Showing posts with label Tachyarrhythmia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tachyarrhythmia. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Tachyarrhythmia

Tachyarrhythmia






Tachycardia is the medical term indicating fast heartbeat. Tachyarrhythmia is a type of arrhythmia causing fast heart rate. Actually not all arrhythmias are serious. Normal heart beat for adult (at rest) is 60-100 times a minute. Anything more than 100 beats per minute is medically called tachycardia.


Various factors like heightened emotions, strenuous exercise, tension and irrational fear can increase your heartbeat. Tachyarrhythmia is the rapid heartbeat caused inappropriately without any specific reason mentioned above.










Types of Tachycardia :


Arteries produce certain electrical signal which ultimately produces heartbeat. But sometimes these signals are chaotic resulting in irregular electrical impulses causing rapid heartbeat called tachycardia. Some of the important types of tachycardia are:


Atrial Fibrillation :


In this type rapid heartbeat is produced due to chaotic electrical signals from the artery. This in turn will affect the rhythm and functioning of ventricles. But very often atrial fibrillation is temporary and does not need to be treated. It can be caused due to structural abnormalities, increased Blood Pressure or valve disorder.


Atrial flutter :


This is the same process as above resulting in fast heartbeat due to irregular contractions of atria.


Supraventricular Tachycardia :


As the name indicates, this type of rapid heartbeat is caused by problems in ventricles which suddenly experiences abnormal circuitry due to overlapping of signals.


Ventricular tachycardia is caused when the ventricles do not follow the normal rhythm of contraction and expansion resulting in rapid heartbeat and sometimes it is dangerous. This type of problem occurs in people with underlying heart problems like valve leakage.


Causes :


Anything that affects the normal heartbeat can cause risk to your heart. Individuals with underlying heart disease, Hypertension, consuming heavy alcohol or substance and those who are under psychological stress are prone to tachycardia.


Old age, family history of cardiovascular diseases and heightened blood pressure can also increase the risk of getting tachycardia.


Symptoms :


Rapid heartbeat, excess of sweat, palpitation and shortness of breath are some of the symptoms of tachycardia.


Diagnoses :


It is easy to identify tachyarrhythmia by conducting an electrocardiogram test. ECG is a device that contains electrodes which are attached to the chest and arms for recording electrical impulses traveling through the heart in particular time. Your doctor will study the patterns to find out any irregularity in heartbeat.


He may also use Holter monitor which is a portable ECG recorder to track your heartbeat for 24 hours timeframe. If required, he would order for electrophysiological test for confirming the diagnoses.


Treatment :


The ultimate aim of the treatment is to reduce the fast heartbeat and regularize it to normal. Generally the heart will automatically correct the irregular electrical impulses to get back to normal heartbeat.


Doctors suggest using Vagal maneuver technique to slow down the heartbeat. This method induces the Vagus nerve which in turn regulates the heartbeat. Some of the methods of maneuver are coughing and bending down.


Anti-arrhythmic drugs are injected intravenously to regulate the heartbeat. Sometimes he may prescribe this drug in the form of oral pills like Tambocor or Rhythmol.


In another method called cardio-version a light electric shock is sent to your heart which would regulate the electrical impulses for restoring the normal rhythm.


All these methods are used to control the irregular heartbeat.


Prevention :


Some people get repeated episodes of tachycardia without responding to any of the above methods. In such cases, catheter ablation is done. This device is used to control and prevent abnormal electrical impulses that induce fast heartbeat.


Some people use pacemaker device that has to be surgically implanted into the heart under the skin. This device produces an electrical pulse which helps in regulating the abnormal rhythm of heartbeat efficiently.


You can also prevent tachycardia by using implantable cardioverter defibrillator. This machine is surgically implanted into the chest which is useful in monitoring the heartbeat and emits electrical shocks to ensure that the heartbeat is in normal rhythm.











Monday, May 09, 2016

Tachyarrhythmia – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Tachyarrhythmia – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

What is Tachyarrhythmia?


The condition Tachyarrhythmia literally means “tachy” (from tachycardia) for increased rate and “arrhythmias” for changes in the heart rhythm or irregular heart rhythm. This heart condition is basically caused by the abnormal electrical impulses to the heart.










