Cardiac Arrhythmia Treatment
Cardiac Arrhythmias
Cardiac arrhythmias are also known as heart arrhythmias or heart rhythm problems. When the electrical impulses that coordinate with your heartbeats do not work properly the cardiac arrhythmias occur. It either causes a heartbeat too fast or too slow or irregular. Cardiac arrhythmias may feel like racing heart and may be harmless. However, some of the cardiac arrhythmias may cause worry some signs and symptoms. The treatment of heart arrhythmias can control fast, slow or irregular heartbeats. Also, the risk of heart arrhythmias can be reduced by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Types of Cardiac Arrhythmias
The types of arrhythmias are characterized by the speed of the heart rate and these are tachycardia and bradycardia.
Tachycardia: It refers to fast heartbeats when your heartbeat is over 100 beats a minute. When tachycardia originates in atria, it includes atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, and Wolff-Parkinson-white syndrome. When it originates in ventricles, it includes ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and long QT syndrome.
Bradycardia: It refers to slow heartbeats when your heartbeat is less than 60 beats a minute. It includes sick sinus syndrome and conduction block.
Symptoms of arrhythmias
- Fluttering in your chest
- Fast heartbeats
- Slow heartbeats
- Pain in chest
- Breathlessness
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Sweating
Causes of Arrhythmias
- Heart attack which is happening at the very moment
- Scarring of heart tissue
- Changes in the structure of your heart
- Blocked heart arteries
- High blood pressure
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Alcohol abuse
- Drug abuse
- Anxiety
How to Diagnose Cardiac Arrhythmias?
Your doctor reviews the sign and symptoms of the arrhythmias and accordingly examine you physically. Based on your health condition the doctor may recommend the following steps:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Holter monitor
- Echocardiogram
- Implantable loop recorder
- Stress test
- Tilt table test
- Electrophysiological testing
Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmias
- The slow heartbeats are treated with the implantation of a pacemaker device.
- The fast heartbeats treatment may include vagal maneuvers, medications, cardioversion.
- Maze procedure and coronary bypass surgery.
Healthy Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- Eat food that is healthy to heart
- Include daily exercises
- Stop smoking
- Maintain your weight
- Manage your high blood pressure and high cholesterol
- Avoid alcohol
- Maintain follow-up care
