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Archive for the ‘Arrhythmia’ Category

A condition of ‘Cardiac Arrhythmia’ can sound serious and alarming and one may think it automatically points to heart disease. However there are different types of Cardiac Arrhythmia, not all indicate the patient has heart disease, not all of them require treatment, not all of them dangerous. It is important to be familiar with this phenomenon and to know which types will require consultation with a cardiologist and which type of arrhythmia will require treatment and monitoring, as neglecting some of them can be harmful and even deadly.

First off, Arrhythmia (also known as Cardiac Dysrhythmia) is a term which describes any sort of irregular heartbeat, meaning a condition disorder in the electrical activity of the heart.

An arrhythmia condition can mean your heart beat is going faster than normal (Tachycardia), slower than normal (Bradycardia) or simply beating at an irregular pace. A regular heart beat varies between 50 to 100 beats per minute, anything above or below that may mean there is a heart condition.

But as mentioned before, not all arrhythmia types require attention. Here is a list of the major types of this condition:

Premature Atrial Contractions – The first type of cardiac arrhythmia that isn’t dangerous. In this condition there are early extra beats that originate in the atria.

These extra beats are harmless and do not require any treatment.

Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs) – A common arrhythmia disorder which describes a skipped heartbeat. It can be caused among other things by heart disease and people who have a lot of PVCs should be diagnosed by a heart specialist.

Atrial fibrillation – This is another common arrhythmia type that causes the atria to contract abnormally.

Atrial flutter – This is a more structured diagnosis then the fibrillation. People who have heart disease or people after heart surgery will usually have this arrhythmia.

Ventricular Tachycardia – A rapid heartbeat which prevents the heart from filling adequately with blood and then pumping it back to the body. This is a very serious condition.
 

Supraventricular Tachycardia – This is similar to Ventricular Tachycardia, but originates above the ventricular tissue and is less dangerous.

Ventricular fibrillation – This is a severe condition that must be treated immediately with CPR and defibrillation. The ventricles aren’t able to contract or pump blood to the body.

Long QT syndrome – The heart muscle is taking longer than usual to contract and then recover, or for the electrical impulse to fire impulses and then recharge. When this occurs, it increases the risk for ventricular tachycardia. Long QT syndrome is an inherited condition.

Bradyarrhythmias - A Slow heartbeat which may arise from a disease in the heart’s electrical conduction system.

AV Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia – This is a rapid heart rate due to more than one pathway through the AV node and can cause heart palpitations, fainting, or even heart failure.

Heart Block - A delay or complete block of the electrical impulse as it travels from the sinus node to the ventricles. If serious, heart block is treated with a pacemaker.

There are several types of treatments available for the different types of Cardiac Dysrhythmia. If the arrhythmia is caused by heart disease, the patient may need heart surgery to treat the problem. Other solutions include: a pacemaker transplant to help maintain a steady heartbeat, the use of an electrical shock may be administered to the chest in order to synchronize the heart (a procedure call Electrical Cardioversion) and the destruction of heart muscles cells that are causing the problems with radiofrequency energy (Radiofrequency ablation).

Arrhythmia does not always manifest itself through physical symptoms. Sometimes one can notice the problem and sometimes they won’t. All types of arrhythmia disorders can be detected at a routine doctor’s checkup. It is not recommended one not neglects this kind of condition. If you feel something is wrong or abnormal with your heart beat, you should go see a doctor immediately.

Heart arrhythmia is a special condition that results in an abnormal heart rhythm. Many individuals not only in the U.S. but also around the world experience heart arrhythmia. The actual causes of this condition are quite varied however the effects of it can be life threatening. One of the most important things to do is to monitor the heart to make sure that that the heart is functioning at optimal levels. One such way is to utilize a pulse oximeter. A pulse oximeter is a medical device that is specifically manufactured to measure pulse rate as well as blood oxygen saturation with excellent accuracy. The interesting thing about an oximeter is that the device has gone through an incredible transformation since its beginning decades ago. In the past the old oximeter devices were very big and could not be easily taken from place to place. They were mainly used in locations like hospitals, clinics and even the U.S. military. Their function as a vital sign monitoring device is truly necessary in all health care facilities. However, the problem was that there werent any oximeter devices that could be used in the home setting. The oximeter devices that were in the hospitals tended to be very expensive and large. It was obvious that those devices were specially made for the more professional medical care settings rather than for home diagnostics. But now with the advent of new chip technology there is a brand new generation of pulse oximeter technology that has truly surpassed the previous technology. The new chips have allowed the device to decrease dramatically in size to be only a fraction of the size of the smallest cell phone on the market. The most important aspect of becoming this small is the fact that it can not be extremely portable.