This condition can be diagnosed with an electrocardiogram or ECG. The rhythm disturbances and the characteristics of the patterns of the heart rhythm can be observed in the monitor. Auscultation can also be a form of assessment but is not entirely specific, it can only justify for tachycardia – increased heart rate. Another known test is the stress test, which will assess for any heart condition that it can detect for any exercise-induced heart changes such as arrhythmias. Holter monitor is also another material used for the diagnosis of any heart condition. This is done by hooking the Holter monitor unto the patient and shall be placed for 24 hours for complete monitoring. The patient shall be a tasked or assigned to record every activity he does in order to know what the heart rhythm changes were during the activity. The best test, considered today, for tachyarrhythmia is electrophysiologic study. This shall involve induction of local anesthesia in order to place the electrodes in the corresponding heart chambers. The conduction system shall be assessed with the recording of the electrical signals.


The condition can be classified by the following types:



  • Atrial Fibrillation or atrial flutter.

  • Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

  • Monomorphic or polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.


Tachyarrhythmia Symptoms


As mentioned, the condition involves increased heart rate and irregular heart rhythms. According to this condition, it has different types and corresponding presentations:


Atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation


Rapid heart activity that may exceed to 200 – 350 beats per minute. There is chaotic heart rhythm observed in the ECG monitor.


Supraventricular tachycardia


There is increased heart rate of at least 250 beat/min up to 350 beat/min. There shall be narrowing of the QRS complex, which shall be observed in the ECG monitor.


Ventricular tachycardia


There is wider QRS complex and a rapid heart rate (150-250 beat/min). Irregular heart rhythm is noted.

Tachyarrhythmia Causes


There are a lot of possible causes for tachyarrhythmia. Basically, the heart has a decreased or an insufficient electric conduction resulting to altered heart rate and rhythm. The conduction system may be affected and these are the following factors known to cause arrhythmias:


You're reading Tachyarrhythmia – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment posted by minhhai2d, the information is for reference only.








Foods
Coffee, chocolate, and overeating would trigger for an arrhythmia or tachyarrhythmia. Coffee contains caffeine that can trigger or induce heart contractions to be more rapid than it should be. While chocolate at the same time has this content that causes the problem. Overeating can stimulate for gastric content to come back up, which is also a noted to cause for Heartburn and for heart rate and rhythm changes.


Smoking
Long term exposure to nicotine may provide serious arrhythmias.


Medications
Some over-the-counter drugs which are abused may cause for heart problems and heart rate irregularities. Those who take prescription drugs for a heart problem may also have an adverse effect of tachyarrhythmia, most especially if the treatment regimen is not followed religiously. There are also cough and colds agents that are proposed to cause for arrhythmias.


Underlying condition
There are instances that cardiovascular conditions are most probably the root cause of the disease process. This underlying disease play a great factor for it precipitates the discussed problem. Those with congenital heart defects are most affected. Those who suffer from Hypertension, diabetes, and thyroid gland disease are one of the sufferers of tachyarrhythmia. Increased lipid levels in the blood can trigger for heart conditions and blood-related problems. Those with damage heart valves and atherosclerosis are also easy victims of tacchyarrythmias.


Environment
This shall involve chemicals or pollutants that can directly cause for arrhythmias.


Oxidant stress
This involves the increase exposure to free radicals which is very much helpful in damaging our normal cells and healthy tissues.


Tachyarrhythmia Treatment


The treatment for tachyarrhythmia is clearly aimed for management and to reduce the severity of the situation. It is highly advisable that the patient is subjected for hospital admission, in order to continuous assessment. Close supervision is the ideal treatment for tachyarrhythmia. Here are the medical remedies for tachyarrhythmia:


Antiarrhythmic drugs
Sodium channel blockers, beta blockers, potassium channel blockers and calcium channel blockers. These agents would help in the decrease and eventually in the regulation of electricity conduction of the heart. Intravenous lidocaine (used as local anesthetic) may be used in order to have an emergent effect.


Ablation
This includes passing of an electrode to the large blood vessel then providing high-energy waves.


Cardioversion
In emergency cases, where there is prominent irregular heart rate and tachycardia, cardioversion shall be the final or even the immediate resort of the doctor.