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Spike during/after hot shower
I always get really weird feeling and my HR gets high during/after a hot shower.
I took it this time and it was at least 170. I'm worried it got even higher like over 200.
It went down after sitting and cooling off but I'm worried.
Is this normal?
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Everyone’s heart rate goes up in a hot shower. Mine even hits around 200 sometimes. What matters is that it came back down after you sat and got out, it wasn’t just happening out of nowhere.
Also, it’s really easy to overcount when you’re checking it yourself. That’s why I use a fitness tracker and a pulse oximeter, but obviously you can’t wear those in the shower.
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1 Reaction@ashlynnmae
I keep beat with my heart pretty well I use an online tracker
It was around 170 after I got out but if that's normal I'm not too worried
@ehdog
Showers can easily raise your heart rate for a lot of people. As long as it wasn’t random and it settled back down after, then yeah, that’s normal.
@ashlynnmae
It took a minute to settle but.. surely that's normal?
@ehdog
No one’s heart rate drops instantly, some people need a minute, others need 5-10. That’s totally fine. The main thing is that it comes back down and doesn’t stay elevated.
You don't mention your age or sex or whether you have a regular primary care physician who monitors your BP.
Cooling off right after a hot shower is good…and keep the shower shorter ..i always timed the showers ahead of time so I was well-centered for rehearsals…
@ehdog There is such a thing as POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. It's well known, and some of that may be at play for you. But as Wala says, everyone's skin is connected to the parasympathetic nervous system and getting into a hot tub/bath or into a hot shower will almost certainly cause a rise in HR. However, it 'should' normally begin to subside as your mind and skin get used to the unusual sensations of both temps and beating waterdrops. So, if your rate is still elevated by the time you're stepping out of the shower, I would want to get that looked at. If it subsides within a few minutes back to normal after you've toweled off (which is often a rather vigorous activity for most of us, especially north of 65) then I would say it's 'normal' for you. What you should be concerned with is a sustained high tachycardia for no apparent value (keeping you moving quickly or lifting/moving things that need both hands, etc).
I'm no medical expert, but I thought I would mention POTS, as unlikely as it would be for you just in showers....but we never know. The body knows.