Individuals with heart arrhythmia need to monitor their health while they are on the go. As we all live very busy lives we need to monitor our health in order to stay at our absolute best health. Those with heart arrhythmia need to monitor their heart and the use of an oximeter is a perfect device for that. As the individuals are on the go they simply take out their oximeter, place their finger insde the oximeter and instantly they get a reading of their pulse rate as well as their blood oxygen saturation. The pulse rate can be measured by a pulse oximeter due to the fact that blood flow varies within the tissues of the body. As such, the differences in this blood flow is what determines the pulse rate that the oximeter is able to measure and present a beats per minute value. So no more need to have to be confined to home or the hospital in order to monitor your health. The with advent of a portable oximeter device you can go anywhere you please and be able to monitor your health with accuracy. Should you see any issue with your heartbeat then you can quickly contact your physician in order to get professional medical diagnosis.

What is heart arrhythmia? By definition from the Mayo Clinic, heart rhythm occur when the electrical impulses in your hear that coordinate you heartbeats do not function properly, which cause you heart to beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly. Medical statistics show that most people at some point and time in their life experience a form of heart arrhythmia, but the good news is that most of these occurrences are harmless. What sometimes seems like a racing heart or fluttering heart is a symptom of heart arrhythmia. Unfortunately though, not all arrhythmias are harmless. Certain individuals that experience them more frequent maybe at danger.

What medical device or tool would be essential for monitoring for signs of a heart arrhythmia? A pulse oximeter would be ideal for this situation. A pulse oximeter is also known as a pulse ox by certain medical professionals, and is used widely by doctors, nurses, pilots, and even athletes. Recent advances in technology have made it possible for a pulse oximeter to be moved from its bulky clinical size to the new portable fingertip clip on size. The finger pulse oximeter allows for maximum mobility, while not giving up any accuracy in its readings. Individuals who suffer from symptoms of irregular heart beat patterns now can use a pulse oximeter to monitor their pulse rate on a regular basis. This allows the individual to better understand his or her condition and commute information better with their doctor.

A pulse oximeter can be found online from many different sources, but our research has shown that PulseOximetersPlus.com is the leader in the pulse oximetry industry. They provide a wide range of oximeters that range in features and they all start from under including free shipping. PulseOximetersPlus.com also gives their customers the advantage providing a carrying pouch, batteries, and a lanyard.

Cardiac arrhythmia is the diagnosis physicians give to patients with a heart rhythm that is too fast, too slow, irregular, or what I like to call ‘other pace’. Symptoms vary, but the most common complaint is fatigue. People with heart rate and/or rhythm changes are just SO tired! Their heart is not pumping strongly. It’s not able to get the blood with nutrients and oxygen to the cells efficiently.

A common arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation. Typically the FIRST line of medical treatment is with prescriptions, such as a beta blocker. A beta blocker “blocks”. What does it block? Electrical impulses. The goal is to get the heart to revert back to a regular rhythm. However, these medications may just slow the irregular rhythm, which may not get rid of the symptom of fatigue.

Some of the more common drugs are: Brevibloc (esmolol), Coreg (carvedilol), Inderal (propranolol), Lopressor (metoprolol), Sectral (acebutolol) **THAT ONE SOUNDS LIKE LIGHTER FLUID!, Tenormin (atenolol), Normodyne (labetalol), and Zebeta (bisoprolol)

If you or someone you know is on these, you also know that ‘beta blocker’ side effects are many.

One of the worst, is that it doesn’t work! The next step is to shock the heart back into a regular rhythm, or even having a procedure done to ‘cut’ the impulse pathway to slow the rate. Why might the drugs not work? It could be that they don’t address the cause. Let’s look at why a heart beat or rate might change.

Your body is intelligent. It will heal a cut, even if you don’t do anything for it (unless you have a chronic disease that doesn’t allow for healing). Here’s something else, your body will prioritize it’s needs. The brain, lungs, and heart have top billing. You can live without your bones and kidneys right? So, what happens? If your heart needs calcium, your body will take it from the bone. That’s just one example. Your body is constantly shifting in order to maintain balance, but if there’s too much need, it will sacrifice areas to maintain it’s top priorities.

I hope that makes sense to you. Here’s the good part. There may be a ‘simple’ alternate solution. Nutrition. What about heart healthy eating? Nutrition data is confusing at best. The medical community has been telling us for years to eat a low fat diet for heart health. Well, the number one cause of death is now cardiac! When people went to low fat, they went ALL the way! Good fats are essential for your body’s heart health. Essential vitamins, minerals and fats must be taken in as food. When you hear ‘essential fatty acids’, that’s the Omega fats, the ‘good’ fats.

