I see lots of posts about meds and ablations but very few about the causes/triggers.
Well, my trigger, undoubtedly, is oesophagus/stomach/bowel pressure from swallowed air or gas produced. This is, I understand, Roemheld Syndrome. This may be the actual cause, pressure on the heart or vagus nerve = PVCs. I accept and understand this and can reduce it with diet and care. I also now take Bisoprolol which helps reduce my burden.
However, I now have another possible cause. I suffer from Electrohypersensitivity, regarded by most as a conspiracy theory, difficult to talk about. I hope this post is allowed to stay, I get cancelled on many sites for speaking my truth. My doctor (in UK) accepts my EHS, I have proved it is physiological in double blind tests and am trying to force the NHS to treat me.
My question is, could the proliferation of electric devices, electric and magnetic fields, wifi etc. be affecting our hearts' electrical regulation making them "jumpy", easily disturbed?
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Jonp
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Agree with you. I've thought of this too and have mentioned it in posts on here. There's also the effect of the microwave.
I knew a lady who was an architect and she once commented on the fumes from having UPVC windows and doors. All the chemicals added to our clothing, beds etc .
It might be that the cause is more mundane. I understand that those syndromes are not considered by modern cardiologists as good explanations for heart issues. What is accepted is that the heart can be very sensitive to being pushed and pressed, especially the atrium. It is accepted that in some people, thanks to their anatomy, pressure can easily be put on the heart by the stomach or intestines, via the diaphragm, when full or bloated. This action can then lead to mild stretching of the heart cells, and this can set off ectopic beats. In prone people, like us, this can then set off AF in prone individuals.
I agree with all you say. makes sense and ties in with my experiences and also my anatomy which includes a redundant colon (extra large) and some muscle abnormalities as a result of childhood polio.
I just added in the EHS idea because so many folk have pvcs (everyone apparently) and that does not seem normal. Why would our bodies evolve to produce pvcs? Has something changed in our environment to induce pvcs?
What is certain is that we are all subjected to electric and magnetic fields which are not normal in nature and are known to affect our bodies at a cellular level (according to the WHO and research scientists). Most folk don't feel them but I do (proven) so I can pose the question. I don't know, I just raise the possibility which may help others.
That's interesting as I also have a redundant colon, along with IBS and lots of diverticulae. It's fun - not!
I suspect ectopic beats are natural and not linked to EMF exposure. I have read a few studies that show how just about everyone, of any age, has at least a few ectopic beats each day. In terms of why there seems to be more people suffering from ectopic beats and arrhythmias, well, I would look elsewhere than EMF, not least because natural sources of that outweigh man-made sources by a massive margin (even though man-made EMF is sometimes different). More likely, I feel, is that we have changed the way we live as a society by adopting less energetic lifestyles and becoming significantly fatter. Both these will increase the size of the heart, quite naturally, and a larger heart is known to be more prone ectopic beats. I am well over six feet tall, and although not especially overweight, I will naturally have a larger heart, and yet I won't have extra heart cells. It's no surprise to me, therefore, that I have had palpitations since I was a young man and that these have, as I got older, turned into more persistent arrhythmias.
Wow, there's a coincidence, never spoken to anyone with a redundant colon (bet mine's bigger than your's 😃). I also have sort of IBS but no diverticulae.
My question really is why should everyone get ectopics as you say. Yes, our colons, IBS may explain our ectopics but why fit, healthy folk? Does not seem "natural".
By the way, my stomach pain has decreased recently since I persevered with the Fodmap diet. I am 74, slim but have noticed a small change in bloating which was never much but is now even less, presumably causing less pressure all round.
My main problem is with EHS, I feel pain in the head, jaws and teeth everywhere, spiking with EMF spikes, the correlation is proven in double blind tests. I agree with you that it is unlikely to cause ectopics but the possibility is there and has not been addressed as far as I can see. Studies have shown that EMFs can affect HRV.
No, it's definitely not fun, but it is interesting and I learn more from chatting to people like you than the incompetent doctors we have here (in UK).
I had never read of EHS before and, well - how interesting! I know some people seem to have a lot of "electricity" in their bodies that can make an ECG "noisy", but I suspect this is more from undetected anxiety and associated muscle tension. I can easily get that - a kind of white-coat syndrome. My late grandmother used to claim she couldn't wear a watch as they always stopped and she blamed "electricity". Man-made EMF does seem to be a bit different from the natural forms but I haven't seen much in the way of evidence of ill effects except from localised heating. Still - it's a fact that it's all around us with cables, wifi and goodness knows what else.
