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Menopause & Heart Palpitations

If you remember disco, Farrah Fawcett pinups and parachute pants, you are in the age span of perimenopause and menopause. Perimenopause begins when a woman enters her late 30s. Menopausal symptoms occur and increase into the 40s. The final stages happen around 51 years of age when menstruation ceases and a woman reaches menopause. Symptoms include hot flashes, irregular periods, mood swings and, possibly, heart palpitations. Heart palpitations can cause concern, but in most cases, there is no need to worry.

  1. Identification

    • Menopause is the ending of menstruation and the end of fertility. The actual menopause occurs one year after the last period. It is a biological process, which should not be compared to a sickness or illness. The ovaries stop making estrogen and progesterone, hormones that affect the body's natural balance.

    Effects

    • When estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate, a woman will experience a variety of symptoms. Besides the typical hot flashes, a woman may have disrupted sleep, hair loss, weight gain and heart palpitations. Heart palpitations can occur at any time, whether the woman is active or trying to sleep.

    Features

    • Heart palpitations are skipped heartbeats, heartbeats that are too fast or fluttering heartbeats. You can feel them in your throat, neck or chest. The beats can increase between 8 and 16 beats per minute or total as much as 200 beats per minute, according to Epigee.org.

    Considerations

    • Because an increased heartbeat or irregular heartbeat may be the signal of other illnesses, it is important to tell your health physician about heart palpitations. Heart palpitations may be symptoms of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats) and require attention. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you experience dizziness, shortness of breath, a feeling of faintness or chest pain, you should seek medical help immediately.

    Prevention/Solution

    • For those who experience heart palpitations not related to arrhythmia but related to menopause, there are ways to relieve the symptoms. If your heart begins to race or flutter, rest from all activity. If you awake with heart palpitations, "breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth for five minutes," according to Epigee.org. Avoid caffeine, nicotine and stimulants that cause the heart to race.

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