Index
Learn to detect Cardiac Arrhythmia and take care of your heart.
An irregular heartbeat is an arrhythmia. Heart rates can also be unstable. An average heart rate is 50 to 100 beats per minute. Arrhythmias and abnormal heart rhythms do not necessarily occur together.
Arrhythmias can occur with an average heart rate or slow heart rate (less than 50 beats per minute). Arrhythmias can also occur with a rapid heart rhythm (called tachyarrhythmias – more than 100 beats per minute). More than 850,000 people are hospitalized for arrhythmia only in the United States.
What causes arrhythmia?
Many different factors: can cause arrhythmias.
- Diseases of the coronary arteries.
- Imbalances of electrolytes in the blood (such as sodium or potassium).
- The changes in the heart muscle.
- Injury in a heart attack.
- The healing and healing process after cardiac surgery.
- Irregular rhythms of the heart can also occur in “normal and healthy” hearts.
What are the symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias?
An arrhythmia can be silent and not cause any symptoms. The doctor will detect irregular heartbeats during a physical examination by pulse or electrocardiogram (ECG).
Symptoms of an arrhythmia may include:
- Palpitations (feeling of beating heart has stopped, fluttering, or feeling that your heart is “running”).
- Powerful beats.
- Dizziness.
- Fainting.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Chest discomfort
- Weakness or fatigue (feeling very tired).
How can we treat arrhythmias of the heart?
The treatment depends on the severity and type of arrhythmia. Some people do not require treatment. For others, treatments may include medications, making lifestyle changes, or undergoing surgical procedures.
It is medically proven that lifestyle changes can reduce and improve cardiac arrhythmias; among other activities that you can perform, it is suggested:
- Avoid them if you notice that your arrhythmias occur more often with certain activities.
- Avoid the cigarette
- Limit the consumption of alcohol.
- Limit the use of caffeine. Some people manifest sensitivity to caffeine and may notice more symptoms when using caffeinated products (such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and some over-the-counter medications).
