Do you feel or experience irregularities in your heartbeat? The heart is one of the most iconic organs. It serves as the primary organ to pump blood throughout the body. The organ located at the central part of the body transports oxygen and nutrients to every cell along with pumping the blood. Playing a vital role in leading a healthy life it needs proper care and attention.
Do you sometimes feel the heartbeat is racing or flopping or fluttering? Do you feel the heart skipped a beat? These are the common symptoms of irregular heartbeat. The medical term for this condition is Arrhythmia. Do you know what the consequences of irregular heartbeat are? You must have the idea and proper information about the condition so that you could consult a doctor and seek medical attention!
Before you learn about Arrhythmia, let’s discuss the basics so that you could understand the condition in a better way!
Sinoatrial or the sinus node at the top of the heart controls the rhythmic beat of the heart. This node triggers an electric signal which travels through the heart that causes heartbeat and pumps blood throughout the body. A normal heart beats between 60-100 times in a minute. The normal beat rate of the heart when at rest is 72 beats per minute.
For any secondary electrical source, the current triggered from the sinus node causes the heart to beat faster which can be more than 100 beats per minute. If there is any blockage in the pathway of electrical source, the heartbeat will slow down which will be less than 60 beats per minute.
Is It Bad To Have An Irregular Heartbeat?
The impacts of irregular heartbeat arrhythmia are common and may pose no threat. Irregularities in a heartbeat can range from slight inconvenience to critical conditions including sudden cardiac arrest. An irregular heartbeat can also cause blood clots and syncope/unconsciousness.
If you experience the symptoms of arrhythmia and get diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, you don’t need to get worried unless you experience chest pain, fainting or dizziness along with flip-flop feeling. Almost every person experiences such a situation in a day at some point! Most of the time people are unable to notice the skip of the heartbeat, but sometimes you may experience the sensation.
You should immediately consult a doctor and diagnose the condition. Early detection and treatment measures can help you to prevent critical conditions. If you are a senior citizen or an athlete or are under medication, the chances of experiencing the irregularities with your heartbeat are common. But, the symptoms of irregular heartbeat in young adults could be a stressful situation.
The Most Effective Treatment For An Irregular Heartbeat
There are different types of arrhythmia. Thus, the treatments vary with the conditions! Atrial Fibrillation- AF, Supraventricular Tachycardia- SVT, Ventricular Arrhythmia, and Bradyarrhythmia are the different types of irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia.
Atrial Fibrillation is a type of irregular heart beat caused due to blood coagulation and formation of clots. Warfarin will help to prevent blood clot and Atrial Fibrillation.
Beta Blockers will reduce the impact of Adrenaline and prevent the heart from beating fast.
If drugs are not able to control irregular heart rhythm, Electrical Cardioversion will work well. This heart shock is the best treatment for patients suffering from AF or SVT.
The shock treatment will bring back the rhythm to normal. But, the shock treatment must be given within 48 hours of the attack.
Catheter Ablation is a process for fixing the electrical problem within the heart. In this process, the doctor inserts a catheter through the leg of the patient. Ablation is an effective treatment that targets the areas causing extra electrical impulses. This treatment destroys the areas to restore the sinus node by radio frequency. This treatment technique is effective for treating Atrial Fibrillation, PSVTs, Atrial Flutter and some types of Atrial and Ventricular Tachycardias.
People with severe ventricular arrhythmia have risks of sudden death. Implanting an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator- ICD will detect and correct the sudden arrhythmia preventing risks of fatal.
Heart Surgery is a type of surgery for Arrhythmias which corrects atrial fibrillation. In this surgery, the surgeon makes a series of cuts in the upper chambers of the heart. This surgery helps to keep the electrical impulses of the heart in a certain pathway.
Implanting a Pacemaker is the best treatment option for serious tachybradycardia or bradycardia. In such a condition, the heart rate becomes low which increases the risk of stopping the heartbeat. The pacemaker will keep the heartbeat elevated acting as a replacement for the natural pacemaker- Sinus Node.
Conclusion
Ignoring any issues related to heart is not wise! Patients experiencing any symptoms of irregular heartbeat need to consult a doctor immediately. The doctor will analyze the symptoms and perform certain tests to diagnose the condition and type of Arrhythmias. Detecting the condition at the right time and implementing the right treatment will be helpful!
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