Dr. Ian Weisberg, MD.

Tachycardia is a medical condition in which one’s heart rate speeds up to over 100 beats per minute when a person is at rest, affecting either or both the upper and lower chambers of the heart. As such, tachycardia is a potentially dangerous condition, says cardiac electrophysiologist Ian Weisberg, MD. Image source: wikihow.com While an episode may just be a one-time event and could cause no harm or complications, recurrence of the condition could be a sign of an abnormal heart function or systemic disease. Moreover, chronic episodes of tachycardia significantly increase risks for stroke or heart attack. There are a variety of ways to deal with an episode but note that chronic tachycardia requires medication. One way to deal with the condition is to both allow oneself to periodically rest and follow some relaxation techniques after strenuous activities. Stress and anxiety can trigger tachycardia, so it’s best to prevent it by managing responses to stressful situations. Y...

A cardioversion is a procedure to treat irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. It’s a brief operation in which an electrical current is brought to one’s heart to normalize the rhythm, explains cardiac electrophysiologist Ian Weisberg, MD. Image source: svhhearthealth.com.au A heart beating too fast won’t be able to pump enough blood needed by the various organs of the body. It can therefore lead to exhaustion, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and even blackouts. People suffering from arrhythmias are first given medication, and often this alone is enough. There are two types of arrhythmias: atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. In both cases, the upper chambers of the heart called the atria are beating very fast. It can also be that the lower chambers or ventricles are doing the same or quivering. Cardioversion electrically resets this abnormal beat. Image source: Wikimedia commons Cardioversions are generally safe, and patients won’t feel any pa...

It’s a question that’s not often asked because the process itself seems as natural as breathing: How does the heart beat? Part of the answer to this question is it’s made possible by the heart’s electrical system, which is critical to the function of the organ in that it determines the heart rate and coordinates the beating of heart muscles, according to cardiac electrophysiologist Ian Weisberg, M.D. Image source: Pixabay.com        The electrical system of the heart is composed of three parts, namely the sinoatrial (SA) node, or nature’s pacemaker; the atrioventricular (AV) node, or a gate-like barrier that slows the electrical signal before entering the ventricles; and the His-Purkinje Network, a pathway of fibers sending the impulse to the ventricles’ muscular walls and leading them to contract. At rest, you can expect the heart to beat some 50 to 100 times per minute. Several factors can cause your heart to beat faster, including exercising, extrem...