Heart palpitations, chest pain, anxiety/panic attacks, extreme fatigue, migraines–Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome (MVPS), while not life-threatening, brings with it a host of warning signs that certainly feel like death can’t be far away.
MVPS encompasses a stunning range of seemingly unrelated symptoms:
· Aches and pains
· Awareness of heartbeat
· Chest tightness
· Depression
· Difficulty concentrating
· Difficulty staying asleep
· Dizziness, shakes and/or jitters
· Easily startled
· Fatigue
· Fluttering in chest
· Intestinal problems
· Low exercise tolerance
· Migraine
·(temporomandibular joint problems)
· And more!
While this scary set of symptoms might feel like a death sentence, the diagnosis often brings a strong sense of relief because it is completely treatable through lifestyle changes and natural remedies.
The syndrome is a combination of Mitral Valve Prolapse (a minor abnormality of a heart valve that can cause a small amount of blood to occasionally move backward through the heart) with another condition called dysautonomia (an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system). Dysautonomia can cause visual disorders and digestive upsets. Those who have MVPS display a higher rate of: fibrocystic breast disorder, tinnitus, TMJ and other joint problems, fibromyalgia, PMS, SAD (seasonal affective disorder), altitude and seasickness.
When these two conditions meet, they can cause a flurry of cascading symptoms that send terrified sufferers scurrying to the emergency room for rescue from what they believe is a heart attack. Usually, this “heart attack” turns out to be a panic attack instead. Unfortunately, a large number of doctors simply treat the symptoms individually, unaware of the bigger picture, sending their patients home without a full diagnosis. Therefore, the sufferer lives in continual fear of the return of these symptoms–a reaction that actually causes the symptoms to worsen over time.
These doctors aren’t necessarily to blame, however. If uninformed, it would not occur to patients to mention the full range of seemingly unrelated symptoms, like migraine or Irritable Bowel Syndrome when they think they are having a heart attack. Ironically, the valve abnormality is not the cause of the syndrome, it’s simply another of the many benign symptoms under the umbrella of MVPS. It was discovered first and is, therefore, the symptom that the syndrome was named after. The vast majority of sufferers have nothing wrong with their heart, per se. Most of the symptoms are caused by an imbalanced nervous system.
This is good news because, in this case, bringing the nervous system back into balance is doable and relatively easy. What keeps most of us from doing so naturally is that it requires lifestyle changes that a lot of folks are unwilling or unable to make: drink a lot more water, get more exercise (which can be difficult, with a low exercise tolerance) and cut out all stimulants like coffee, chocolate and sugar. These stimulants cause the nervous system to go off the charts. In addition, supplementing one’s diet with a few specific nutrients can work wonders in alleviating the symptoms of MVPS.
These lifestyle changes can be challenging but they are, in essence, a common-sense approach to overall good health. This is the way we’re supposed to be living, anyway. The first few days may be difficult, but results are fairly immediate and this can make those seemingly harsh changes worth it very quickly.
One very helpful way to begin is with magnesium supplements. Researchers have found that most people with MVPS are deficient in this mineral. Magnesium is associated directly with migraine and is necessary for maintaining normal nerve function and keeping the heart rate steady. One study found that after five weeks, patients who took magnesium noticed a noteworthy decrease in symptoms like chest pain, palpitations, anxiety and weakness. Many people find relief within days of adding magnesium to their diets. Recommended dosage amounts vary, depending on the source, but an average is 200-600 mg per day.
Another useful supplement is Co-Q10, which helps to strengthen the heart and helps to alleviate profound fatigue. Again, recommended dosages vary depending on the source, but the average is 60-120 mg per day.
L-carnitine is also recommended for strengthening the heart. It can help to reduce irregular heartbeats. The average dosage recommended is 500-1000 mg, two or three times daily.
Regular exercise is strongly recommended, however a person who has been suffering from MVPS for a long time may be so out of shape that a regular exercise regimen might just be impossible. Therefore, it’s recommended to start out slowly, taking walks and building strength before launching into a more strenuous program. Even then, working out at the gym is not the best form of exercise for those with MVPS. Better exercise includes swimming, bicycling, dancing and walking (or using a treadmill).
This is all excellent news for those who thought nothing could be done to help them to feel better from an overwhelming onslaught of symptoms. Results are usually quick, definitely painless and the improvement in the quality of life far outweighs the annoyance of having to let go of some bad lifestyle habits.
