Immersion in ice-cold water can cause shock and increase heart rate.
But it does have stimulant properties that can raise blood pressure, increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels.
"Raising your arms above your head will also gently increase heart rate to wake you up and help you feel more alert," says Millington.
Pill decongestants can increase heart rate and blood pressure, so don't take them if you have a heart problem or high blood pressure.
Drugs used to increase cardiac output early in resuscitation include those that increase heart rate, increase preload or improve myocardial function.
Nicotine, even without the carcinogenic effects of smoking, has major downsides: it's addictive and can increase heart rate and blood pressure.
Because sympathomimetic drugs raise blood pressure and increase heart rate, they are useful in treating systemic trauma, including bronchial asthma, shock, and cardiac arrest.
This response results in the activation of sympathetic nerve pathways that serve to increase the strength of contraction of the heart muscle and to increase heart rate (tachycardia).
Ephedrine, the active ingredient in ephedra, a plant also known as ma huang, is a stimulant that can increase heart rate, raise blood pressure and speed up brain activity.
(Moderate activities, according to the survey, would include brisk walking, bicycling gently, or raking leaves; vigorous exercise would be running, strenuous cycling or other activities that significantly increase heart rate and sweating).
Caffeine can increase heart rate, interfere with sleep, cause heartburn and increase anxiety, and heavy consumption isn't advised for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding and for those who take certain medications.
