Treatment to solve arrhythmia problems

Arrhythmias are any disturbance in the rhythm of the heart either because the rhythm is faster than normal (in which case they are called tachycardias) or because it is slower (called bradycardias).

Arrhythmias are due to a disturbance in the heart’s electrical system: surprisingly enough, the heart is a pump that runs on electricity. This electricity is responsible for giving the pumping order. If the electricity fails, an arrhythmia will occur, so that when the number of electrical impulses increases, the heart will pump more times, causing tachycardia. On the other hand, if the number of impulses decreases abnormally, the rate will decrease causing a bradycardia.

Symptoms of arrhythmias

The symptoms are usually different depending on whether the arrhythmia is a bradycardia or a tachycardia.

In the former, the heart is unable to pump blood to the body. This causes tiredness, drowsiness and dizziness. In extreme cases, the blood does not reach the brain and may cause fainting. So much so that people who suffer fainting as a result of abnormally low heart rates need to have a pacemaker implanted.

On the other hand, the most frequent symptom in patients suffering from tachycardia is palpitations (sensation of pounding in the chest) due to the heart beating at a faster rate. Depending on the heart rate that the tachycardia reaches, patients may also experience chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness. When the tachycardia reaches a very high heart rate, some people may also faint.

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What is the treatment of arrhythmias?

Treatment in cardiology is totally different depending on whether the patient suffers from bradycardia or tachycardia. Bradycardias should only be treated when they cause the aforementioned symptoms. When both requirements are met, low heart rate and symptoms, the treatment of choice is usually the implantation of a pacemaker.

In contrast, antiarrhythmic drugs are available to slow tachycardias, which can slow the heart rate. When drugs fail to control the symptoms, there is an intervention called electrophysiological study with ablation, which eliminates the tachycardia definitively.

How to prevent arrhythmias

In many cases, arrhythmias cannot be prevented. They can happen to anyone and usually have little to do with lifestyle. However, some types of arrhythmias can be promoted by alcohol or stimulants such as caffeine, as well as stress. Although these factors often act as triggers of arrhythmia in susceptible individuals, rather than being the true cause.