An arrhythmia is a type of heart condition in which the heartbeat is irregular or out of sync. When a person has an arrhythmia, his or her heart may beat too slow. This is a condition known as bradycardia. Arrhythmias may also cause the heart to beat too fast. The medical term for this condition is tachycardia. Arrhythmia treatment is commonly necessary to combat the array of symptoms that may originate due to this heart rhythm abnormality.
The heart's rhythm may become out of sync if the electrical impulses in the organ become uncoordinated. There are a number of reasons why this may happen. An existing heart disease can cause an arrhythmia. The abnormal rhythm may also be caused by a recent heart surgery, diabetes, thyroid disease, certain medications and stress. Furthermore, an electrolyte imbalance, such as excessively high or low levels of potassium in the blood, can cause this to occur.
Many people with this problem need no arrhythmia treatment. Often, the condition remains uncovered until a cardiovascular test such as an electrocardiogram (EKG) discovers it. Sometimes, people with arrhythmias are very symptomatic. The symptoms can range from being mild to very intense. Some of the most common symptoms of an arrhythmia can be palpitations, a fluttering sensation, shortness of breath, weakness, chest pains and fainting.
Individuals with very severe symptoms will likely need arrhythmia treatment. Doctors commonly begin treatment of arrhythmias conservatively. Many physicians use medication as an entry level of treatment. In many cases, anti-arrhythmic medications are prescribed to correct heartbeat rhythm problems. Medications like calcium channel blockers and beta blocks may also be used to slow the heartbeat in people with tachycardia or fast heartbeats.
Pacemakers are commonly used as an arrhythmia treatment as well. This type of treatment for arrhythmias is frequently used in individuals with slow heart beats, or bradycardia. A pacemaker is a small device, powered by a battery, which is used to keep the heart beating at the appropriate rate. It is usually implanted near the collarbone. The device works by sending impulses to the heart to stimulate the correct activity.
Some types of arrhythmias can cause heartbeats to become so disorganized that the heart may stop beating. If an individual has one of these dangerous types of arrhythmias, he or she may receive an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) as an arrhythmia treatment. An ICD can reset the heartbeat by sending an electrical shock to the heart. This type of cardiac arrhythmia treatment may correct a heart rhythm that is too fast, irregular or too slow.
In an emergency, an individual may have a cardioversion to treat an arrhythmia. Cardioversions are generally only done in hospitals. During a cardioversion, a physical shock is delivered directly to the heart to restore a normal rhythm. A person may also receive a pharmacologic cardioversion. With this type of cardioversion, medications are given intravenously to correct the heart rhythm disruption.
Generally, different people will benefit from different types of arrhythmia treatment. While conservative types of treatment may work for some, others may need more invasive treatment measures. Certain people may undergo surgery to treat very problematic arrhythmias. Doctors commonly order a variety of cardiovascular tests to diagnose arrhythmias. The results of such tests can help doctors treat individual arrhythmias in the most appropriate way.
