During the last two summers I was totally AF free for 5-6 months and have been wondering why that would be.The only thing I think could have helped was the fact that in the summer I wear dresses most of the time. I've always hated the constricting waistbands on trousers, what starts out in the morning as feeling a good fit, tightens as the day goes on. I find more and more people are saying they can't wait to take off their clothes in the evening to put their loose fitting dressing gowns on.
So I'm just wondering whether wearing clothes that become a little snug around the waist, or anywhere else on the body, could contribute towards causing AF attacks. Incidentally, after my cardioversion, 7 weeks ago, I've been wearing dresses as much as I can and haven't had one attack. The last two previous winters I was in constant AF.
Could wearing any item of clothing that's a little tight on our bodies be the cause of AF, even if we may be free of them at night?
What are your thoughts please?
Jean
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That's a coinsidence! Just before I read your post I was thinking something similiar. I also have a constant urge to loosen/pull down trousers. But I feel the same with bras, take them off whenever I'm at home.
This would tie in with your idea that we forget to breathe correctly at times and a tight waistband is a good possibility for cause. I detest tight clothing anywhere and preferred the days of pure cotton properly stitched to the modern notion that it’s good to wear elastic - especially in bras.
Yes, that's certainly true re tight clothes being a breathing hinderance. Re bra's it's as though we have to buy the best of a bad choice, rather than something more comfortable.
Looks like I gotta see if I can find my pink frock! 😉😂😉
Hilly, yes, knickers are annoying too! Right, I've got the answer a commune where we all wear kaftans and nothing else, eat healthy and lead a calm life. Hmm wasn't that the fashion in the 60's and 70's.
Let me know when the commune is set up! I do agree with you hate wearing constrictive clothes ..used to have to wear smart clothes when I worked and hated it. I think a lot of us have links between our stomach/ diaphragm area and aFib..so irritating the area may very well add to our woes!
Just got home from a medical appointment and shopping and guess what ... I’ve changed into a loose dress. Kaftans are great and I also recommend dresses cut on the bias .... when you expand they just get shorter 😂
I love the commune idea ... those were the days my friend, shame they had to end 😢 x
Enjoy wearing your loose dress, hope it's a warm one. I've recently bought some denim dungarees to wear at home, as soon as I bought them I couldn't help singing 'The Winner Takes it All', yes I fancied myself as Merle Streep! They'll be lovely and loose around my stomach.
Good observation - I think that about bras also Jean- tight and uncomfortable by the evening maybe due to water retention...C
I've always tried to wear loose fitting clothing. I'm just not comfortable in tight things, T shirts more than trousers. I've always needed a belt with Jeans and stuff, even at my largest, because I need the leg girth more than the waistband. It also helps buying clothes bigger than I perhaps need because it lets the air flow better in summer and I feel self conscious tops that aren't long enough and a bit tight on the moobs.
As a result I don't really know if the tight stuff affects AF at all! I did wear a slightly tight waistcoat at the christmas party, with fitted trousers, for about 7 hours, with no ill effects.
Sounds like you're doing the right thing already. Are you really sure nothing feels tight on you? Think about it when your sat this evening. I'm wondering if finding anything a little snug, uncomfortable, comes on with age. Or was it the years we spent in our younger days wearing really tight jeans that did the damage.
I never wear tight or even snug fitting waistbands since having painful colon problems over the last couple of years and also I only ever wear sports type bras that dont make me feel restricted. This has helped my colon problem massively and since the vagal nerve connects digestion to the heart and brain , I guess it is not suprising that it helps with AF too.
In my case I have no idea exactly what is keeping my AF at bay:
Loose clothing ?
Living the life of a saint ( healthy diet, no booze , lots of walking/ gentle swimming etc etc )? Boring, I know.
My first ( thought to have failed ) ablation?
The continuing 100 g of flecanide that had previously stopped being effective?
Anyway, As long as it continues I dont think I care but I do think there may be a little something to be gained by wearing less tight clothing.
So many people hate tight clothing! I wonder why it's made that way. I just love wearing really long stretchy dresses. I don't wear tights with them, prefer either hold up stockings or over the knee socks and don't have to bother with any of them in the summer.
Yes, I agree with you it's a job to decide just what contributes to AF attacks, but I feel sure tight clothing is one.
I've completly changed how I dress since af. I no longer wear tight waistbands like jeans, I wear looser leggings with a wide wasteband and I've also changed bras so I now wear non wired and soft "lounge bras". As soon as I get home I change my in to my pj's or dressing gown. I haven't had an episode of AF since July. You could be on to something.
I feel sure that tight clothing could be a trigger and from what you're saying it sounds like you've discovered the same thing. I can get away with wearing wide waisted and very stretchy leggings too, well I have one pair that are comfortable. I have often cut waistbands to make them more comfortable. I love my dressing gown and am still sat in it now 10am. If anyone comes to the door I'll pretend I'm not in!
