Heart palpitations that develop an hour after you eat may be a sign of a severe allergic reaction. Although food allergies can cause symptoms to develop within minutes of eating, some symptoms can take up to an hour or two before they develop. A food allergy is the most probable cause of an increased heart rate from eating. Call your doctor immediately because if the heart palpitations are the result of anaphylaxis, an extreme all-body allergic reaction, you may need emergency medical attention.
Food Allergies
Food allergies are mostly found in children under the age of 5 years, but can affect anyone at any age. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, 4 to 8 percent of food allergies are diagnosed in children and 2 percent of food allergies occur in adulthood. The most common foods that trigger an allergic reaction include wheat, soy, eggs, dairy, fish, tree nuts and peanuts. Many of these foods are used in a wide array of packaged foods. For example, although you may not initially think of wheat being used in ketchup, many brands of ketchup contain wheat proteins.
Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations are a sign of anaphylaxis. The most common causes of anaphylaxis are food allergies, medications and insect bites, according to MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health. Heart palpitations resulting from a severe food allergy will cause your heart rate to increase while decreasing the strength of your pulse. Heart palpitations typically lead to shortness of breath, light-headedness, dizziness and nausea. Call 911 if you develop more than one of these symptoms. The only way to restore a normal heart rate is with an injection of epinephrine.
Treatment
Epinephrine is the most effective prescribed medication to treat anaphylaxis. If you've been diagnosed with a severe food allergy, your doctor may prescribe this medication to carry with you on your person at all times. If you have epinephrine on your person and you develop heart palpitations, inject the medicine into your body and call 911. Even if your symptoms subside, you still need to go to the emergency room. Your symptoms may return within 15 minutes of using the injection.
Diagnosis
An allergist is the most qualified medical professional to diagnose your condition. An allergist will use a combination of a challenge diet and tests to determine which foods cause an allergic reaction. A challenge diet is designed to remove all possible allergens from your diet for a time and then reintroduce them one at a time to challenge the body. If you develop symptoms form certain foods, your allergist will test your blood and skin to confirm an allergic reaction.