You are NOT getting the nutrition your body needs to heal if you’re eating junk food, or even foods commonly bought at the grocery store. Your heart, and the rest of your body, needs REAL nutrition. Eating organic foods that are minimally processed and supplementing with quality essential vitamins, minerals, and fats are the key to heart health. What if your cardiac arrhythmia can be traced to nutritional deficiencies? Whether its calcium, magnesium, or good fats…the cause can be addressed and health restored.

How do you know what to do? Start with good nutrition and supplementation. See what happens. Your body will respond. When you’ve been chronically ill, there’s a lot of healing for your body to do. But, with today’s technology, it can do so much more quickly when given the right nutrition.

Cardiac arrhythmia is diagnosed by the medical doctor by listening to your complaints, listening to your heart, doing an ECG (EKG), and running lab tests. Ask your doctor for your lab tests. Did he run a ionized calcium and an ionized magnesium? Did he replace your nutrition through an IV line? That’s cellular nutrition! Now, let’s get more educated. It’s important to BALANCE your body’s nutrition. Otherwise, your body will continue to do it’s own thing. Adding one or two nutrients, like calcium and magnesium, without having the other vitamins and minerals, is like climbing a ladder without all the rungs.

Arrhythmias are disorders of the regular rhythmic beating of the heart. They’re common • ” about 2.2 million Americans are living with atrial fibrillation (one type of rhythm problem). Arrhythmias can occur in a healthy heart and be of minimal consequence. They also may indicate a serious problem and lead to heart disease, stroke or sudden cardiac death. The goal of this site is to help the public and healthcare professionals learn more about arrhythmias, and ultimately reduce disability and death from heart disease and stroke. Do your part by learning the facts and taking the steps needed to understand and control arrhythmias.The heart has four chambers. The top two are the atria, and the lower two are the ventricles. Normally the heartbeat starts in the right atrium when a special group of cells sends an electrical signal. (These cells are called the sinoatrial or SA node, the sinus node or the heart’s “pacemaker.”) This signal spreads throughout the atria and to the atrioventricular (A-V) node. The A-V node connects to a group of fibers in the ventricles that conduct the electrical signal. The impulse travels down these specialized fibers (the His-Purkinje system) to all parts of the ventricles. The electrical signal must follow this exact route for the heart to pump properly.

Patients may describe an arrhythmia as a palpitation or fluttering sensation in the chest. For some types of arrhythmias, a skipped beat might be sensed because the subsequent beat produces a more forceful contraction and a thumping sensation in the chest. A “racing” heart is another description. Proper diagnosis of arrhythmias requires an electrocardiogram, which is used to evaluate the electrical activity of the heart.

In the majority of cases, a skipped beat is not medically significant. The most serious arrhythmias, however, contribute to almost 500,000 deaths in the United States each year according to the American Heart Association, with annual deaths attributable to the condition rising steadily. Also, one type of arrhythmia called ventricular fibrillation causes most of the 330,000 sudden cardiac deaths that occur each year.

Arrhythmias can either be temporary or permanent and they can be caused by several things • ” but they can also happen for no apparent reason. Arrhythmias can be congenital, meaning a person is born with the condition. Other causes of arrhythmias include chemical imbalances in the blood, infections or other diseases that cause irritation or inflammation of the heart, medications (prescription or over-the-counter), and injuries to the heart from chest trauma or heart surgery. Other factors like illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, stress, and some herbal remedies can also cause arrhythmias.

An arrhythmia is a disturbance of the normal rhythm of the heart. Arrhythmias are very common and affect over 700,000 people in England. Arrhythmias may occur naturally, or be due to heart disease or other causes, such as a reaction to a medicine. An arrhythmia may occur continuously or just occasionally.

Arrhythmias can be temporary or permanent. They can be caused by several things, but can also occur for no apparent reason. Arrhythmias can be congenital, meaning a child is born with the condition. This can happen in a child with a birth defect of the heart, or even if a child’s heart has formed normally.

In most people, arrhythmias are minor and are not dangerous. A small number of people, however, have arrhythmias that are dangerous and require treatment. Arrhythmias are also more serious if you have other heart problems. In general, arrhythmias that start in the lower chambers of the heart (called the ventricles) are more serious than those that start in the upper chambers (called the atria). Your doctor will talk with you about the type of arrhythmia you have and whether you need treatment.