Solar eclipse and pacemakers

Yes from watching it on TV from the UK !

by Gemita - 2024-04-09 06:24:40

Nina, it was spectacular to see the solar eclipse yesterday on TV and why shouldn't we expect a rise in our heart rate as a result?  I got quite emotional just watching and listening to the crowds looking up to see the event.

I witnessed a solar eclipse here in the UK many years ago.  It was awesome too.  

I hope you enjoyed the event wherever you were.  I presume your 1 minute of tachycardia added to your excitement and that things are now back to normal.

I hope you wore protective glasses, since clearly solar eye damage is possible.  Since solar eclipses, however brief, disrupt daylight, this could affect the body's internal clock or circadian rhythms.  The sudden change in light might confuse the body's natural processes potentially leading to sleep disturbances or even changes in hormone levels.  With this in mind I can imagine it could adversely affect heart rate too.

I am at ease now knowing this

by Nina38 - 2024-04-09 07:50:16

Gemita thank you for your response... 

interestingly I am captivated by the eclipse and the beauty of it. Have been reading on it and since I had to work during the eclipse I was unable to see it from where I am. However, it did get quite dark outside and then I notice my heart rate picked up out of no where and I wasn't sure what to think because I was not expecting my body to react that way... after reading your response and doing some additional research yesterday...well yes I now feel at ease to know that many people with out pacemakers also felt this as well as fatigue for a brief moment. 

After my episode I had to take a break from work and research my symptoms because although it was scary initially, it was also very interesting to feel how my body reacted to the eclipse. Never happened to me before, first time under a total eclipse, well at least 90%. 
:) 

be well!

nothing here

by Tracey_E - 2024-04-09 10:48:47

We didn't have a full eclipse here, just partial, but I felt fine. Last time (2017) I was in the path of the full eclipse and also felt fine. Animals react, so anything is possible! 

Sunburn

by doublehorn48 - 2024-04-09 12:06:30

My wife told me last night that I got a little sunburned from watching the eclipse in a folding chair. I had protective glasses on and took them off when it hit totality. Weatherman said it was going to be cloudy around Dallas, but as usual, they were wrong. It was magnificent. Didn't think of my pm untilI I saw your post.