Paroxysmal
Auricular Tachycardia (PAT)
A few years ago a woman in
her mid thirties called Uchee Pines complaining of frequent bouts of
supra-ventricular tachycardia. She
reported that she would have bouts with her heart rate going as high as 200. She
had even been hospitalized a number of times.
When she called she was averaging one trip to the emergency room about
every three weeks. She had tried virtually every anti-arrhythmic drug her doctor
could find with little or no help. After an extensive medical work-up, no heart
disease had been found other than the rhythm disturbance. She, along with
thousands of other PAT sufferers, was at the end of her rope.
Heart
Rhythm Disturbance
There
are many different types of heart rhythm disturbances. The woman in the case
history described above had supraventricular tachycardia. Since the natural
treatments are the same for all benign rhythm disturbances, they should be
treated as PAT which will be discussed in this article.
Although
it causes those afflicted with it a good bit of anxiety and discomfort,
Paroxysmal Auricular Tachycardia (PAT) is a benign condition. It may result in
exhaustion if prolonged, but is not life threatening.
Individual attacks may be merely a short run of very fast heartbeats, or
may last for ten seconds to ten hours or more.
The heart is usually normal, although PAT may coexist with organic heart
disease, such as coronary heart disease. In
these cases, the rapid rate may cause significant problems.
Our recommendations have two objectives:
(1)
Prevent attacks
(2)
Treat the acute attack and convert to a normal rhythm.
Remedies
to Prevent Attacks
Exercise
Exercise
should be graduated for the individual to the point of tolerance.
Generally speaking we should aim at around 5 miles of walking per day
(over an hour), or the equivalent in outdoor labor—2-3 hours of ordinary
outdoor labor, gardening or yard work; or one hour of vigorous and sustained
labor like chopping wood or really
using a shovel. Walking should be
vigorous and sustained for one hour, preceded by warm-up exercises, and ended by
cool-down activities. The warm-up
period is to prevent skeletal strains, and the cool-down period is to prevent
congestion of the chest caused by cooling of the extremities after the forceful
beating of the heart has subsided. The aim is to keep the blood circulation
balanced between the extremities and the torso.
Failure to do so can result in a strain on the heart and lungs.
Persons
who have just been exercising vigorously should not immediately drink either hot
or cold liquids, as great temperature variation will reduce the blood flow to
the extremities, and an extra volume of blood will be retained in the vessels of
the trunk. Persons whose deaths have been associated with vigorous exercise
usually have had their first symptoms in the immediate post-exercise period,
because they sit down immediately and drink a cool drink.
Both the cold drink and sitting reduce the circulation to the limbs and
increase the volume of blood congesting the lungs, head, heart and liver;
causing blood to move more slowly through the heart, reducing oxygenation.
Posture
When
performing any type of physical function, whether it be exercising out-of-doors,
chopping vegetables in the kitchen, doing shop work, or sitting at the computer,
good posture should always be maintained. If
the head and shoulders are carried forward during walking, neck or shoulder pain
is likely to develop. The skeleton
should be entirely balanced, one vertebra held directly perpendicular to the one
below it as much as possible so that the back and neck are in the “neutral
position.” The cheekbones should
be carried directly perpendicular to the collar bones.
Mental
and emotional benefits, grace and dignity, courage self-possession, and
self-reliance, are all promoted by an erect bearing, as well as keeping the
great vessels of the neck in the most favorable position, and allowing the heart
plenty of room without squeezing or bending the heart.
Keep the shoulders back and down, and the head erect.
Practice breathing deeply before sleeping, while sitting at the desk,
working in the house, or exercising out-of-doors.
Every time you go through a door, take a deep breath.
Diet
If
the weight is above normal, steps should be taken to bring the weight to normal.
Rule of thumb: 100 lbs. for the first 5 feet, and 5 lbs. per inch
thereafter for women; 6-7 lbs. thereafter for men, depending on musculature.
If the weight is already normal or below, no attempt should be made to
stuff the stomach with food in the expectation that large quantities of food
will make for greater healthfulness. It
has been our experience that to be a bit on the thin side is usually helpful for
those who have heart symptoms. Generally
speaking, concentrated nutrients should be taken sparingly, and that especially
refers to taking nutrient supplements. Of
course, all stomach irritants (vinegar, hot spices, alcohol, baking soda and
powder) and fermented foods (sauerkraut, certain soy sauces,
wine, etc.) should be avoided.
Herbal
Teas
Hawthorn
berry—2
tablespoons heaping in 1 quart of water. Boil
the cracked or ground hawthorn and water together gently for 1/2
hour. Then pour over 2 tablespoons
of mother-wort and steep for 30 minutes. Drink
the entire quart in divided doses throughout the day.
Make the tea fresh daily; it may safely be taken on a daily basis to
prevent attacks.
We
have had several patients who have had multiple PVC’s and PAT to calm down by
taking magnesium salts. We use
generally magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salts), 1/2
teaspoon in the morning, and 1/2
teaspoon in the evening, increased to 1 teaspoon twice daily if tolerated.
Dr. Coleen Izdale from Texas had complete relief from troublesome cardiac
arrhythmia and PVC’s after about three weeks of taking Epsom Salts.
We believe it would be possible to keep many people off medication if
they had the knowledge about magnesium supplements.
Good magnesium sources are found on the chart above.