Yes me too I'd live in my dressing gown if I could. ☺️
I hadn't realised until you mentioned it but I've been trying to work out what's changed since July and I just can't find a common denominator. Although all of my episodes have started whilst I was asleep about 1am but it could have been a knock on effect from the day. Very interesting though.
I think as we grow older we let our muscles grow lax and so they don't support our bodies so well, slouching and compressing our insides while sitting has a lot to answer for too, but hey we have to live and be comfortable!
Reading your post gave me a vision of a bunch of nudists all in sinus rhythm 😂😂. That said, there comes a time in life when elastic becomes a girl’s best friend. And I’m with you all on the bra thing. First thing I generally do when I get home is rip mine off.
Yep that will be the rule in my commune, not so much the nudist bit, but comfortable loose clothing/kaftans. Hmm wonder if I'd get a lot of orders if I had some lovely warm kaftans made up!
No, you're welcome, consider yourself a member (especially as you have the kaftans). It's a select group though, only open to people with AF or similar heart problems. We go for healthy eating, gentle exercise, comfortable clothes and peaceful living.
That's lovely that you have them, what a wonderful reminder of your dear mum. Sounds like she may have cottoned on to the idea that loose clothing was good for AF suffers too. Yes, as you've got kaftans you've got entry to the commune too.
I am another one who hates tight clothing. I used to wear jeans a lot but recently have had to resort to trousers with a elasticated waist band. I have a dodgy hip - wear and tear, but not bad enough for a hip replacement yet - so now any waistband starts to aggravate it. I also hate wearing bra's now and only wear them when I go out - I just feel that they are restricting my breathing. A few years ago I decided I would go and get measured properly for a bra, ended up buying quite an expensive bra, seem good at the time but I have hardly worn it since. I prefer a sports bra, bought a couple of these when I had breast cancer, they were the most comfortable at that time. I am 72, is it just my age that I prefer to feel comfortable or AF I do not know. I am not really a dress person but perhaps it is time I gave it a try. My problem with dresses is that I am tall and if they have a waist it is not where my waist is, and length not long enough too short ect. Shops like Long Tall Sally are too long (spent many hours in that shop my daughter is 6'.2" it was heaven for her back in the 1990's. I am 5'.11") but I must look again.
I now have a vision of quite a few of the posters on here lounging around in their PJ's, dressing gowns or other loose attire.
Hi Cassie, I'm tall too 5ft 7 to 5ft 8 and have bought lots of long dresses from M&S, Marisota, Roman, Debenhams, Sainsburys and anywhere I can find them. Yes, Long Tall Sally are too long for me too, so you have to look for the midi ones in there. I must say though that there's nothing much around at the moment and hasn't been this season. Midi ones are good for winter with long boots. By that I mean the true midi length ones that come midway down your calf.
Love being in my dressing gown, do all my work at home in mine. Then get washed and dressed to go out.
I must try the sports bras, lots have recommended them.
AF came in one door & the bra went out the other. I just cannot stand wearing them now especially after eating. I can feel every palpitation so clearly under the band & that makes me more anxious. Ah the joys of AF 😉
I hate wearing them too, but being big chested, just have to! Why women want to have breast enlargements is beyond me. I'd really like to be flat chested and not have to wear a bra.
Soft veins, well that's something I've never heard of or thought about before, but I'm sure there could be something in what you say. I find lately that if I kneel down I can get bruises on my knees. When I was young I thought that people just looked old and didn't realise all the aches and pains that went with it. I used to laugh about the way elderly people talked about their ailments and wondered why they kept on about them. Well, I'm not laughing now I'm getting there!
I feel exactly the same! In the car on my way home from work I take off or undo my bra before I set off, sometimes I unbutton the waistband of my trousers too, I can’t stand the feeling of tightness! The first thing I do when I get home whatever shift I’ve been on is change into my pjs 😂
Oh Maura you made me laugh re taking your bra off before driving home, good for you! Re unbuttoning the waistband, I bet we've all done that at times, I certainly have. I think a newspaper needs to do a feature on how we women suffer with uncomfortable bras!
Very interesting! I have exactly the same problem and I kept quiet about it. I simply can’t wear a bra any more and too bad if I look a bit droopy. Where do I buy a decent kaftan?
Yes, I've kept quiet about it too, never knew so many women suffered the same as me! The responses to my post have been overwhelming. I guess a constricting bra could certainly trigger AF too. Some of the other lady sufferers on here have recommended comfortable bras and I'm on a quest now to find some. I guess it may be possible to buy a kaftan in one of those hippie type shops that sell joss sticks etc. I'd like a nice warm one with a high neck, but don't think there's such a thing, but hey I've got a selection of dressing gowns of variable warmth. I bought a long, maxi, black, wool and cashmere lounging dress in the sale at M&S a year or so ago and that's my favourite indoor clothing at the moment. Have never seen anything like it before or since, but it's just what we women want!
Neat thought. I wonder if it has any effect on the vagus nerve? Loose clothing might affect posture which might affect the orientation of the vagus nerve.
