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Heart arrhythmias are a fairly common occurrence among residents of South Africa. There are many different types of heart arrhythmias, which is when your heart has an irregular beat. This could mean that your heart beats faster than normal, slower than normal, or does not have a regular, steady beat.
Regardless of what type of heart arrhythmia you have, it is important to get it checked and diagnosed by a doctor. Some arrhythmias require immediate treatment, while others are mostly harmless and may not require treatment at all. However, because some arrhythmias can lead to cardiac arrest and death, you should always have an arrhythmia diagnosed and treated if necessary.
Many arrhythmias can be controlled through the use of oral or IV medications. Here are some of the most common options.
Antiarrhythmic drugs, such as lidocaine, are useful for treating tachycardia.
Anticoagulants, such as dabigatran, keep your blood thin and reduce the chances of clotting which helps slow down your heart rate.
Beta-blockers, such as carvedilol, help lower your heart rate by reducing your blood pressure and the amount of adrenaline in your system.
Antimotility agents, such as atropine, help treat bradycardia by speeding up your heartbeat.
While medications are the least invasive treatment for heart arrhythmias, they often come with unwanted side effects. This includes a dangerously fast or slow heartbeat, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and much more. The exact side effects will vary from medication to medication.
Before prescribing medications, your doctor might recommend a form of therapy for your heart arrhythmia. One of the easiest and most common options is vagal manoeuvres. Vagal manoeuvres can help with certain arrhythmias, such as tachycardia, but they are not effective against all arrhythmias.
Cardioversion is another common therapy for heart arrhythmias. Cardioversion is where your doctor will shock your heart with paddles, generating an electrical pulse that might be helpful for treating atrial fibrillation. This is often only used in extreme situations.
In some cases, with a mild case of bradycardia or tachycardia, it’s possible to correct the heartbeat by making lifestyle changes. These changes might include cutting out tobacco products, caffeine, or alcohol, taking blood pressure or blood sugar medications, or exercising regularly, and losing weight.
In extreme cases where your heart arrhythmia is being caused by an underlying heart condition, you will require surgery.
This procedure, known as CABG, is necessary when you have tachycardia as a result of blocked arteries.
A maze procedure can resolve atrial fibrillation when medications and therapies are not enough.
While surgery is highly effective, it’s also risky. For instance, atrial fibrillation, a dangerous heart arrhythmia, can sometimes occur in people who have a coronary artery bypass graft performed.
When medications and therapies do not correct your heart arrhythmia, it is necessary to perform surgery and install an assistive device inside of you.
If you suffer from bradycardia that does not respond to medications, your doctor may recommend a pacemaker. A pacemaker is an implanted electrical device that sends impulses to your heart when it is beating too slowly.
If you have ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, an ICD can help control your heartbeat and restore it to a normal pace.
During catheter ablation, tiny electrodes scar the heart to restore normal sinus rhythm, which is a normal heartbeat. Catheter ablation is especially effective against atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter.
As you can see, there are plenty of treatment options for those who have heart arrhythmias. However, it is essential to have your arrhythmia diagnosed to determine the cause, type, and how severe it is. While some arrhythmias do not require treatment, many of them do, and only your doctor can get you started on the right treatment plan for your arrhythmia.