Full Transcript Introduction to Menopause Palpitations 0:00 Have you entered menopause or perimenopaus and suddenly you start feeling your heart fluttering, pounding, racing, or skipping? 0:07 Maybe it happens while you're sitting quietly, maybe it wakes you up at night. 0:11 Maybe you've been told it's just anxiety or that this is normal at your age and going through menopus. 0:18 But you know your body and you when something feels different. 0:22 I'm Dr. 0:22 Jack Wolfson, cardiologist and founder of Natural Heart Doctors. 0:26 And right now I'm talking about menopause, palpitations, and what you can do about them. 0:32 Palpitation simply means that you are unusually aware of your heartbeat. 0:37 Your heart may feel like it's pounding, fluttering, racing, skipping, thuds, flips.
What Palpitations Feel Like 0:42 Sometimes the rhythm is normal, but feels unusally strong. 0:46 Other times there may be an electrical rhythm disturbance that needs to be identified. 0:51 That is the first thing I want you to understand. 0:53 Palpitations are a symptom, they're not a diagnosis and they are not disease. 0:58 During perimenopause, estrogen and progesterone can fluctuate dramatically. 1:03 These hormonal changes may affect the nervous system that helps to regulate your heart rate, your blood pressure, temperature, 1:09 sleep and the stress response. 1:10 This may be why palpitation often appear alongside other symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and anxiety. 1:17 But menopausal may trigger without being the complete cause.
Hormonal Changes and Nervous System Effects 1:20 your symptoms should not automatically be blamed on hormones or anxiety or just getting older. 1:26 Obviously women are not small men and women deserve a thoughtful evaluation of what their bodies are trying to communicate. 1:33 So I want you to remember three things throughout this video. 1:36 Number one, you need to know your rhythm. 1:38 number two, learn your triggers and number three, learning the root cause. 1:42 So first, know your rhythm. 1:43 You cannot always identify a heart rhythm based on how it feels. 1:46 The symptoms, skipping and flipping, can mean different things in different people. 1:50 So some kind of a wearable device on short term use, an ECG, or a longer term monitor will help to determine what your symptoms are and how that relates
Know Your Rhythm 1:58 to the rhythm, and that's why I say, test don't guess. 2:01 Don't assume that you have a dangerous rhythm because your heartbeat feels unusual. 2:05 Most of the times, It's not dangerous, but also don't assume everything is fine because palpitations are common during menopause. 2:12 Know your rhythm and we can help. 2:13 Number two, know your triggers. 2:15 Pay attention to when the palpitations occur and what was happening before they started. 2:19 How was your night's sleep? 2:20 Were you under more stress? 2:22 How was your hydration status? 2:24 Did the symptoms appear after caffeine or alcohol or sugar, a large meal or maybe even after a hot flash? 2:30 Write down what happened. 2:31 Keep a diary. 2:32 When it happened, how long it lasted. 2:34 Try and find some associated triggers. 2:36 The symptom that feels random may begin to reveal a predictable pattern and now knowing your triggers gives you information that you can use. 2:44 So know your rhythm and know you triggers. 2:46 Third, know the root cause. 2:47 Hormonal changes are part of the story but they do not explain the entire story.
Identify Triggers 2:52 Sleep, stress, thyroid, nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, oxidative stress and environmental toxins. 2:59 These influence the heart, the nervous system and heart rhythm. 3:02 Now this does not mean that every woman needs dozens of tests. 3:05 It means the investigation should go beyond the surface and ask why the symptoms are happening. 3:10 Know your Rhythm Know your triggers and know your root cause. 3:14 While you are investigating, return to the foundations. 3:18 Eat real, nutrient-dense food. 3:21 Get outside in the morning and get some natural light like I am right now. 3:25 Move your body throughout the day. 3:26 Reduce your artificial light and screen exposure at night. 3:29 Prioritize deep, restorative sleep. 3:32 Prioritize the mindset. 3:33 How you eat, how you live and how think. 3:36 Send signals to your heart every moment of every day and even people who are on hormone replacement therapy.
Look for Root Causes 3:43 Is that impacting your symptoms? 3:45 Menopause is not a disease and hormone therapy should not automatically be the first answer for every woman. 3:51 Some women with persistent and significant symptoms may decide to consider it after discussing the benefits, the risks and personal health history with 4:02 a knowledgeable, holistic healthcare practitioner. 4:04 But before assuming hormones are the only solution, identify the rhythm, investigate the triggers and look for the root cause. 4:13 Menopause is not a disease and pharmaceuticals are not the cure. 4:17 Now of course if symptoms and palpitations occur with other things like chest pain and shortness of breath, lightheadedness, 4:23 that's a different story and that is more of an emergency.
Lifestyle Foundations for Heart Health 4:26 But the vast majority of people I've seen over 25 years, it's not an It's time to determine the root cause. 4:35 And that's what we do at Natural Heart Doctor. 4:37 We help people with root-cause semitometology. 4:40 So go to our website, snoop around, watch more of my videos on the Root Cause. 4:45 In fact, we have a Palpitations Masterclass that I think you would be absolutely perfect for. 4:50 Great for women. 4:51 It's great for men, it's good for everybody. 4:53 But we do talk about postmenopausal women because this is a major pain point for a lot of these women.
When to Consider Hormones and When to Seek Help 5:00 So check the link below and come inside the Palpitations Masterclass and understand that we have your back, we of your heart, 5:10 on your way to the 100 year heart. 5:11 Work with us and our team at Natural Heart Doctor.
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