What is heart rhythm disorder?
What is heart rhythm disorder?
Cardiac arrhythmia is an abnormality in the heart rhythm,
which is a fast, slow or irregular heartbeat rhythm as a result
of the electrical activity in the heart not working properly.
Heart arrhythmia can be life-threatening and therefore
require urgent medical attention. Heart rhythm disturbances
are classified as supraventricular arrhythmias, ventricular
arrhythmias, bradyarrhythmias.
What are the symptoms of heart rhythm disorder?
The most common symptoms of heart rhythm disorder are
palpitations, feeling dizzy, shortness of breath, pauses and
irregularity in heartbeats, pressure and pain in the chest area,
and feeling of fatigue.
What are the causes of heart rhythm disorder?
The most common causes of heart rhythm disturbances are
smoking, alcohol, tobacco, consumption of caffeine-
containing beverages, intense exercise, infections, fear and
stress, genetic factors, coronary artery disease, heart
diseases, heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid
diseases, various cold and allergy medications, and substance
abuse.
How is Heart Rhythm Disorder Diagnosed?
To diagnose heart rhythm disorder, the person's medical
history and symptoms are first questioned and a physical
examination is performed by a specialist doctor. Tests used in
the diagnosis of heart rhythm disorder are as follows:
Electrocardiogram (ECG): it serves to measure the electrical
activity of the heart and the timing and duration of each
electrical phase of the heartbeat.
Rhythm Holter device: A holter monitor, a portable ECG
device, is worn for one or more days to record the electrical
activity of the heart during the day.
Implantable loop recorder: In cases where symptoms are
very rare, an event recorder may be placed under the skin in
the chest area to continuously record the heart's electrical
activity and detect irregular heart rhythms.
Electrophysiological testing: In this test, also called an EP
study, the doctor inserts catheters tipped with electrodes
through the blood vessels into different parts of the heart.
After the electrodes are placed in place, the propagation of
electrical impulses through the heart is mapped and
evaluated for the diagnosis of heart rhythm disorder.
How is arrhythmia treated?
Medications are used first to treat heart rhythm disorders,
and these medications can slow down the heart beating too
fast and completely return the rhythm to normal. These types
of drugs are called "antiarrhythmics". In cases where
medications fail to treat heart rhythm disorders, patients may
undergo ablation. Ablation is a procedure performed to
prevent and eliminate abnormal electrical signals in order to
correct abnormal heart rhythm.
What is a pacemaker, how and why is it applied?
The pacemaker consists of a generator that produces
electrical impulses and an electrode that transmits electrical
impulses. The battery carries lithium-containing batteries.
These batteries are placed inside the right or left chest wall.
Pacemakers are also inserted in cases where the heart cannot
pump enough blood, especially in those who have heart
rhythm disturbances and conduction problems.
Pacemakers are devices used to create the appropriate
electrical stimulation in case the heart cannot create
sufficient electrical stimulation and/or cannot adequately
deliver it to all heart tissue.