Yes, I am trying to spread knowledge of EHS and EMFs. There are thousands of studies showing damage (mainly in rat experiments) to brains, blood brain barriers, infertility, etc. The scientists and researchers call out for more precautions but governments and doctors don't talk to them!
Our hearts, brains and muscles work on tiny electrical impulses, it is hardly surprising if we bombard our bodies with EMFs, they go wrong.
Fortunately, I have found one doctor who understands and has helped me.
Just found a graph showing heart disease from 1700. Hardly existed till 1900 in USA when it started to increase. Jumped in 1920 onwards. Jumped again in 1960s/70s.
1900 was when electricity was introduced into the workplace, 1920s onwards into homes, 1960s TVs and home appliances.
Of course, could be dodgy data, could be diet, pollution etc, Who knows?
I just know that EMFs hurt me and have made my life miserable but have given me a cause to fight for.
Your gran may have been right, I have heard that before. Have a look at "earthing", another "conspiracy theory" that has solid science behind it (electrons from earth helping our immune system which needs them) and a lot of anecdotal and scientific support.
Sadly, nowadays, with the base but never-stated intention being to monetise content, many YouTube videos have lost the authenticity they once had and have gone downhill to anyone except the converted, to whom they preach unashamedly.
Regarding EMF, I don't think it is likely to be a danger to most people, if to any; but, in a world where profit seems to be viewed as more important than truth or people's wellbeing, it's certainly likely that products will be sold that might yet prove a danger in some way or other. These dangers are monitored, though. An example is that the iPhone 12 was withdrawn from sale in France a couple of years ago for emitting more EMF than the safety limits allowed. That makes me feel safer, knowing that such testing and safeguarding exists.
"Regarding EMF, I don't think it is likely to be a danger to most people, if to any"
Steve, that is the big question. Absolutely, EMFs hurt me, in head, ears, jaws and teeth. Proven in double blind tests and I have a £1000 challenge standing that I can prove it. No doctor or sceptic has taken me on, they just deny it with no evidence. My doctor says that there are a few like me who can prove it in tests but they get lost in the statistics. Most people with EHS can't prove it, they hurt all the time, sometimes they hurt after an hour or more, it is very vague. I hurt within one or two seconds of an EMF spike (under test conditions at 70 to 90% accuracy).
So, what makes me and other sufferers different? How do we feel EMFs? Nobody knows that yet but the evidence (from thousands of studies) is that EMFs affect all of us (and other mammals and insects) at a cellular level and the mechanism of this is understood and usually accepted. My strong belief is that EMFs affect me and I feel them, they affect you but you do not feel them. I don't know why, I have a theory to be tested shortly.
If the studies are correct, do these cellular effects cause illness? Some studies say "Yes", some say "No". UK and US governments, medics and, of course, the Tech companies prefer the "No", so no precautions are taken, we carry on with EMF limits set in 1997, based on work from 1950s! Some other governments have limits 1000 times tighter! Powerwatch UK is a good, independent site to see hundreds of studies.
In the meantime, we see huge increases in some cancers, heart disease, diabetes, Autism, ADHD, infertility, obesity etc. Nobody knows why, we are told it is our fault for eating junk food which is almost certainly true. But perhaps only partly true!
So, let's keep irradiating our children until we know. That attitude worked well with hand-washing (Dr Semmelweis), smoking, lead in petrol, asbestos, trans fats. All took decades with millions dead before governments acted on concerns.
Well - I can't deny your own experiences; and the EMF might yet prove harmful to some - although I would argue that it is not "radiation" in the rhetorical use you make of that word. I mean that in the sense that it is non-ionising and can cause no more than increased energy within the atoms it affects, which can only possibly show as heat. I look forward to reading more, though and so thanks for the links. I really don't know that much about it, it is true.
I would also argue, however, with your claim of a "huge increase" in cancers and the like, that is once population increases and ages are properly accounted for. My brother uses similar language to that, but he blames the cause on chemtrails, mRNA and similar.
We are filling the world with chemicals from oil and oil burning, and much more EMF, so I would be surprised not to find some adverse effects, but I do not think that there is the evidence for this that you suggest. I look forward to reading more, though!
The non-ionising/ionising argument has been used for decades to deny the effects of low level EMFs. Heating effects are minimal so no problem. The (very long) YouTube videos of Dr Martin Pall (highly respected Professor Emeritus at Washington State University, may be retired now) explain how low level EMFs could cause calcium deposits and problems at a cellular level. There are a few like me who can prove that EMFs cause pain. No explanation from the deniers, they just say we are mistaken but refuse to test us. I have a £1000 wager offered, no takers!
