Palpitations After Eating? Here's Why.

Have you ever felt your heart race, palpitate, or flutter after food, or does your heart wake you up at night?

Educational content reviewed by licensed APRN medical staff. Not personal medical advice.

In the video, Dr Vikki Petersen explains how your stomach and digestive tract can affect the function of your heart - even if you don't have heart disease.

Once your cardiologist or PCP gives you the "all clear" it can be confusing and scary to not understand what's happening with these symptoms.

Let's look at how your stomach can affect your heart and what you can do to fix the problem.

Your gut can trigger heart symptoms when you suffer with gas, bloat, reflux or delayed stomach emptying. It can create palpitations after eating, bending forward, drinking alochol, soda, or when lying down.

Mechanisms:
Nervous System - Vagus nerve links the gut and heart. Irritation from acid, gas and hiatal hernia can trigger tachycardia, skipped beats, flutter, etc. Common triggers are a large meal, lying down after eating, gas, bloat and hiatal hernia.

Mechanical - A hiatal hernia or distended stomach can physically push upward, creating changes in chest pressure which irritates the vagus and generates palpitations.
After a large meal a person can awaken with a racing heart.
Inflammation - reflux causes esophagus inflammation that can irritate nearby heart tissue or trigger autonomic nervous system imbalance, crating arrhythmias, A fib and SVCs.
Lifestyle - large meals, heavy meals, late meals, alcohol, caffeine, stress and anxiety can all be problematic.

What to Do:
See a cardiologist or PCP to rule out heart disease
Gastroenterologist or PCP - to evaluate degree of reflux, presence of hiatal hernia, bloat, gas, or constipation.
Functional Labs - testing for SIBO, dysbiosis, food sensitivities, toxins, hormones, delayed motility, fatty liver or gallbladder malfunction.
Find a savvy functional medicine clinician who is expert in this area to help you.

Strategies:
Small meals
avoid carbonation, fatty meals, excess alchol or caffeine which increases reflux and bloat
treat the gut - what's found in labs
diagphragm breathing
HRV training - cold plunge, physiological sign
Address stress and anxiety - lifestyle and hormones
Optimize sleep
Mediterranean diet rich in soluble fiber, real unprocessed food, low to no alcohol and sugar, high in polyphenols, berries, adequate lean, clean protein.
Hydrate

References:
Li, X. et al. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Risk of Arrhythmias: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis.
2024 — Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine.

Kondo, T., et al. Autonomic Reflexes from Gastric Distension and Their Impact on Cardiac Rhythm. 2022 — Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Wang, Y., et al. A Large Hiatal Hernia as a Cause of Cardiac Arrhythmia: Case Study and Review of the Literature.
2023 — Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.

Sharma, A., et al. Post-Prandial Palpitations: The Influence of Meal Size, Macronutrients, and Gastric Distension on Heart Rate Variability. 2023 — Clinical Autonomic Research.

Roemheld Syndrome and the Gut-Heart Axis: A Narrative Review.
2024 — International Journal of General Medicine.

#heartpalpitations #guthealth #acidreflux #rootcausemedicine

Disclaimer: The information provided in this video is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health, medical condition, or treatment options. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have seen or heard in this video.
The views expressed are based on my clinical experience and current scientific understanding as of the date of publication. Individual results may vary.

Many viewers ask what to do next if symptoms persist.
Our licensed medical team at Root Cause Medical Clinic can help you identify the root cause.
➡ Learn more or book a consultation: https://rootcausemedicalclinics.com/locations/telemedicine/
???? Call us directly: (727) 335-0400

About this channel: Dr. Vikki Petersen, DC, CFMP, is founder of Root Cause Medical Clinic.
Our multidisciplinary team of licensed APRNs and clinicians provides functional medicine care focusing on gut, hormone, and metabolic health.
Educational videos are reviewed by licensed medical staff and based on current scientific research.