From this article you will learn: what to do at home with a low heart rate. When to seek medical help, and in which cases you can manage yourself. Detailed simple but effective methods of increasing the heart rate( HR) are described in detail.
The content of the article:
- Algorithm: what to do with a low heart rate
- Methods of rapid pulse increase
- "Long-term" methods »
Normally, the heart rate in an adult is 60 to 90 beats per minute. Decrease in frequency below 55-60 strokes is considered a low pulse - bradycardia. Bradycardia can be both a normal condition of a person, and require emergency medical care.
Fighting bradycardia at home is possible and necessary, but only if the cause of its occurrence is known. The reduced pulse is successfully treated.
What to do with a low pulse
- With a pulse below 40, you should immediately call an ambulance. With pain behind the breastbone, the patient must be given nitroglycerin under the tongue.
- If your heart rate is between 40 and 55, you need to seek medical help in a planned manner. Only a qualified doctor will accurately determine the cause of bradycardia and prescribe the treatment of the underlying disease. As a rule, treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis.
- If the cause of bradycardia is known and the pulse is above 40, then home methods can be used( if you know the cause of the problem).
Methods for rapid heartbeat
This section describes methods that allow you to quickly increase the heart rate. They start to work in a few minutes, and they are easy to apply at home.
Caffeine
To raise the pulse is most convenient with the help of beverages containing caffeine. Most caffeine is found in custard coffee, in tea it is slightly less. To increase the pulse, freshly digested green tea should be used. Drink these drinks better with sugar or honey.
A small amount of caffeine is found in black chocolate. Please note that the content of cocoa should be at least 72%.
If the low pulse is combined with high blood pressure, it is more correct to stop the choice of tea, because the coffee can further increase the pressure.
Charge
Well raise the pulse at home physical exertion. Elderly it is better to perform simple movements. Suitable exercises for the hands, head and neck, "bicycle", you can do a few sit-ups. If there are chest pains or irregular heartbeats, exercise should be stopped.
Baths
A hot bath is a pleasant way to raise the pulse. For a greater effect, 20-30 drops of essential oil of pine are good to add to the water.
The mustard bath also helps raise your heart rate. Under the influence of mustard, the vessels dilate, they receive more blood. To circulate additional blood, the heart has to contract more often. To make a mustard bath should be 100-200 grams of mustard mixed with a small amount of water, to achieve a lack of lumps and add the mustard mixture into the water. Take such a bath for longer than 15 minutes is not recommended.
You can also use the usual mustard plaster. It should be put on the chest on the right side. The exposure time is no more than 3 minutes.
Self-massage
You can use self-massage techniques. In eastern acupuncture, a shao-chun point is used to increase the heart rate. It is located at the root of the little finger, but not in the middle, but slightly closer to the ring finger.
Rotational movements should be performed with the index finger for 1-5 minutes. It is advisable not to tear off the finger from the point all the time of the procedure. The rotation speed is 2 turns per second.
With the appearance of a low pulse, this method can help: with the palm of your right hand, you should grab the left hand at the level of your thumb and squeeze and unclench it rhythmically.
Slowly but surely: "long-term" methods
How to raise the pulse for a long time? To attack bradycardia occurred less often, you can use herbal therapy( phytotherapy) and regular physical activity. The intake of medicinal herbs does not give a quick effect, but their mild effect tones the cardiovascular system and the heart rate gradually increases.
If the bradycardia is combined with low pressure, the optimal option will be a daily charge. It can be supplemented with swimming, badminton, table tennis, athletic walking. Even an ordinary walk can be an excellent exercise for the heart, if you alternate fast walking with a slow one.
If a bradycardia is caused by an arrhythmia or other pathology of the heart, then a preliminary consultation with a cardiologist is mandatory.
An excellent way to train the heart and vessels is hardening. At home, it is convenient to start with pouring feet, and then go to a contrast shower.
Phytotherapy
This method is used after an accurate diagnosis. Treatment with herbs alone can be used for neuroses, vegetative-vascular dystonia. In all other cases it is combined with medication treatment. The same broth or infusion should be taken about 2 months. Then the plant needs to be changed. Below are listed effective means that will help increase the pulse.
- Infusion of yarrow. To make it, take 1 tablespoon of dry grass, pour one glass of water. Put in a water bath and boil for 15 minutes under a lid on low heat. Infuse cool for 45 minutes, then strain. Eat one third of the glass 3 times daily before meals. Yarrow is contraindicated in cases of high blood coagulability.
- The tartar's infusion is prepared in the same way, it is used according to the same scheme. This plant not only raises the pulse, but also raises blood pressure. Therefore, it is better to use a Tartar with a bradycardia with hypotension. At high blood pressure, it is contraindicated.
- Tincture of pine shoots. Only young shoots are used, which appear in spring on tops of branches.100 g of pine shoots should be filled with 300 g of vodka. Infuse 10 days in a bright place, avoiding direct sunlight. Take 10 drops, mixing with a small amount of water 30 minutes before meals 3 times a day.
- Tincture of nettle well helps with a slight decrease in heart rate.20 g of young shoots pour 300 ml of vodka and insist 20 days in a dark place. Take 20 drops at night, slightly diluted with water.
- Ginkgo biloba. This unique plant not only beneficially affects the heart, but also improves cerebral circulation, restores memory, increases mental capacity. With bradycardia, it can be used as follows: 1 teaspoon of chopped leaves to brew a glass of steep boiling water. You can add sugar or honey. It is enough to drink this drink once a day.
You can often meet recommendations to use tinctures of adaptogen plants. They include lemongrass, ginseng, rhodiola rosea, aralia manchurian. This recommendation is good only when the bradycardia is combined with low pressure. Adaptogens increase the strength of the heart contractions, thereby contributing to raising blood pressure and eliminating weakness, dizziness. But they do not increase the pulse rate. Tinctures of these drugs can not be used with high blood pressure.
Folk remedies
Garlic, lemon and honey
In folk medicine garlic is widely used. This is a powerful tool for strengthening the cardiovascular system. It normalizes the tone of the vessels, strengthens the capillaries, lowers the level of cholesterol and sugar in the blood. Therefore, it is used for hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis. It is effective even with bradycardia.
To prepare the medicinal mixture, take 5 lemons, 5 large garlic heads, 0.5 liters of honey. Lemons scald with steep boiling water, squeeze out the juice from them and mix it with chopped garlic and honey. Keep container with the mixture in the refrigerator. Take 4 teaspoons a half an hour before meals once a day. Each spoon should be kept in your mouth for at least a minute. The course of treatment is 1.5-2 months, after taking a break, the intake of the mixture can be continued. This remedy is contraindicated in case of gastric ulcer, inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Nut-lemon mixture
In the nut-lemon mixture is vitamin E and the mass of microelements. It is useful not only for bradycardia, but also has a beneficial effect on blood vessels, useful for brain function.
For its preparation you need to take 4 lemons, 500 g of walnut kernels, a glass of sesame oil and honey. Lemons cut into several pieces and pour boiling water for 20 minutes. Then remove them from boiling water and grind along with the peel with a blender or meat grinder. The resulting mass must be mixed with chopped nuts, honey and sesame oil. Take a mixture of 1 tablespoon 3 times a day for half an hour before meals for 1 month. This remedy contains a lot of fats, so with liver and gallbladder diseases it is necessary to take it with caution.
