Under normal conditions, the electrical impulse for each heartbeat originates in the heart\u2019s sinus node. It is the heart\u2019s natural pacemaker, located in the upper part of the right atrium. From the sinoatrial node, the electrical impulse \u201ctravels\u201d to the atrioventricular node (AVN), which is located between the atria<\/strong><\/a>. It is then transmitted through the bundle of His (a series of modified cardiac muscle fibers located between the ventricles<\/strong><\/a>) and from there the impulse enters the muscles of the ventricles<\/strong><\/a>. This causes them to contract, producing a heartbeat. <\/p>\n\n Cardiac arrhythmias<\/strong> are usually classified according to their origin, either as ventricular or supraventricular arrhythmias<\/strong> (occurring in areas above the ventricles, usually in the atria). They can also be classified based on their effect on heart rate, with bradycardia indicating a heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute and tachycardia indicating a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute. <\/p>\n\n Some common types of cardiac arrhythmias include <\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n Some of the causes of atrioventricular block include cardiomyopathy<\/strong>, coronary artery disease<\/strong><\/a>, and medications such as beta-blockers and digoxin.<\/p>\n\n Symptoms<\/p>\n\n Symptoms of these specific arrhythmias include:<\/p>\n\n Diagnosis<\/p>\n\n The doctor will ask you about your family history of coronary artery disease<\/strong><\/a>, cardiac arrhythmia, fainting, or sudden death due to heart problems. They will also review your personal medical history, including any risk factors for cardiac arrhythmias (such as coronary artery disease<\/strong><\/a>, cardiomyopathy<\/strong>, and thyroid<\/strong><\/a>, and medications). <\/p>\n\n During the physical exam, your doctor will check your heart rate and pulse, listen to your heart for heart valve murmurs, and check for any physical signs of an enlarged heart.<\/p>\n\n The electrocardiogram (ECG)<\/strong><\/a> can often confirm the diagnosis of a cardiac arrhythmia. However, because cardiac arrhythmias can come and go, an ECG<\/strong> <\/a>taken in a doctor\u2019s office may appear normal. In this case, a HOLTER rhythm<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n When a patient has ventricular fibrillation (a medical emergency), the patient is unconscious, not breathing, and has no pulse. If available, electrical defibrillation should be administered as soon as possible. If it is not available, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be started immediately. <\/p>\n\n Duration<\/p>\n\n The duration of a cardiac arrhythmia depends on its cause. For example, atrial fibrillation caused by overactivity of the thyroid<\/strong> <\/a>may not last very long once the thyroid<\/strong> <\/a>is treated. However, cardiac arrhythmias resulting from progressive or permanent damage to the heart tend to be long-term. When a heart attack causes ventricular fibrillation, death can occur within a few minutes. <\/p>\n\n Prevention<\/p>\n\n Cardiac arrhythmias caused by coronary artery disease<\/strong><\/a> can be prevented by taking the following steps to modify your risk factors:<\/p>\n\n Drug-related cardiac arrhythmias can be minimized by consulting a healthcare professional or pharmacist about any potential interactions with other medications. It may be necessary to switch to a different medication or adjust the dosage of a medication. <\/p>\n\n Treatment<\/p>\n\n The treatment of a person’s cardiac arrhythmia depends on its cause:<\/p>\n\n When to Call a Doctor<\/p>\n\n Call your doctor if you have any symptoms of a heart arrhythmia, including palpitations, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Call for emergency help immediately if someone develops a severe irregular heartbeat. If you cannot feel a pulse and the person is not breathing, begin CPR until emergency responders arrive. <\/p>\n\n Forecast<\/p>\n\n The prognosis for cardiac arrhythmias depends on the type of arrhythmia and whether the person has a history of coronary artery disease<\/strong><\/a>, congestive heart failure<\/strong><\/a>, or some other disorder of the heart muscle. The prognosis for ventricular fibrillation is poor, and death occurs rapidly without emergency treatment. Most supraventricular arrhythmias have an excellent prognosis. The prognosis is good for AV block, even third-degree AV block. The implantation of permanent pacemakers and defibrillators, as well as effective medications, has improved the prognosis for many people with severe cardiac arrhythmias. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" DEFINITION A cardiac arrhythmia is any abnormal heart rhythm. In healthy adults, the heart beats rhythmically 60 to 100 times per minute. And the pulse (felt at the wrist, neck, or elsewhere) corresponds to the contractions of the heart\u2019s two large chambers, called ventricles. The other two chambers of the heart are called atria. Under […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[83,66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arrhythmias","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2100"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2104,"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2100\/revisions\/2104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/caremedic.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/caremedic.forthright.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/heart.jpg\")
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