Hawthorn
berries contain pro-cyanidines which help stabilize the heart rhythm.1
When the cause of the arrhythmia is a lack of oxygen to the heart, ginkgo
biloba may be of help. The active
ingredient in ginkgo is gindolide D. Gindolide
D has been shown to be as effective as antiarrhythmic drugs such as Lopressor
and Cardizem.2
Proper
clothing
The
clothing should be adequate to balance the circulation between the trunk and the
extremities. It is rare that
people, especially women, fully understand how much clothing must be applied to
the extremities in order to keep the circulation balanced.
If there should be any difference
in the clothing, it should be with an excess on the extremities, and a smaller
quantity on the trunk, but perfectly balanced is best.
While
exercising, it is best to have the extremities fully clothed in chilly weather.
In hot weather with heavy sweating, the person must not become immobile during
the cool-down period with extremities bare, for reasons described above.
Drugs
and Lifestyle
Do
not smoke or even be around smoking, avoid stress, never take alcoholic
beverages even in small quantities. Coffee,
tea, decaffeinated drinks, amphetamines, aspirin, phenacetin, anything
caffeinated including drugs prescribed by a physician must be avoided.
Many prescription drugs intensify the symptoms and can make them almost
unbearable. If you are taking any
medications that can be left off, check with your physician and see if it would
not be all right to do so.
Regularity
Be
regular in all habits. In addition to daily exercise in the open air where
possible, regularity in all things should be maintained.
That includes going to bed on time, arising on time, and getting meals
and exercise on time. Fresh air,
especially in the bedrooms at night, is mandatory.
Snoring
If
snoring seems to be a problem, a “snoring collar” can be worn to keep the
chin elevated to reduce snoring. Sleep on your side so the airway is less likely
to become obstructed. Since
sleeping on the back encourages snoring, sew a large sponge ball or tennis ball
on the back of sleep clothing to prevent unconsciously rolling onto the back.
Eating
Habits
Never,
never lie down after a meal. In
many people, the pushing upward of the full stomach against the diaphragm will
trigger an attack. Naps should be
taken before meals or at least an hour after a meal, two to three hours being
even better.
If
Epsom salts gives you diarrhea, use magnesium oxide available in health food
stores, 2 tablets 3 times a day.
Do
not overeat. Avoid tight bands
around the abdomen; it is best not to bend over within an hour after eating.
Treatment
of an Acute Attack
1.
Put feet in hot water for 30 minutes.
2.
Put an ice bag over the heart.
3.
Deep breathing through the nose, to full capacity for both inhaling and
exhaling, 20 to 25 times. Be sure
fresh air (not just air conditioned) circulates, or sit outdoors until the
attack passes.
4.
Assume an exaggerated military posture with shoulders back and down, back very
straight, head held tall and high, back supported by a chair.
5.
Change position: if lying, stand;
is sitting or standing, lie down; squat, bend over, tilt side to side, etc.
Hold each position 6 to 10 seconds before changing.
6.
Warm the extremities:
(a) extra clothing
(b) hot hand or arm bath
(c) hot foot bath.
7.
Apply firm pressure to one side of the neck or other (not both at once) with the
edge of the hand by holding the hand with the palm toward the floor while
sitting, and pressing the forefinger edge of the right hand into the left side
of the neck, supporting it and adding pressure with the left hand, and holding
it for 30-60 seconds. If done
firmly enough it will be a bit uncomfortable.
Alternate hands and sides of neck.
8.
Press the fist forcefully into the V-shape made by the ribs over the stomach,
putting additional pressure with the opposite hand.
Hold 30-60 seconds.
9.
Have someone massage the feet, pressing the thumbs into the soles.
Continue 5 to 15 minutes.
10.
Drink a hot liquid: water, hot
garlic tonic (one cup of boiling water in blender with one clove or one teaspoon
of garlic powder —no salt—blend until smooth), or hot tea—instructions
below.
11.
Herb teas: hawthorn berry tea, 1
cup every 10 minutes for an hour. Catnip
or valerian teas are helpful for the anxiety which may be associated with the
attacks. Use one cup of tea as
needed.
12.
Take one teaspoon of Epsom Salts (Magnesium sulfate) or 3 tablets of magnesium
oxide with one glass of water or the hawthorn berry tea.
13.
Allow no passive smoke in the air. Drink
no coffee or ordinary grocery tea; use no drugs, aspirin or other medication as
any drug can cause cardiac arrhythmias.
14. Mix one tablespoonful of charcoal with approximately one tablespoonful of olive oil and swallow, using a bit of water if necessary.
Disclaimer: The above counseling sheet
is provided courtesy of the Uchee Pines
Health Institute. The Uchee Pines Institute was started almost 30 years ago
by Calvin Thrash, M.D., specialist in Internal Medicine, and his wife, Agatha
Thrash, M.D., board specialist in pathology. It is a non-profit, health
educational and treatment facility located in the country near Seale, Alabama,
15 miles from Columbus, Georgia. (Address: Uchee Pines Institute, 30
Uchee Pines Road
Seale, Alabama 36875-5702. Phone: (334) 855-4764. Fax: (334)
855-4780. Email: ucheepines@msn.com.
Location Map: Click Here).
The information contained in the counseling sheets is presented as a general
educational and information guide. The counseling sheets are not intended to be
used for instruction in medical treatment. The author cannot assume the medical
or legal responsibility of having this information misinterpreted and considered
as a prescription for any condition or any person.