My dad's heart skipping its beats, he's 86 years old, smoker. It's been a year since he'd noticed this problem. His blood pressure averages 150/78/73.
He went to a doctor & got some medications but no help, so he stopped taking them a long ago (6months).
His heartbeat goes the following way:
3 beats 1 skip - this continues about 20 times, then it goes back to normal about over 100 beats then starts again. During this irregular beats he feels no weakness, leghtheadness, short of breath; just feels normal.
His current medication's are nifedipin for high blood pressure when it goes up, but not that often, and bayer (aspirin) daily.
I don't know what else could help him besides the medications he's taking. He takes daily walk about a 1/2 mile, drinks coffee but I had him cut it a month ago.
Smoking??? can't help it, he'd die rather quitting.
Please advise, what should he do in regards to diet & other regular activities.
Are there any good websites with helpful info about heart disorders?
Read your post about your dad.I have the same thing with the pvc's and pac's ..they are irriatated by gas in the stomach ,such as acid etc.Coffee can irriatate them and cigarettes as well.I am 52 and smoke and drink coffee.Its ok for them to miss beats like you said but if you get strings of them missing beats for an hour or more then you might want to get him checked out.Its normal to have several at a time and I have them that way if I haven't eaten or im stressed about something or just too much gas..I would try to help him relax with breathing exercises and meditation..there are millions of stress exercises on the internet having to do with breathing and meditation.Meditation doesn't mean some eastern hubaloo ..its just sometime looking at something peaceful or pleasant for awhile and not thinking about anything.Also the breathing exercises help..Look up breathing meditation or meditation breathing..there are many sites.At his age..it wouldn't do any good to quit smoking..or my age for that matter..It takes about 14 years to repair any damage and lose the chances of heart or stroke..My grandfather smoked almost everyday of his life and drank too but wasn't stressed and lived to be 93..so well its just taking away one more of his only pleasures..also as for the coffee,I cut mine down but well Im not sure I did more harm than good.Another thing my mother had a pot of coffee made my entire life.A year before she died she quit.I may be way out there but I think that is why she died..Coffee has so many benefits and well they are finding more everyday.Although it has tendencies to shrink arteries and close openings..If those openings are used to be closed or shrunk then who are we to open them up? I am not a doctor but can tell you that the missed beats are pretty normal and that as long as they don't come in strings for hours..such as every other beat or many at a time I wouldn't worry too much .I have had them all my life and online there are about a bazzillion people that have them and the doctor says don't worry.So hope this helped a little..
thank you thank you thank you...
I much more relieved as well as my dad. He'd been drinking coffee for about 5 years, so its not that long I guess. Quitting it wouldn't do harm as with the smoking which he doesn't even remember when he started it. We didn't know gas in the stomach could cause that, it's really good to know. His stomach irriatates often.
By the way what are the pvc & pac??
Still smoking with no major problems at 83??? God Bless him!! let him do whatever he wants!!! I had to quit smoking because of my heart issues..but if it werent for that, I would probably still be lighting up. Seems when I was smoking I had less problems.. I was thinner and happier with more energy. Now I am fat, depressed cause of my weight and heart issues, and miserable. Let the man live how he wants!!! LOL