There are lots of possible reasons for the increases in illnesses. EMFs is one that is rarely considered despite the evidence. There are thousands of independent studies showing harm from EMFs to plants, insects and mammals. There are many studies (mainly from Tech companies) suggesting the opposite. Powerwatch Uk details both. The book "EMF Freedom" details 400 studies.
My point is that we know that EMFs cause some damage, loads of evidence, proof from me. I believe that they effect everyone, maybe not much. A precautionary approach should be taken, instead USA and UK, in particular, are increasing EMFs to us, our children and insects and animals.
As one example, I have a contact who runs a butterfly haven on his farm. A busy road runs alongside, now with phone masts. His butterflies have all but gone. I don't blame them.
Hi - reading around this is proving very interesting. One recent review, "System-level biological effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields: an in vivo experimental review" by Tian, et al (2023) seems to offer an optimistic viewpoint. It's certainly clear that no conclusions can be reached owing to the mass of confounding factors that apply to all in vivo research.
Steve, I had seen that review but not read it in detail. I have now and wish that I had not. It is terrifying to someone who has a little knowledge of the subject.
First, it was funded by the Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company who employ the lead author. Red flag!!!
Second, the studies included (I have not read them and don't know the funding) mainly involve very low EMFs under lab conditions, not the multitude of sources of varying EMFs that we receive all the time.
Third, the studies were time limited, long term effects are not considered (or known).
Fourth, all the studies show harmful effects or no effect. That is not encouraging. They nearly all show some biological effect but conclude that they are not consistent, so let's not worry our silly little heads about them. Did you give permission for phone masts, mass wifi, power lines etc?
Fifth, it is well-known that targetted EMFs are being used in medicine to help Parkinson's and other neurological disorders including spine injury. I am currently reading about the history, most of it has just been discovered. The review tries to use this as a positive for bombarding us all with random, all-body EMFs.
Sleep well but turn your wifi and mobile phone off at night!
I wish! I haven't slept well in more years than I care to remember, sadly. I'm enjoying reading around this fascinating subject - thanks for raising it.
For better sleep, look at earthing. I was sceptical but the science seems solid and studies and anecdotal evidence is strong. "Earthing" by Clinton Ober is a good read or see him on YouTube. I use a small earthing sheet (£28), sleep better and seem to have better circulation. Build up slowly, I overdid it at first.
"EMF Freedom" by Elizabeth Plourde details 400+ studies on problems with EMFs though it does jump to conclusions.
Powerwatch UK lists studies for and against the idea of EMF harm.
I am reading "We are Electric" by Sally Adee which details the history of our understanding of how the whole body (every cell) works on tiny electric currents and voltages. No wonder that bombarding me with EMFs causes dysfunction.
Honestly I don't think so.I think that it is very human to look for causes to avoid for scaring events, but most of the cases they just don't exist. Before getting my two ablations, I also have been looking for causes and hoping to find one.
Clearly, there are specific situations that do work as triggers (low potassium etc) but a thing called vagus hypersensitivity is actually a normal vagal impulse acting on a sick hearth.
Then, any situation inducing a vagal response, such as gut distension, becomes a trigger.
With respect to electric fields, the intensity required to induce a cell depolarization is a lot of orders of magnitude higher than the ones we are submerged in, which means in turn that a field source to be strong enough should be VERY close to the affected tissue (mm).
Yes, but I know I have EHS, pain in jaws, teeth and ears proven in my double blind tests to spike at the same time (within 2 seconds) of EMF spikes, per my monitor. How that happens is unexplained though I have my theory, and the pain is close to the vagus nerve.
I have no evidence that my pvcs are connected to my EHS. I just suggest that while my trigger is my oesophagus/stomach/bowels, that is certain, that trigger may be acting on a heart/vagus nerve made hypersensitive by EMFs.
Dr Martin Pall, Professor Emeritus at Washington State University, and well respected, has explained how these tiny induced currents could be magnified enough to affect our cells. He has interesting (but very long) videos on YouTube. Heating effect may be irrelevant.
"Well, my trigger, undoubtedly, is oesophagus/stomach/bowel pressure from swallowed air or gas produced. This is, I understand, Roemheld Syndrome."
I've experienced SVT episodes for several decades. I am now in my early 60s. The episodes have varied in duration from 30 secs to up to 2 hours. Their frequency have definitely increased as I have gotten older. Back in the 1990s, I would get one or two a year but they tended to have longer duration. These days it's more like one or two a week but they tend to resolve a lot more quickly. In the early days before diagnosis, there were a few trips to the ED but they always resolved on their own before I got there.
