heart and blood vessel disorders
Overview of Abnormal Heart Rhythms
Treatment of Abnormal Heart Rhythms
Antiarrhythmic drugs, usually for a fast heart rate An artificial pacemaker, usually for a slow heart rate Delivering an electric shock, usually for a fast heart rate Sometimes, destroying abnormal tissue responsible for the arrhythmia (ablation) For people who have a harmless yet bothersome arrhythmia, reassurance that the arrhythmia is harmless may be treatment enough. Sometimes arrhythmias occur less often or even stop when doctors change a person’s drugs or adjust the dosages. Avoiding alcohol,caffeine(in beverages and foods), and smoking may also help. Avoiding strenuous exercise may help if palpitations occur only during exercise. Sometimes people need to stop driving until doctors can determine whether treatment is effective. Drugs to Treat Abnormal Heart Rhythms are useful for suppressing fast arrhythmias that cause intolerable symptoms or pose a risk. No single drug suppresses all arrhythmias in all people. Sometimes several drugs must be tried until the response is satisfactory. Sometimes antiarrhythmic drugs can worsen or even cause arrhythmias. This effect is called proarrhythmia. Antiarrhythmic drugs may also cause other side effects. Artificial Pacemakers are electronic devices that act in place of the heart’s own pacemaker, the Electrical shocks to the heart ( Cardioversion-Defibrillation ) can sometimes stop a fast arrhythmia and restore normal rhythm. The shock briefly stops the heart from beating and, after a second or two, it starts beating again on its own. Often, it starts back in a normal rhythm, but sometimes the arrhythmia starts again. Electrical shocks cannot restart a heart that has no electrical activity at all (asystole). Cardioversion and defibrillation are usually done using an external device, but people with dangerous arrhythmias may have a device, called an Certain types of arrhythmias are due to a localized abnormal area in the heart’s electrical system. Destroying or removing that area ( Destroying Abnormal Heart Tissue (Ablation) ) can sometimes eliminate the arrhythmia. 