Arrhythmia refers to heart rhythm that is not normal. Some abnormal heart rhythms can be dangerous while some are not. Occurrence of abnormal heartbeat is quite common. There are many people who have an extra heartbeat. Most of the time people fail to notice it. There are various reasons behind extra heartbeat. It results due to excessive use of caffeine. Lack of sleep and too much of stress also increases the risk of arrhythmia. Sometimes long time use of some particular medicines also results in abnormal heartbeat.
How to diagnose Arrhythmia?
Abnormal heartbeat can also result in heart problem. It also refers to the improper functioning of the heart. It is rate of heartbeat that determines what amount of oxygen and blood are to be supplied to the different parts of the body. After a hectic schedule the heart rate increase as the heart requires more oxygen.
The sinoatrial node is that part of the heart which has its own natural pacemaker. Some sorts of impulses are triggered in this region and the heart starts to beat very fast. There are some nerves present around the heart which pumps blood to different parts of the body. If there are some faults in this system it results in Arrhythmias.
Normal heartbeat make the heart really beat like a pump. If the heart beat is not normal it symptoms results in Arrhythmias. The common symptoms are irregular heartbeats, low blood pressure and many other diseases. Both increase and decrease of heart rate results in sickness. Students who suffer from this disease either have too fast heartbeats or the heartbeats are very low. As the pumping of the heart is not done properly the heart, beats at a very fast rate. People suffer from breathlessness and swollen ankles.
Detection of abnormal heart rhythm is done by experts. If the pulse rate is checked regularly a slight variation in the heart gives us an idea of the patient’s health. With the help of ECG exact diagnosis is possible. In some cases special devices are used to detect the problem.
Symptoms of Arrhythmia
There are basically two kinds of Arrhythmia which are tachycardia and bradycardia. A person is said to be suffering from tachycardia if he/she has a heart beat rate which is much above the normal; similarly if a person has a heart beat rate which is much below the normal he/she is believed to be afflicted with another version of arrhythmia which is known as bradycardia. In either of the cases the heart will not function effectively and therefore the circulation of blood will not be proper in the body.
There are various symptoms which characterize this disease and they include symptoms as palpitations in which a person experiences heart beat which is fluttery as well as irregular. On medical inspection a missed heartbeat is often detected. Along with this irregular heart beat a person might also feel faint and this will be due to the fact that the heat will pump out insufficient blood resulting in low blood pressure.
Shortness of breath and swollen ankles are other symptoms of this disease. Often a severe case of arrhythmia causes intense chest pain. In such cases the beating of the heart is so irregular that it affects the supply of the blood to the muscles of the heart and brain. This often results in cardiac arrest or brain damage.
Arrhythmia Treatment
Treatment of Arrhythmias depends on the cause of abnormal heart rhythms. There are a variety of simple steps through which stress can be removed. It can be done through medication. In some cases pace maker are also used. It really helps in controlling the fast rhythm of the heart. Sometimes the help of the surgery is also taken. They remove the abnormal wiring of the heart and the proper functioning is carried out.
Arrhythmia is a dangerous disease as in the long run it can result in heart attack or death. People should be made aware of the disease. There are some cases of arrhythmias which are very minor and are not really a cause of alarm. The abnormal heartbeats can be frequent or continuous. Sometimes arrhythmia may be not that serious. Palpitations are minor cases of arrhythmia. They increase the risk of blood clot in the heart and thus increase the chance of heart failure and sudden death.
Advices
The first and foremost point which needs to be kept in mind is that not all irregular heartbeats are Arrhythmia. At times one might be doing heavy exercises or be in a panicked state as a result of which the heart beat may increase. Therefore one needs an expert diagnosis by a medical practitioner to confirm the existence of this disease.
