Arrhythmia Research Paper

Arrhythmias
Arrhythmias are any change from the normal sequence of the electrical impulses in the heart. An arrhythmia is when your heart cannot pump blood effectively. It may happen to fast, to slowly, or it may happen erratically. When arrhythmias occur; the lungs, brain, and other organs cannot work properly and they may shut down and be damaged. A normal heart beat is strong, muscular pump that is a little larger than a fist and pumps blood continuously through the circulatory system. Arrhythmias can be harmless or life threatening. They can be brief and not affect the overall rhythm of the heart. A slow heart rate is when the heart pumps less than 60 beats per minute. A fast heart rate pumps more than 100 beats per minute. Tachycardia
If the heart is pumping to slow, it is not supplying the body with sufficient oxygen. Causes of bradycardia include an underactive thyroid condition, an electrolyte imbalance, some medications and certain heart medications can cause bradycardia, having a hereditary heart defect, certain illnesses, the natural ageing process, having scar tissue from having a heart attack, having sick sinus syndrome, your natural pacemaker not working as it should be, have some sort of heart blockage, and/or having the electrical impulse that travels from the upper chamber of the heart to the lower chamber of the heart is irregular or is blocked. Symptoms include dizziness and fainting, chronic lack of energy, shortness of breath, and fainting. Risk factors for bradycardia include certain types of heart disease, certain medicines, being the age of 65 or older, and if one has had recent heart surgery. One is at a greater risk of bradycardia if they have certain types of heart diseases. There are different ways to diagnose bradycardia which include an electrocardiogram (EKG), a stress test, a holter or event monitor, an external loop recorder, an insertable cardiac monitor, a tilt-table test, and an electrophysiology study. Treatment for bradycardia are having a pacemaker implanted. Pacemakers are small devices under the skin, below the collarbone on the left side or the right side of the chest. Pacemakers contain a battery and a computer
The heart rhythm may be irregular in its pacing or the heart rate may be low and then high again. All types of arrhythmias have the potential of becoming life threatening, but dysrhythmia is one of the most threatening types. To help diagnose dysrhythmias, one can use an electrocardiogram, or EKG, a stress test, echocardiograms, a holter monitor, event monitors, an electrophysiology studies, a head-up-tilt-table test, and using a cardio catheterization test can help diagnose the arrhythmia. The treatments for dysrhythmias varies from medications, to medical procedures, to medical devices, to supportive care. The devices that can be used are cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverter pacemaker which are also mentioned above as treatments for tachycardia and