What exactly is heart arrhythmia?
An arrhythmia refers to a problem with the rhythm or rate of heartbeat. Either the heart beats too slowly, too quickly, or has an irregular beat pattern. Heart arrhythmias occur when the electrical impulse which controls the heartbeat isn’t working properly, explains cardiac electrophysiologist Ian Weisberg, M.D.
A heartbeat that’s beating faster than normal is called tachycardia (more than 100 beats per minute, while one that’s slower than normal is called bradycardia (less than 60 beats per minute). Types of heart arrhythmia are also determined based on their regularity and where they originate (that is, either the lower or upper chambers of the heart). The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, in which the heartbeat is fast and irregular.
A lot of factors affect the rhythm of one’s heart, from smoking, stress, and certain drugs to congenital heart defects and a past heart attack. Heart arrythmia occurs when the said electrical impulse that controls the normal working of the heartbeat is interrupted. Other common causes include a high fever, alcohol abuse, high blood pressure, infection, and thyroid disorder.
One should be wary of the many symptoms of arrythmia, namely chest pain, severe sweating, shortness of breath, lightheadedness and dizzy spells, and skipping beats. Keep in mind that if you are experiencing a combination of these symptoms, it’s best to go visit your doctor and have some tests done. Treatment methods for arrythmia include having a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), and even surgery, adds Ian Weisberg, M.D.
Ian Weisberg, M.D., is a Pensacola, FL-based cardiac electrophysiologist with almost a decade of experience in the field. He is a graduate of the Emory University School of Medicine. Visit this blog for similar posts.
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A lot of factors affect the rhythm of one’s heart, from smoking, stress, and certain drugs to congenital heart defects and a past heart attack. Heart arrythmia occurs when the said electrical impulse that controls the normal working of the heartbeat is interrupted. Other common causes include a high fever, alcohol abuse, high blood pressure, infection, and thyroid disorder.
One should be wary of the many symptoms of arrythmia, namely chest pain, severe sweating, shortness of breath, lightheadedness and dizzy spells, and skipping beats. Keep in mind that if you are experiencing a combination of these symptoms, it’s best to go visit your doctor and have some tests done. Treatment methods for arrythmia include having a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), and even surgery, adds Ian Weisberg, M.D.
Ian Weisberg, M.D., is a Pensacola, FL-based cardiac electrophysiologist with almost a decade of experience in the field. He is a graduate of the Emory University School of Medicine. Visit this blog for similar posts.
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