Here’s How Mental Stress Causes Migraine Headaches
A doctor explains just HOW mental stress and anxiety create a migraine headache.
David D. Clarke, MD, is president of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association.
Physical ailments from mental stress are a real phenomenon and can persist for years. Dr. Clarke is also Clinical Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology Emeritus, Oregon Health & Science University, Faculty Associate, Arizona State University.
Stress often causes migraine headaches—but how does this happen?
“Mental stress is capable of causing pain and other physical symptoms almost anywhere in the body including headache,” explains Dr. Clarke.
“Stress can cause routine muscle tension headaches but also headaches that closely resemble true migraine.
“The mechanism is not entirely understood but may involve one or more of muscle contractions around the skull, altered processing of sensory signals by the central nervous system and altered muscle contraction in blood vessels of the head.”
Dr. Clarke continues, “Distinguishing the various types of headache from each other can, at times, be a diagnostic challenge even for specialists.
“The most reliable way to determine if headaches are stress-related is to identify the source(s) of stress, then treat the stresses and see if the headache is substantially or completely relieved.
“Complete relief of headache pain after reducing or eliminating the causative stress(es) is the only way to be completely certain there is no other cause. (This is the case for stress-related symptoms in general: if the symptom goes away after treating the stress, then our confidence is high that stress caused the symptom.).”
What stresses you out?
Your body can’t tell the difference between over-reaction to a minor inconvenience and justified reaction to a major life setback.
Learn to choose your inner battles wisely, for the sake of your body’s well-being. If you’re going to get a headache over something, it shouldn’t be over your daughter’s new hair style.
“The great challenge here is identifying the causative sources of stress, which are often not obvious either to the person suffering the headache or to their physician,” explains Dr. Clarke.
“Many people fail to recognize how much stress they are suffering from sources such as a personal crisis (career, religious, health, financial, gender identity, etc.), lack of self-care skills (difficulty putting yourself on the list of people for whom you care), marital or family issues or workplace problems.
“Other important types of stress that may be unrecognized include the prolonged impact of childhood adversity, post-traumatic stress, anxiety disorders and depression.
“A screening questionnaire that can help identify some, though not all, of these sources of stress is available here: stressillness.com/overview.php.”
An important thing to consider when it comes to headaches is if they are new-onset and accompanied by other neurological symptoms such as visual disturbances, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, slurred speech, confusion or cognitive difficulties, dizziness, strange sounds in the ear or a drooping eyelid.
Do not delay in seeing a physician. A sudden, “thunderclap” headache that’s of the worst pain you’ve ever had warrants a prompt trip to the ER.
Since 1983 Dr. Clarke has successfully cared for over 7,000 patients with stress illness.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Freepik.com, creativeart
Can Stress Change the Color of Your Poops?
Here’s your answer to whether or not stress can change the color of your stools…
…an explanation from David D. Clarke, MD, President, Psychophysiologic Disorders Association, Clinical Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology Emeritus, Oregon Health & Science University, Faculty Associate, Arizona State University.
“Stress can change the force and/or frequency and/or propulsive coordination of contractions of the large intestine (colon),” begins Dr. Clarke.
“This can result in slower or more rapid transit of the colon by feces depending on the specific type of change.
“In some people under stress, the speed of transit of the colon changes every day or few days.
“Since the colon acts like a sponge with respect to the water content of feces, the longer the feces are in contact with the colon, the more water is absorbed.
“The more water that is absorbed, the darker (and harder) the feces will tend to be. No other changes in color result from stress.”
So in other words, the only color changes in stools that could result from stress would better be described as shade changes: shades of brown.
So if the color of your poops is grey, orange-grey, yellow, whitish, intermixed with red or maroon, or they have a black tarry-like substance intertwined in them…do not attribute these colors to stress!
Even if you’ve been experiencing enormous stress lately, whole color changes in your BMs are something that you need to see your doctor about.
There are many medical causes of color changes in stools, but rest assured that there is one color you never have to worry about: green.
Green indicates either fast transit through the colon (and nothing is wrong with that) or consumption of green foods.
