Picture supply, Darren PeattieImage caption, Darren Peattie put every part into his dream of constructing a sea salt companyArticle informationAuthor, Angie BrownRole, BBC Scotland, Edinburgh and East reporter2 hours agoWhen Darren Peattie determined to revive the 200-year-old salt harvesting trade in a Fife coastal village he was “completely afraid of failing”.The daddy-of-two had purchased £300,000 value of apparatus together with an enormous salt pan and employed a manufacturing unit within the quaint East Neuk village of St Monans.The 41-year-old had put every part into his dream, working all hours and sleeping in his manufacturing unit to control all of the dials and gauges monitoring strain and brine ranges.However Darren’s punishing work schedule and the circumstances within the manufacturing unit took a horrible toll on his well being.After months of surviving on 20-minute energy naps on the manufacturing unit ground his coronary heart began palpitating wildly, he felt out of breath and dizzy.He was taken to hospital by ambulance the place they advised him he had developed a coronary heart situation known as atrial fibrillation – an irregular and infrequently very fast coronary heart rhythm.Darren was advised that the fixed 45C warmth of the manufacturing unit and the extraordinarily salty air was damaging his coronary heart however after being given three baggage intravenous fluids he returned to work.The acute warmth and the salt within the ambiance meant Darren continued to be dehydrated – struggling extra episodes the place his coronary heart “was going bonkers”.The second time he was taken to hospital the physician took his bloods and mentioned: “It is like you will have been within the desert for a month.”Picture supply, Darren PeattieImage caption, Darren Peattie spent £300,000 on tools to begin The East Neuk Salt CompanyDarren was given three extra baggage of fluids, which put his coronary heart into its regular rhythm.”He let me go however I did not study and I saved on working and sleeping within the manufacturing unit,” he mentioned.He was rushed to hospital for a 3rd time.”I used to be dizzy and breathless and I assumed I used to be going to die,” he mentioned.”I assumed ‘that is it however I’ve an enormous order to get out of bespoke whisky sea salt’. “I had an organization anticipating an enormous American order so I bought to the hospital and mentioned ‘It is okay simply give me the fluids and I will be out of your hair’.”She took my bloods and mentioned ‘Proper, we’ll begin with seven baggage of fluids’.”‘Worst ache ever’After 12 hours his coronary heart was nonetheless beating quickly.Darren mentioned he was given a drug that works immediately on the guts tissue to gradual the nerve impulses and maintain his coronary heart rhythm regular.”It is the worst ache ever,” he mentioned. “All my veins went black after which the subsequent factor I used to be out chilly. It jump-starts you, mainly.”I lastly went again into a traditional rhythm and I mentioned ‘proper, I must get again as a result of I’ve work to do’.”The heart specialist took me apart and mentioned ‘Do you realise how fortunate you might be? You shouldn’t be strolling out of right here’.”Darren is now on a each day does of a drug to deal with critical – presumably deadly – irregular heartbeats.Surgeons are planning to function to present him a catheter ablation – a process involving guiding a tube into the guts to destroy small areas of tissue which may be inflicting an irregular heartbeat.”The physician mentioned the dehydration has adjusted the construction of {the electrical} alerts in my coronary heart,” he mentioned.”That is as a result of I slept within the manufacturing unit, which was boiling and inhaling salty air.”I’d get up within the mornings and I’d really feel like I used to be within the desert and I’d rush straight to the faucet to get water down me.”Picture supply, Darren PeattieImage caption, Darren Peattie takes 6,000 litres of sea water and evaporates it – leaving salt crystals behindRuth Goss, senior cardiac nurse on the British Coronary heart Basis, mentioned extreme dehydration might trigger coronary heart and circulatory system issues.”When you find yourself dehydrated, there’s much less blood travelling across the physique,” she mentioned.”This will result in low blood strain, dizziness and fainting.”In response, the guts might begin beating quicker to assist transfer blood across the physique and this may result in palpitations.”Dehydration also can thicken the blood, rising the chance of blood clots and coronary heart assaults.”On the identical time, excessive temperatures imply that your physique has to work tougher to maintain its core temperature to regular ranges, and this places additional pressure in your coronary heart, lungs and kidneys.”Picture caption, Darren Peattie has stopped sleeping in his manufacturing unit in East Neuk in FifeMr Peattie mentioned the strain of working a salt manufacturing unit on his personal had brought about him to grow to be a workaholic.Now, though he nonetheless works seven days per week and by no means goes on vacation, he solely does emails in the course of the evening, which he can do from his home.”Once you tackle one thing like this, when you realize it is come out of an concept and finally ends up actuality, you do not wish to fail so you’ve got to slog your guts out,” he mentioned.”This salt firm has been an enormous battle, it is almost swallowed me up financially twice.”The common particular person wouldn’t have finished what I’ve finished.”However I’ve finished it and I’ve bought to stay with it and I’ve bought to verify it is a success.”That is my driver, I am completely afraid of failure.”Two years on since launch, his East Neuk Salt Firm is producing as much as six tonnes of salt a month and distributing it around the globe.He collects 6,000 litres of salt water from the Firth of Forth and makes use of the distilled water which is the by-product to make mineral water.Darren mentioned: “My spouse would come into the manufacturing unit and say ‘You are going to kill your self’ or ‘that is getting out of hand’.”However I believe she is the one one who understands me and now she leaves me to it.”