An aside but related - I've found that men's wallets DO contribute to hip issues. I used to keep my wallet in the right hand side suring my youth and into my 30s. Now right hip has issues.. Thank God for inversion table. Really helps.
Yes, I can believe that re wallets. A lot of people discover at times that their jeans can cause back pain too. I think the answer is that we all need to wear stretchy clothes that don't restrict the body's natural movement.
Well this cannot be a coincidence, today I bought two, I will called it tops-bra that are very soft and don’t restrict anything, but still firm. I hate bras and since my last long episode of 210 bpm, I’m absolutely sure that it’s was the bra in combination with some stress that did set off my AVNRT episode. I think I will bring the bra to the ablation procedure so they can trigger my SVT 😜, so they don’t have to use the catheter.
That's interesting. Where did you get your new tops/bras from? I think you're right when you say wearing the AF inducing bra, along with a stressful episode, could have triggered an attack. It could just be one thing that triggers it but is more than likely to be combination. The more we talk about wearing constricting clothing and its effects, the more likely we are to end up finding out if it really is a trigger.
I am reading this some time after your post and it has made me laugh out loud! I didn't realize women stripping off underwear was such a common thing. In India I bought a shalwar kameez (a tunic with trousers) and the trousers were in very fine soft cotton and enormous, probably would have fitted a 50 inch waist, with a draw-string waist. The crutch is between the knee and the thigh, and strangely when the trousers were tightened, they weren't bulky around the waist in the least. But they were a joy to wear (without pants) - so much fresh air circulating, I absolutely loved the outfit!
I decided to dispense with all my underwired bras after realizing that I keep going back to very soft stretchy night bras which do nothing for my (very meagre!) shape but are really comfortable. All you ladies who have bras in good condition languishing in your drawer, there is a very worthwhile small charity, smallsforall.org where I sent mine. More useful than burning them!
Hi Irene, yes the responses to this post have been a real eye opener and lots have made us laugh. I had wondered if it was just me that found snug fitting clothing uncomfortable. I have to wear everything fairly loose around my waist and have been that way for many years. I think the time has come for me to throw out all my underwired bras, like you, and resort to something more comfortable. Just have to find the right ones, which is not so easy for larger chested women.
The outfit you wore in India sounds wonderfully comfortable and I think we all need to get some of those to wear in the summer.
Well Jean you certainly started something here and there must be many more who feel and do the same. I will no longer feel slightly embarrassed when I answer the door to the delivery man or postman either in my dressing gown or teeshirt with no bra (and we do get quite a lot of parcels, one of our nieghbour's buys a lot on the internet, she's not in most of the day so they get left with us).
I have in the last few weeks been looking at bras, but it is not easy to find the right ones if you are not the average size. I would not call myself large chested but above average, not interested in padded bras which there seem to be a lot of. Unfortunately most of the softer bras do not give you a decent shape or enough support. I mentioned that I have a few sports bras in my earlier post, it is not even easy finding these as a lot of them are on the heavy side, by that I mean cover a large area of upper chest, so if you have a tee shirt on you see the sides and top of the bra and not very many do white, most are dark colours or patterned. Well I will carry on my search for a few comfy bras, I still have a couple of underwired bras that I love the design of, I still wear them at times but as soon as I get indoors it's OFF. So AF ladies comfort comes first before how we look or fashion.
I believe most women feel the sameThis morning, I've bought two quite nice looking non wired bras in M&S. Had a fitting with one of the assistants there. She didn't measure me, it was just a case of trying bras on to see if I liked the fit. I like it when they bring you lots to try and would never have found them myself. I alternate between M&S and Debenhams and always book a fitting. Today I just walked in and they were able to give me an appointment within 10 minutes.
I do all my housework in my dressing gown. Then get showered, dressed and go out. I wonder if we'd feel less guilty answering the door if we were wearing a warm kaftan?
I realize this is a couple years old now but I'm going to have to agree with you that there is probably some kind of connection based on my own experience. I've never had problems with Afib in my life.
About 10 years ago I bought material to make a belly band holster for my carry gun. The belly band was kind of snug on my stomach just above my waistline.
Within a week I started having irregular heartbeats. It lasted for months.So it took a while to get it to stop doing it but it finally did. Haven't had any problem with it in nearly a decade.
A couple months ago I decided that the entire thing was just a coincidence and bought another belly band that was pretty much as snug as the first one.
Within a week the AFib came back LOL
I stopped wearing the belly band and sure enough the afib went away after a while current and I'm not having any problems with it.
I wouldn't say the tight band caused the AFib I would say that it triggered it.
That's interesting to hear. For many years I've not been able to wear anything that's not loose fitting around my waist doing so would cause pain and stomach swelling. Hence I mostly wear dresses.
I guess you must be from the US to be talking about wearing a gun? That's not the norm here in the UK.
Bras have become increasingly more uncomfortable. I put one on in the morning, even if it’s not an underwire, and by evening, I start getting palpitations and feel like I can’t breathe. I have been wondering if there was a connection for quite some time. Also, high waisted jeans in particular, because the waist is tighter will Press against the vagus nerve
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