And you now know why those hard, tough-to-void little BMs are almost always a very dark brown:
They’ve been in contact with the large colon long enough to have a lot of their water content absorbed by the colon; hence the very dark brown hue.
Since 1983 Dr. Clarke has successfully cared for over 7,000 patients with stress illness.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
How Anxiety Leads to Frequent Urination
How anxiety causes you to urinate more is explained by a urologist.
It’s no secret that there’s something about anxiety that causes more trips to the toilet to take a leak.
But what’s really going on here? I was inspired to write this article, with a urologist as an expert source, due to my own experience with this situation.
Some years ago I was up every 90 minutes or less overnight to empty my bladder.
And every minute that I lie awake, I was consumed with enormous anxiety, because while I lie there in the darkness, I kept anticipating that at any moment, I’d begin hearing that awful thumping sound of my parents’ German shepherd having a seizure as a result of an incurable brain tumor.
I was staying with them to take care of this dog, which I loved. The anxiety was torture.
“Anxiety or nervousness can cause frequent urination,” says Kenneth Peters, MD, chief of urology for Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI.
“The exact reason is not known, however. We see this in people of all ages.
“The brain is involved in processing signals from the bladder. This is how we know when we need to urinate.
“Normally, we can suppress this sensation until it is convenient to void. However, it is not uncommon when people are nervous or upset, that both the bladder and bowel (irritable bowel syndrome) become more active.”
Mechanism Behind How Anxiety Causes Frequent Urination
Dr. Peters explains, “To void normally and empty completely, the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder and bowel must work properly.
“The pelvis is like a bowl, and the walls of the bowl are lined with muscles (pelvic floor).
“These muscles support the bladder, bowel and pelvic organs. To urinate normally, the pelvic floor muscles must relax, sending a signal to the brain for the bladder to contract.
“When a person is stressed or has anxiety, it is difficult to relax the pelvic floor muscles; thus the bladder cannot contract completely and empty.
“This is commonly seen in men with ‘shy bladder syndrome,’ in which they have difficulty voiding at a urinal when others are present, due to the inability to relax the muscles.
“Chronic tightness of the pelvic floor can lead to bladder irritability and greater frequency.
“Sitting in a warm tub bath or placing a heating pad on the lower pelvis can help with this spasm.
“If symptoms persist, pelvic floor physical therapy, directed at pelvic muscle relaxation, can help.
“Most importantly, stress reduction and management is key. A psychologist can help with stress management. Yoga, meditation and relaxation techniques can also help.
“If symptoms persist. the individual should see a urologist to make certain there is no infection, inflammation or urinary obstruction.”
Even lower levels of anxiety can cause a person to feel the urge to urinate overnight or even during waking hours.
They aren’t voiding a higher volume of excrement (assuming that their water intake is the same as it’s always been).
Instead, they just aren’t voiding it all at each sitting. In my case, each urge felt as though a normal amount of urine was going to finally come out, but it kept ending up more like a trickle.
Dr. Peters, in practice for 30+ years, is board certified by the American Board of Urology. One of his specialties is treating bladder pain.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Freepik
Tiny Black Dots, Specks in Semen: Urologist Explains
Here is what a urologist has to say about the cause of tiny black dots or specks in your semen.
“This is not an uncommon complaint, but in general, there is no good answer,” begins Kenneth Peters, MD, chief of urology for Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI.
He continues, “Blood can present as dark spots or strands in the semen.
“This could be due to inflammation in the prostate, seminal vesicles or the ejaculatory duct.”
Blood in semen, also known as hematospermia, can indeed appear as dark spots or streaks in the semen.
Discovering this can be alarming and make a man wonder if he might have prostate or testicular cancer.
However, Dr. Peters adds, “It is rarely a sign of anything concerning. If it persists, it may be worth seeing a urologist to rule out infection (prostatitis).”
In addition to the aforementioned possible causes of black spots or specks in the ejaculate, here are some more possible causes of this unexpected discovery:
1 Minor injuries to the reproductive tract
2 Inflammation or infection of the urethra
3 A cyst (fluid filled sac)
4 A prostate biopsy
Again, if you’ve been noticing black or dark specks in your semen, do not jump to the conclusion that you probably have cancer.
The situation is not something to lose sleep over. It’s just not likely that cancer is responsible for this.
