|
|
|
|
CONDITIONS RELATED TO ARRHYTHMIAS (click on any of the following to learn more)
Atrial Fibrillation: occurs when the upper heart chambers beat rapidly and irregular instead of pumping blood effectively. The patient may feel palpitations in his/her chest during these arrhythmias.
Bradycardia: Bradycardia is an abnormally slow or unsteady heart rhythm that causes symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, experiencing shortness of breath, and being extremely tired.
Heart Attack: Also know as an MI (myocardial infarction). This occurs when the heart muscle is damaged or destroyed because blood flow to the heart was blocked.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest: This occurs when the heart stops pumping after an abnormal heart rhythm. Without immediate treatment, sudden cardiac arrest will cause death. A person will lose consciousness and emergency treatment such as external defibrillation may return the heart to a more normal rhythm.
Syncope: I known as a "faint", usually not serious. Occurs when patients heart rhythm becomes too slow. A pacemaker may prevent the heart rate from becoming too low and causing the patient to have fainting spells.
Ventricular Fibrillation: (VF) Is a very fast, irregular heart rhythm in the lower heart chambers (ventricles). During VF the heart quivers and pumps little or no blood to the body. If not treated immediately, VF can cause cardiac arrest, and subsequently, death.
Ventricular Tachycardia: (VT) is an abnormally fast heart rate in the lower chambers (ventricles) when a person is at rest. This rapid, but regular heart rate can cause a person to become dizzy, fell light-headed, and faint. This can lead to sudden Cardiac arrest.
Heart Block: This is a specific kind of irregular slow heart rate. The slow heart rate (usually less than 60 beats per minute) occurs when a heartbeat is stopped before it makes the lower heart chambers (ventricles) pump blood to the body.
Tachyarrhythmia: This is an abnormally fast heart beat( usually 100 to 400 beats per minute) in either the upper heart chambers (atria) or lower heart chambers (ventricles). This includes arrhythmias such as atrial and ventricular fibrillation, and atrial and ventricular tachycardia. |
|
Send mail to
ncarr@bakergilmour.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