They are all triggered by ectopic beats. And I do think I have more frequent ectopic beats when I have a full feeling in my stomach (eg. after a big meal). But I also seem to get them when my stomach is empty (ie. when I haven't consumed any food for several hours). And my heart does not appear to be a great fan of hot humid climates whether indoor or out.
Exposure to fresh cool air and drinking chilled water seems to resolve an episode more quickly most of the time. But sometimes I just have to wait it out. Interstingly, in more recent times, I have resorted to chugging down a glass or two of chilled plain carbonated water. This causes me to do a huge burp and that often resolves the SVT. Go figure!
I've never taken any medication for SVT and never considered having an ablation. While the occasional episode has been stressful, my life hasn't been disrupted to the point of further investigation on my part. Saying that though, given the increase in episode frequency, I may revisit this in the new year and see if meds might be of help to me.
I see there are trials being conducted to see if Etripamil Nasal Spray might offer a simple solution for people living with SVT. It will be interesting to see how that evolves over the next few years. Would be great to resolve episodes using a nasal spray.
As for EHS. I would not rule out EHS as a possible trigger for SVT. There have certainly been times when I have felt "charged" up prior to an episode. I put it down to anxiety but I have often thought that static electricity might contribute to it. Several types of clothing can also store static electricity and when close to the skin could influence the electrical systems of the human body.
After an SVT episode, I feel like a lot of the "electricity" in my body has been discharged. And it is a feeling of great relief.
I have lots of PVCs but I also get little runs of fast beats lasting a few seconds. they have not been caught by holter tests and I am not worried as they definitely come from oesophagus/stomach/bowel pressure (I usually feel a gurgling just before) and I can always stop them by "bearing down" or burping.
You may know that drinking cold water is known to influence the vagus nerve (near the throat?) which controls the heart (and stomach and bowels, etc). Splashing cold water on the face may have a similar effect.
Your electric feelings are interesting and static is a possibility. We all carry a tiny electric voltage when close to wiring, wifi, phones, etc. It may build up with higher EMFs. Have a look at earthing (grounding), the science is quite strong though there is little research. You may also have EHS! Any other symptoms, headaches, dizziness, tinnitus? I am not a doctor but know more than most doctors who just deny EHS though I can prove that I have it.
If you have a lot of amalgam fillings or titanium crowns or implants, this could be very significant, please let me know.
Yes. I'm familiar with the ANS (SNS and PSNS) and how both the cardiovascular system and digestive system interact with it. Over the years, I've found that using vagal maneuvers can be quite helpful in terminating SVT episodes.
I'm satisfied that I don't have EHS. I have spent years working in and around environments where there has been a lot of EMF present (Radio and I.T.) and have never had the symptoms you describe. I only have 2 small amalgam fillings. I doubt they are the cause of my SVTs. But unless I get them removed / replace, who knows.
BTW, you keep mentioning PVCs - Premature VENTRICULAR Contractions. Have you been diagnosed as having PVCs? In my case, they are PACs - Premature ATRIAL Contractions. For me, they certainly feel as if they occur higher in my chest cavity.
Most of the research to date that I have read tends to suggest that both can occur in healthy humans with healthy heart muscles. However, when comparing them, much of the literature suggests PVCs tend to increase the risk of cardiomyopathy and conditions like AF.
I have lots of fillings (due to acid saliva) and dentists know that amalgams, in an acid environment, create tiny currents like a battery. Also, all that metal acts like a spoon left in a microwave = more electric current when passing through magnetic or electric fields, or when close to AC wiring. This is known, recognised by the WHO, but no-one is concerned apart from research scientists (like Dr Martin Pall) who suggest that these currents in the body could cause problems at cellular level leading to all sorts of problems, cancers, heart, autism, Alzheimer's, diabetes, all illnesses which hardly existed before electricity 100+ years ago. There is a lot of evidence but no proof, we will see.
All my evidence is that my fillings, and a titanium crown, are causing many of my EHS problems, my dentist half agrees and other case studies indicate that this happens, so I will be having the crown, then the fillings, replaced over the next few months. I will post an update here.
Yes, my PVCs have been diagnosed, thousands every day but not very strong so I ignore them, just take Bisoprolol. I often feel a flutter in my neck and chest, I think that this is air trapped in the oesophagus, burping can help. As you say, healthy people have a few PVCs without knowing. I just question whether this is "normal" or is it from EMFs? Certainly EMFs can cause tiny currents in blood vessels, who knows if there is any effect? The only common, natural EMFs are the tiny earth's magnetic field and lightning strikes. Lightning is very bad for the heart!!🙂
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