Nevertheless, it is essential to consult a urologist if the symptom persists, and especially if it is accompanied by other issues that are new in onset.
Examples of co-occurring and concerning symptoms would be as follows (no particular order);
• Difficulty with ejaculation
• Difficulty with urinating
• Pain or burning when urinating
• The sensation of a full bladder even though you keep relieving yourself
• Pain in a genital
• Back pain that can’t be explained by activity
• Leg pain that can’t be explained by activity
• Weight loss that’s not intended; no reduction in food intake
There’s also the possibility that co-occurring symptoms, such as the ones just described, are coincidental and do not have anything to do with any black specks or dots in your semen.
Dr. Peters, in practice for 30+ years, is board certified by the American Board of Urology. One of his specialties is treating bladder pain.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Sudden-Onset, Foul-Smelling Urine: Causes & Solutions
Here is what a urologist has to say about sudden-onset, foul-smelling urine.
“The most common cause of sudden onset, foul-smelling urine is food related,” says Kenneth Peters, MD, chief of urology for Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI.
Dr. Peters explains, “Ingestion of asparagus in particular will lead to a very strong odor to the urine; this will resolve after several hours and multiple voids.”
Asparagus makes urine smell bad because it contains sulfur-containing compounds, particularly asparagusic acid.
When your body breaks down asparagusic acid during digestion, it produces volatile sulfur compounds like methanethiol and dimethyl sulfide.
These compounds are released in the urine and have a strong, distinctive odor.
Some people don’t notice the smell due to genetic differences that affect either the production of the compounds or the ability to detect them.
Medications and Supplements
Medications, too, can leave your urine smelling bad.
Dr. Peters notes that multivitamins can also have this effect, not just causing bad odor but also a dark discoloration.
Take note of any new medications or nutraceuticals you’ve been taking lately.
Don’t stop taking any prescription drugs without first consulting with the prescribing physician, but see if stopping the multivitamin resolves the problem.
“The first thing to do is increase hydration to dilute the urine, and most of the time the odor will resolve,” says Dr. Peters.
“Of course a bacterial infection of the urine or UTI needs to be ruled out if the odor persists; in which case individuals should see a clinician.”
Dr. Peters, in practice for 30+ years, is board certified by the American Board of Urology. One of his specialties is treating bladder pain.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Lipik Stock Media
Can Cancer Cause Burning Urination?
Yes, a urologist says that cancer can cause burning urination, but there are many non-malignant reasons why urinating can be painful.
“Urine is toxic, so the bladder and urethra must protect themselves,” begins Kenneth Peters, MD, chief of urology for Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI.
“With a UTI [urinary tract infection] the protective layer of the bladder is damaged, exposing the urine to the underlying nerves, leading to pain and bladder irritability and ultimately the symptoms of a UTI.”
Benign Causes of Burning Urination Besides Bladder Infection
“First, if an individual is dehydrated, the concentrated urine can lead to discomfort in the bladder while voiding; increasing fluid intake to dilute the urine can help,” continues Dr. Peters.
“Certain foods can be bothersome for certain patients. The worst offenders are caffeine, along with spicy and acidic foods. such as tomato sauce.
“There are other conditions that can lead to burning urination. A stone in the bladder can result in bladder irritation and burning.
“A urethral diverticulum is a rare condition in which a sac develops along the urethra that results in trapping of urine in the diverticulum, resulting in chronic inflammation and pain while voiding.
“Other conditions such as urethral trauma or urethral infection can lead to burning.
“If symptoms persist, the individual should be evaluated by a urologist.”
Dr. Peters, in practice for 30+ years, is board certified by the American Board of Urology. One of his specialties is treating bladder pain.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Shidlovski
Can Lower Back Pain Be Caused by Prostate Cancer?
Back pain can actually be caused by prostate cancer, and by the time this happens, the cancer has spread — it is at an advanced stage.
“In general, prostate cancer causes no symptoms,” begins Kenneth Peters, MD, chief of urology for Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI.
Dr. Peters continues, “In advanced cases, the cancer can metastasize to the bones, leading to back pain.
“Urinary retention or incomplete emptying of the bladder due to an enlarged prostate can at times be perceived as low back pain.”
