Contrary to popular belief, arrhythmia is actually a group of different cardiac disorders. The similarity between them is that the heart’s natural beating rate is disturbed. Atrial fibrillation, according to Dr. Ian Weisberg, is the most common form of arrhythmia seen today. Arrhythmia severity can vary between really low (heart is healthy) to serious (where the heart can shut down and a stroke can appear). It is even possible that death can appear when the situation is too extreme.
One of the really important things to know about arrhythmia is that irregular heart rate does not necessarily need to appear. Regular heart rate is ranging between 50 and 100 bpm. Arrhythmia can happen with a rather slow heart rate of 60 or normal heart rate. It is then known as bradyarrhythmia. When heart rate goes over 100 bpm, the medical term used is tachyarrhythmias.
Arrhythmia Causes
Generally speaking, when a part of your heart does not work properly and heart contraction is affected, you are suffering from arrhythmia. Transitory arrhythmia happens when there are allergies or idiosyncratic reactions that appear in the patient. Serious arrhythmia cases can appear due to a long-term exposure to nicotine or cocaine. Increased blood pressure, hypertension, coronary heart disease and heart defects can also be mentioned as common causes.
Arrhythmia Symptoms
Unfortunately, symptoms are not really reliable when it comes to diagnosing arrhythmia. This is due to the fact that in many cases they are simply not that serious or there are not many that appear. When noticeable symptoms are present, it is possible that there is no really serious issue that is present. There are even some extreme cases where symptoms just do not appear.
Although symptoms are not that relevant, you should still know that most arrhythmias cause different symptoms that can be seen as common. This includes dizziness, quivering, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, fluttering, painful chest, forceful heartbeats and chest discomfort. Seeing a combination of these does mean you want to go to the cardiologist as soon as you can.
Arrhythmia Treatment
Treatment type depends on the exact type of arrhythmia a patient suffers from, physical condition and age. When the case is not serious, the body’s immune system actually manages to control the condition. However, in an extreme case, the cardiologist needs to give you medication. It is even possible that cardioversion is needed.
Cardioversion means there is an electric current that is applied to your heart. This is done in order to make heart rate more regular. Other treatment options that can be used include CRT, arrhythmic therapy medication and catheter ablation. The main aim of arrhythmia treatment, no matter the option used, is to change electrical signals delivered to your heart. This prevents or reduces the heart beat abnormality that was noticed. Obviously, based on unique situations, the cardiologist can recommend a combination of therapies.
In conclusion, arrhythmia is much more common than what many think but the good news is in most cases the condition is really easy to manage. All you have to do is talk with the cardiologist and follow the advice or treatment offered.