Ayurvedic Remedies Of Abnormal Heart Rhythms (Arrhythmia)
Heart rhythm problems (heart arrhythmias) occur when the electrical impulses that coordinate your heartbeats don’t work properly, causing your heart to beat too fast, too slow or irregularly. Heart arrhythmias (uh-RITH-me-uhs) may feel like a fluttering or racing heart and may be harmless. However, some heart arrhythmias may cause bothersome — sometimes even life-threatening — signs and symptoms.
In Ayurveda there are three energies – vata, pitta and kapha in our body which helps to maintain a good health. Imbalance of any of three energies results in the health complications. Abnormal Heart Rhythm is due to the imbalance of all three energies (vata, pitta and kapha).
- Imbalanced Vata dosha causes the irregular heartbeat.
- Aggravated Pitta dosha is responsible for increased heartbeat.
- Imbalanced in Kapha dosha results in the slow heartbeat.
From Ayurvedic perspective to manage Abnormal Heart Rhythm, there are various Herbs like Flaxseed, Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa), Shankhapushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Pipal tvak ( Ficus religiosa), Dalchini (Cinnamon tamala), Choti Elaichi (Elettaria cardamomum) present in Ayurveda which are packed with cardioprotective properties and helps to strength the heart muscles in a natural way. Though diseases take time to show their effects but they try to resolve the ailment from root.
What’s a normal heartbeat?
Your heart is made up of four chambers — two upper chambers (atria) and two lower chambers (ventricles). Your heart rhythm is normally controlled by a natural pacemaker (sinus node) located in the right atrium. The sinus node produces electrical impulses that normally start each heartbeat. These impulses cause the atria muscles to contract and pump blood into the ventricles. The electrical impulses then arrive at a cluster of cells called the atrioventricular (AV) node. The AV node slows down the electrical signal before sending it to the ventricles. This slight delay allows the ventricles to fill with blood. When electrical impulses reach the muscles of the ventricles, they contract, causing them to pump blood either to the lungs or to the rest of the body. In a healthy heart, this process usually goes smoothly, resulting in a normal resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats a minute.
Types of Arrhythmia
Doctors classify arrhythmia not only by where they originate (atria or ventricles) but also by the speed of heart rate they cause:
Tachycardia (tak-ih-KAHR-dee-uh). This refers to a fast heartbeat — a resting heart rate greater than 100 beats a minute.
Bradycardia (brad-e-KAHR-dee-uh). This refers to a slow heartbeat — a resting heart rate less than 60 beats a minute.
Not all tachycardias or bradycardias mean you have heart disease. For example, during exercise it’s normal to develop a fast heartbeat as the heart speeds up to provide your tissues with more oxygen-rich blood. During sleep or times of deep relaxation, it’s not unusual for the heartbeat to be slower.
Noticeable Arrhythmia Symptoms May Include:
- A fluttering in your chest
- A racing heartbeat (tachycardia)
- Irregular pulse
- Heart palpitations
- A slow heartbeat (bradycardia)
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
Causes :
- A heart attack that’s occurring right now
- Coronary heart diseases
- Use of certain medications like amphetamines (stimulate brain) and beta blockers (reduce high blood pressure) which can cause the irregular heart beat rate
- Heart abnormalities
- High blood pressure
- Imbalance of electrolytes (sodium and potassium) in the blood
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Overweight