Low back pain (LBP) has many possible causes, and there are different kinds of LBP, in that it can present in different ways.
Sometimes it’s accompanied by tingling or numbness radiating down a leg.
Sometimes LBP occurs only when you are in certain body positions, such as bending over, or standing up after sitting for long periods.
And there are people for whom LBP occurs only in the morning after getting out of bed, then dissipates soon after.
Sometimes low back pain is nearly constant but dull in nature.
The persistence is something to be concerned about, even if the level of pain is dull.
If you’ve been experiencing low back pain and it doesn’t seem to be related to certain body positions and/or has not gone away after a week or two, do not blow this off.
Rather, bring this to the attention of your doctor and ask that your prostate be examined and that cancer be (hopefully) ruled out.
- Bladder: difficulty emptying
- Blood in semen
- Blood in urine
- Burning during urination
- Erectile dysfunction
- Incontinence
- Pain in the back, hip or pelvis
- Painful ejaculation
- Urinary frequency
- Urine flow: difficulty starting
- Urine flow: interrupted
- Urine flow: slow or weak
Dr. Peters, in practice for 30+ years, is board certified by the American Board of Urology. One of his specialties is treating bladder pain.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/George Rudy
How a Heart Attack Occurs without Blocked Arteries
Explanation for how a heart attack can happen with or without a blockage:
Why blockages of only 30-50% are a higher risk for a catastrophic cardiac event than severely blocked arteries are.
It’s hard to believe, but it’s true: A big heart attack is more likely to occur when a person has a 30-50% blockage in their coronary arteries than if they are over 70 percent blocked.
But this phenomenon refers to a particular cause of the heart attack.
“A heart attack is when heart muscle cells die,” says Dr. Alvaro Waissbluth, MD, a cardiologist with Alameda Health System in CA.
He continues, “Heart muscle cells die when they don’t get enough oxygen or nutrients or if they get attacked by something and destroyed.” There are basically three kinds of heart attacks.
Heart attacks can happen with or without a blockage.
A plaque rupture in the coronary artery can cause a complete “mechanical interruption in the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the [cardiac] muscle,” says Dr. Waissbluth.
Shutterstock/eranicle
Plaque buildup (the “clog” in arteries) results from numerous insults including smoking, lack of exercise, high sugar intake, diabetes and, to some extent, genetics.
Imagine the sludge of plaque gradually building up over time, decreasing the inner diameter of the artery, eventually to a pinpoint diameter—where only a hair-width stream of blood could get through.
And then eventually, the buildup reaches that critical point where the pathway gets sealed off: a complete obstruction, depriving the heart muscle from any blood flow.
Most heart attacks do not occur this way, says Dr. Waissbluth. This doesn’t mean they can’t.
My mother was in danger of this very scenario (as shown on a catheter angiogram). She was 99 percent blocked and had to have emergency bypass.
Dr. Waissbluth explains, “Most heart attacks occur when a plaque blockage is in the 30-50% range and the outer layer of the plaque gets a small tear in it – a rupture.
“This usually happens along the edges of the plaque where they are the softest – called the shoulder region.
“Plaques can range from very soft to very hard depending on how new they are and how much activity they have inside; the inside of a plaque is a very active area – there are white blood cells which absorb fat cells that have snuck into the vessel wall.
“These white cells also produce various inflammatory mediators that cause the plaque to get bigger and also eat away at the edges of the plaque – there are also often blood clots and platelet plugs that form inside these plaques – lots going on.
So why is less buildup (a relatively cleaner artery) a higher risk of a plaque rupture and thus heart attack?
“The longer a plaque has existed and the bigger the plaque, the more stable its surface tends to be,” says Dr. Waissbluth.
“That’s why more major heart attacks happen from plaques occluding 30-50% of the artery than plaques occluding, say, 80% of an artery…the 30-50%’ers are newer and tend to have more active insides and softer outsides – which makes them more likely to rupture.”
Wow! This may explain why the 90-year-old man whose calcium score is a whopping 1,200 (zero indicates zero plaque buildup) has never had a heart attack.
