Cardiac Arrhythmia and What It Can Do To You
Simply stated, cardiac arrhythmia is the term given to a condition wherein the heart’s rhythm becomes disturbed. There are different types of cardiac arrhythmia and they are classified from the very mild to the most severe cases. If cardiac arrhythmia is assumed, a meeting with a heart doctor should be ordered.
Cardiac arrhythmia has a lot of symptoms. It includes dizziness, lightheadedness, and anxiety. Some people may also experience fainting, unusual changes and awareness of their heartbeat, and the pounding of the chests and similar sensations.
For doctors who have patients diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia, their first line of treatment is the prescription of drugs. The most common medications they give are quinidine like Quinidex and Quinaglute. They may also prescribe procainamide like Pronestyl or disopyramide like Norpace. Other drugs like mexiletine, amiodarone, verapamil, acebutolol, and propranolol are also recommended.
Several cases of cardiac arrhythmia can be treated with the use of herbal products and nutritional supplements. Nutrients like magnesium, fish oil, potassium, copper, selenium, and Vitamin D, including herbs like corydalis and hawthorn are good substances to fight off this disease. But though these are natural substances, the doctor should direct its use and administration as well.
There are several diseases that are believed to cause cardiac arrhythmia. The first of which of course is heart failure. Any malfunction in a person’s heart would definitely cause it to beat irregularly. Other diseases such as anemia, fever, and electrolyte imbalance can also be the causes of this disease.
To treat cardiac arrhythmia, defibrillation is performed. This method involves the use of an electrical shock to the patient’s heart, either internally or externally. Internal electrical shocks are possible through the use of pacemakers fitted in patients. Pacemakers are devices that are implanted under the patient’s skin placed right on their chests. It automatically activates whenever it detects that the heart misses a beat or has an extra one. Aside from this method, radio frequency ablation may also be performed.
People with cardiac arrhythmia should, first and foremost change their diet. Excessive consumption of caffeine should be dramatically reduced. Studies have shown that caffeine is highly associated with cardiac arrhythmia. Some people may not experience arrhythmia even if they eat drink several cups of coffee, but there are those who are very susceptible to it that one cup of coffee is enough to trigger an attack.
There are also cases where allergic reactions to certain foods and several environmental substances and chemicals can set off cardiac arrhythmia. It may be hard to pinpoint which particular stimulus had caused the attack, and so consultation with the doctor has to be scheduled.
The occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia in men is different from that of women. And that is because a woman’s heart is constructed a little differently from a man’s. This should be no surprise because their body part is built genetically different and is altered further by their sex hormones.
Women may also experience different degrees of palpitations. It is then important to know what to do when it happens and if it is necessary to worry or not. Women are also more susceptible to postural orthostatic hypotension than men. Sudden death is also a reality.
People with cardiac arrhythmia regardless of sex should be more cautious of their health. Regular check ups with the doctor should be done so that the disease won’t progress to a more severe case. Medications prescribed should be taken dutifully. Any treatment methods, either surgical or otherwise, which are recommended by their doctors, have to be carefully evaluated and carried out accordingly as well.
