.

We see heart enlargment with a very common cause of palpitations called atrial fibrillation. Patients can be in atrial fibrillation for many years without harm, but some patients with very little symptoms may have too rapid and irregular a rhythm present with symptoms of heart failure. There may also be some increased risk of stroke because of blood clots that can form in association with atrial fibrillation.

Can Herbal Remedies Help Prevent Heart Palpitations

In terms of herbal remedies, I am not aware of an herbal remedy specifically effective for heart palpitation. I should say that low levels of potassium or magnesium in the body may be associated with palpitations and occasionally even more severe heart rhythm disorders, and in those cases supplements or foods high in potassium and magnesium are quite helpful.

Recommended Reading: Do Allergies Cause Swollen Lymph Nodes

Can Antihistamines Cause Rapid Heart Rate

A antihistamine is generally safe for patients with high blood pressure and other forms of heart disease, according to Richard Krasuski, MD, director of adult congenital heart disease services at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, but it may raise blood pressure or increase heart rate, according to the U.S

Preventing Food Allergy In Children

Allergy prevention in children is an active area of research. Findings to date indicate that:

• prenatal there is no conclusive evidence that avoiding allergens in pregnancy will help prevent allergies in your child
• postnatal exclusive breastfeeding during the first four to six months appears to protect against the development of allergies in early childhood.
• introducing solid foods around six months is recommended, preferably while continuing to breastfeed
• breastfeeding avoidance of a food by a woman while breastfeeding is not recommended
• soymilk formula studies have shown that using soymilk formula does not prevent the development of allergies in children
• partially hydrolysed cows milk-based formula is not recommended to prevent the development of food allergy.

You May Like: Clartin

Food Allergy Signs And Symptoms

Food allergy signs and symptoms can range from mild tosevere and affect each individual differently. The amount of food necessary tocause an allergic reaction also varies widely from person to person. Allergysymptoms can occur within minutes of being exposed to food allergens or up toseveral hours later. Not every person will experience all symptoms of anallergic reaction, but common signs and symptoms include the following.

· Hives or eczema red, swollen, dry or itchyskin rash

· Runny or stuffy nose, sneezing or a dry cough

· Itchy, watery, red eyes

· Itchy or tingling mouth or inner ear

· Burning sensation on lips or in mouth

· Funny taste in the mouth

· Upset stomach, cramps, vomiting or diarrhea

· Squeaky voice or slurred speech

Signs and symptoms of a more severe allergic reactioninclude:

· Trouble breathing or swallowing

· Swollen lips, tongue or throat

· Feeling weak, confused or light-headed

· Loss of consciousness

· Chest pain or weak, uneven heartbeat

Ventricular Tachycardia Following Ingestion Of A Commonly Used Antihistamine

Non-sedating antihistamines are available as over-the-counter preparations and have been widely promoted in public advertisements. However, two such antihistamines, terfenadine and astemizole, have been withdrawn in Australia and overseas. Their use was associated with ventricular arrhythmias QT-interval prolongation on the surface electrocardiogram and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia .13

We report a case of ventricular tachycardia which was probably torsade de pointes following ingestion of a single tablet of loratadine.

A 43-year-old woman presented after her identical twin died suddenly, presumably from cardiac arrhythmia. The patient was asymptomatic, had no other risk factors and was not taking any regular medication. Clinical examination showed evidence of mitral valve prolapse, with normal left ventricular function and trivial mitral regurgitation on echocardiography. Several ECGs and her biochemical profile were normal. An electrophysiological study did not show inducible ventricular arrhythmias with standard stimulation testing or adrenaline provocation. Atrial fibrillation was induced during catheter introduction into the right atrium, with ventricular rate less than 130/minute. A prophylactic automatic implantable defibrillator was subsequently inserted. Transient prolongation of the QT interval was noted on ECG monitoring in association with non-sustained VT within 48 hours of the implant.

ECG strip showing sinus bradycardia and a normal QT interval .

Also Check: Difference Between Fexofenadine And Loratadine