I was laying in bed the other day, with a throbbing headache. As I tried to nap against four pillows and bundle myself in the sheets and blankets, I could hear my heartbeat echoing in my ear, and could feel the blood rhythmically pounding in my temples.
As I tried to force myself to sleep, I started taking long deep breaths. I discovered that as I started to inhale, my heartbeat slowed down and the pounding in my temples went from very rapid to calm and slow. As soon as I began to exhale, however, the calm and slow quickly reverted to rapid pounding. I tried this several more times and realized that it was happening consistently. Inhale slow heartbeat; exhale rapid heartbeat.
Why was my heartbeat slowing down when I inhaled?
Before starting my research, I came up with a hypothesis of my own. I made the assumption that on inhale the body wants the blood to gather as much oxygen from the lungs as possible, so it slows the blood down to give it more time to gather. When exhaling the body wants to get rid of carbon dioxide as quickly as possible, so it rushes the blood through the lungs to get rid of the CO2. Anyway…that was my thought, not being a medical student myself, and really having insufficient knowledge about the process to know better.
Then I started the research…and discovered that I should apparently be experiencing exactly the opposite of what I did…namely, that my heartbeat should be increasing when I inhale and decreasing when I exhale.
It’s called sinus arrhythmia, from what I’ve found online (I did not feel it necessary to pay a co-pay at my doctor’s office in order to write this post), and it’s described as:
Sinus arrhythmia: The normal increase in heart rate that occurs during inspiration (when you breathe in). This is a natural response and is more accentuated in children than adults. [Reference: medicinenet.com]
Odd - exactly the opposite behaviour that my heart should have been exhibiting. However, on that same page I found this reference:
Sinus tachycardia refers to a fast heartbeat (tachycardia) because of rapid firing of the sinoatrial (sinus) node. This occurs in response to exercise, exertion, excitement, pain, fever, excessive thyroid hormone, low blood oxygen (hypoxia), stimulant drugs (such as caffeine), etc.
Perhaps this is what I was experiencing. I was indeed under the influence of caffeine, and was experiencing pain in the form of a migraine. Although, I’m not sure why this would explain why my heartbeat slowed down when inhaling, then resumed it’s “tachycardia” when exhaling.
Has anyone else ever done this little experiment of measuring your heartbeat during deep inhales and exhales? Are you arrhythmical or tachycardial? (I realize those are probably not actual words, but spell check didn’t seem to mind)
August 28th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Where does my heart beat now? I am counting my beats as I type this message.
August 28th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Poor baby… I hope you’re better now. And, remember to see your doctor regularly, eat some fruit and veg, and have some nice, warm chicken soup for the soul
By the way… your picture confused me for a moment… far too many neurons were firing trying to make sense out of what I was seeing. It wasn’t that you looked so unlike most of your other pictures, but that you looked like my John… well, without the gingerness (as in hair). I swear though, he had the same look last August all squished up in his bed as I tried to roust him up to take me to somewhere… I think to a horrible (as it turned out) movie lot tour where they rushed us through everything including an interesting Harry Potter costume and props exhibit… and we’re walking…
August 29th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Actually I’ve been eating a ton of fruit/veg since I’ve been eating mostly pescatarian for the last 2 months. The only meat I eat is fish, because I would never want to give up on Sushi. Which reminds me, tonight might be a good sushi night.
As for my doctor - I don’t really like him, so until I can switch to a new PCP (which isn’t required with my medical plan), I try to avoid going.
That picture was a silly one that I took of myself, I wanted it to look like a crime scene photo
August 29th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Very interesting! I’m taking a physiology class now. Maybe I will understand more about this stuff by the end of the semester.
August 29th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
The picture in this post was the first thing that got my attention. That is a great picture, funny and also a great angle. But this was a good post, i really liked how you went around finding research, i often do things like this. The info was great, I always wondered about why your heart does that and came up with the same hypothesis, nice to know the facts. I hate when your going to sleep and you hear your heart beat its so annoying. It can keep me up for hours if i focus on it to much.
August 29th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
I am really jealous of one of my friend’s available PCPs… he only goes to gay doctors. He tried an HMO once without a personal PCP and it was just too tiring to correct or remind each doctor when they made a gender assumption or tried not to be shocked when talking about sex issues. One of his gay doctors would even give him a hug… it might sound creepy to some, but his point was that if you are not comfortable hugging as friends, then obviously you don’t have a good relationship to be talking openly with that doctor. And, a good relationship with your doctor becomes more important as you age or if you are very active in risky behaviors like sports.
September 2nd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Interesting stuff. I haven’t ever experimented to see what mine does during inhale vs exhale, but I have a polar heart rate monitor I could hook up to see.
September 6th, 2007 at 7:49 am
J: I took that as my “crime scene photo”
tdbear: I was thinking about that - looking in outword or news and review to find a GLBT medical center, but I do to the doctor so rarely it’s just not something that is prioritized
weightless: good experiment, though I still wonder why mine is going in reverse