The calcium score procedure measures the amount of hard (calcified and stable) plaque, not the amount of soft (newer and unstable) plaque.
Dr. Waissbluth explains, “When a rupture occurs, your body tries to fix it by creating a plug – just like if you cut your arm you will develop a clot and a scab – this also happens on a ruptured plaque.
“Most of the time the plug seals the tear and then the plaque is fixed and nothing happens.
“BUT if the plug grows and grows it can get very large and shut down the entire artery, and this is how a major heart attack happens.”
Let’s cut in here for a moment. Are you flabbergasted that a 45-year-old person, who hasn’t lived long enough to develop an 80% blockage — and hence is only 30-50% blocked — can actually be at higher risk of a heart attack than is your average 90-year-old?!
And if so, then why aren’t middle-aged and younger adults dropping like flies from heart attacks?
Why are heart attacks much more rampant among people over age 65?
Keep in mind that the age-related risk for heart attack actually begins at 45 for men and 50 for women.
“First and most important, the 90 year old has a lot more 30-50% blockages than the average 45 year old – the older you are the more plaques you get,” says Dr. Waissbluth.
Secondly, by the time a person is old, their heart has been subjected to many factors that could cause or greatly increase the risk of heart attack, whether or not they have excessive soft plaque.
Third, many people under 50 have either a zero calcium score or an indication of only mild heart disease (30-50% is moderate). Keep reading…
Heart attack symptoms
“The 80% blockage is more likely to cause chest pain while you’re exerting yourself but less likely to rupture,” says Dr. Waissbluth.
It’s less likely to rupture because it’s more likely to be made of hard calcifications.
“The 40%’er will probably never cause pain with activity [because there’s still a relatively wide inner diameter of the artery for blood flow], but is more likely to rupture and cause a big heart attack.”
That’s because the sludge buildup hasn’t been around long enough to calcify much.
Science still can’t pin down the cause of plaque ruptures; only what increases the risk (e.g., smoking, junk food diet, lack of exercise).
In the second type of heart attack there’s no plaque rupture, but there’s reduced blood flow to the heart muscle.
Enough reduced blood flow = heart muscle cells die = heart attack.
“But these aren’t typically as catastrophic or deadly as the major heart attacks from plaque rupture occluding the entire artery,” explains Dr. Waissbluth.
The reduced blood flow results when the supply-demand imbalance becomes too great. The supply of blood cannot keep up with the demand for it.
The inadequate supply may be due to bleeding, anemia, or weak pumping of the heart.
The excessive demand may be caused by a fever/infection, high blood pressure, physical injury elsewhere in the body or physical exertion (like shoveling snow).
These cause the heart to beat faster and harder; in turn the heart muscle cells demand more and the blood supply from the heart arteries simply can’t keep up: So cardiac cells die—a heart attack—without a new blockage.
“These kinds of heart attacks can happen in people with completely normal arteries – no plaques at all, or in people with plaques,” says Dr. Waissbluth.
An elderly person is far more likely to experience this situation “due to having more fixed blockages than a younger person – even if the blockages did not change. The change in demand caused the blockages to become physiologically relevant.”
Put another way, the cumulative effect of fixed (stable) 30-50% blockages interfers with the net amount of passageway through which blood flows.
Think of how water flow would be stunted if many wads of gum were stuck throughout the inner walls of a pipe.
“If you create a supply/demand imbalance and you happen to have a 75% blockage, then you are more likely to have a heart attack than if you had a 40% blockage or no blockage at all.
“But yes these kinds of heart attacks can happen with little or no blockages too.
“The last kind of heart attack is when a virus or your own body’s white cells and immune system attack the heart muscle cells without any change in the arteries or in the supply/demand.”
Now you know why a heart attack can happen without a blockage, and why the risk of heart attack goes up with age, even though younger people are more likely to be 30-50% blocked than severely blocked.
Dr. Waissbluth has been in practice for 25+ years and is board certified in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular diseases. He is founder of Eat Tank, an educational nutrition initiative that provides simple tools and practical knowledge for better understanding food.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/pickingpok
Can Very Sedentary Person Have Very Low Resting Heart Rate?
So if exercise lowers resting heart rate, why do some sedentary “lazy” people have very slow heart rates?
