The treatments for tachycardia
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.
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. You can cultivate a healthy lifestyle of deep breathing and meditating, like doing yoga or tai chi.
Avoid any substance that are known to trigger the condition, from alcohol and caffeine to nicotine, over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, and, of course, illicit drugs like cocaine. Avoiding these bad habits is important, as tachycardia has been seen more in young individuals who take in lots of coffee, smoke, and drink alcohol.
Doctors would advise using vagal maneuvers, simple actions one can do with one’s body that affect the vagus nerve, which regulates a person’s heartbeat. These include triggering the diving reflex, doing the Valsalva technique, and coughing repeatedly. Finally, assuming that medication and doing vagal maneuvers are not completely effective, the next step is to have a cardioversion procedure, says Dr. Ian Weisberg. This involves your cardiac electrophysiologist delivering an electric shock to the heart via patches placed on one’s chest.
Ian Weisberg, MD is a cardiac electrophysiologist based in Pensacola, Florida. He performs more than 150-200 ablations of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter yearly. Visit this blog for related posts.
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| 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. You can cultivate a healthy lifestyle of deep breathing and meditating, like doing yoga or tai chi.
 |
Image source:
vkool.com
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Avoid any substance that are known to trigger the condition, from alcohol and caffeine to nicotine, over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, and, of course, illicit drugs like cocaine. Avoiding these bad habits is important, as tachycardia has been seen more in young individuals who take in lots of coffee, smoke, and drink alcohol.
Doctors would advise using vagal maneuvers, simple actions one can do with one’s body that affect the vagus nerve, which regulates a person’s heartbeat. These include triggering the diving reflex, doing the Valsalva technique, and coughing repeatedly. Finally, assuming that medication and doing vagal maneuvers are not completely effective, the next step is to have a cardioversion procedure, says Dr. Ian Weisberg. This involves your cardiac electrophysiologist delivering an electric shock to the heart via patches placed on one’s chest.
Ian Weisberg, MD is a cardiac electrophysiologist based in Pensacola, Florida. He performs more than 150-200 ablations of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter yearly. Visit this blog for related posts.
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