Yes, this is very possible: A totally out of shape person who gets zero structured exercise could have a low resting pulse, like in the 60s. Does this in and of itself mean they’re fit?
“Genetics impact heart rate,” says Dr. Alvaro Waissbluth, MD, a cardiologist with Alameda Health System in CA.
“Twp. people doing and eating exactly the same thing their whole life can have drastically different resting heart rates – just like they will tan to differing degrees based on similar sun exposure and just like their risk of cancer is different,” continues Dr. Waissbluth.
“Also a slow resting heart rate can indicate a deterioration of the conducting system of the heart.”
A slow resting pulse can be indicative of a healthy heart in people who exercise.
But in the person who does not exercise? The slow resting heart rate “can also be indicative of a problem, so it may need to be investigated to make sure nothing worrisome is going on.”
Is there any data out on the mortality risk/life span of sedentary people with slow resting heart rates compared to sedentary people with faster resting pulses, assuming all other variables are matched and adjusted for like smoking, obesity, etc.?
Dr. Waissbluth says, “Yes – but not much. There is some data that suggest a resting heart rate higher than 76 beats per minute is associated with an increased risk of having a heart attack.”
One way to help get the beats per minute under 76 during rest is to practice stress management.
Persistent or free-floating anxiety can keep the ticker going at an undesirably fast rate even when you’re sitting at a computer or watching TV.
Stop smoking and do not entertain the idea that housework substitutes for structured aerobic exercise!
Commit to structured aerobic exercise like walking briskly on a treadmill with an arm pump instead of holding on.
Dr. Waissbluth has been in practice for 25+ years and is board certified in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular diseases. He is founder of Eat Tank, an educational nutrition initiative that provides simple tools and practical knowledge for better understanding food.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock, txking
Why Does My Heart Flutter After Eating?
“There are many thoughts as to why one can experience palpitations after a meal,” says Dr. Alvaro Waissbluth, MD, a cardiologist with Alameda Health System in CA.
Sometimes the palpitations are described as a “fluttering” heartbeat.
Dr. Waissbluth continues, “One may ingest caffeine or alcohol during the meal and these often cause palpitations.
“Also, one may have a specific food sensitivity which can be mild and manifest in many different ways – such as MSG or shellfish or gluten – and one of the manifestations is frequently palpitations.
“Also, it is possible that the esophagus or stomach could be irritated – people often have esophagitis or gastritis without really knowing it, and eating may irritate their GI tract further – causing angst and discomfort and then palpitations.”
Causes of a fluttering heart after eating continue…
“Also, it is important to note that after you eat, blood flow is automatically redirected away from the muscles and towards the stomach and intestines,” explains Dr. Waissbluth.
“This change can be quite dramatic after a large meal, and the change can lead to people ‘feeling’ their hearts beating differently.”
The fluttering heart after a meal can be mental in origin.
“Occasionally mealtimes can be anxiety provoking for a variety of reasons, and anxiety is a common cause of palpitations.”
When your heart flutters after eating, does this suggest a serious cardiac problem?
Dr. Waissbluth says, “Palpitations are typically not serious, but they can represent a more serious issue – especially if one experiences other symptoms with them – like chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness.
“It is always recommended to go see your doctor if you have palpitations just to make sure everything is okay.
“The best way to improve palpitations is to try and remove the cause – which takes some figuring out – and oftentimes there is no cause – they ‘just happen.’”
Reducing that fluttering heartbeat may mean elimination of alcohol or caffeine.
And for others it will require avoidance of stress at mealtime. Put away the smartphone and financial reports.
Tell yourself you won’t think about your bills. Just relax and enjoy your meal.
Avoid if possible eating with the so-called toxic people in your life.
“Assuming there is no worrisome underlying heart disease that needs addressed, there are some medicines people can take to try and diminish the sensations/palpitations,” says Dr. Waissbluth.
“But remember, they have side effects, and sometimes the side effects are worse than the palpitations.”
Dr. Waissbluth has been in practice for 25+ years and is board certified in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular diseases. He is founder of Eat Tank, an educational nutrition initiative that provides simple tools and practical knowledge for better understanding food.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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