Common Arrhythmias

16 Pages·2009·0.96 MB·English

Common Arrhythmias
Living With Abnormal
Heart Rhythms
■ Premature
Contractions
■ PSVT
■ Atrial Fibrillation
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Abnormal Heart
Rhythms Can
Be Frightening
Your heartbeat is the
strong, rhythmic motion
that pumps blood through
your body. A change in the
pace or pattern of your
heartbeat (arrhythmia)
can be frightening. But
most types of arrhythmia
don’t place your health or
life at risk.
You Can Still
Live a Full Life
Abnormal heart rhythms
occur in young and old alike.
Having an arrhythmia won’t
lead to a heart attack. In fact,
many common arrhythmias
don’t interfere with day-to-
day life. After a few tests,
you and your doctor will
decide which treatment—if
any—is right for you. Many ‘‘ ’’
I thought my tennis days were over.
people with arrhythmias
live full lives without any
treatment at all. And many An arrhythmia doesn’t need to interfere
arrhythmias occur in people with your physical activities.
with healthy hearts.
This booklet is not intended as a substitute for
professional medical care. Only your doctor
can diagnose and treat a medical problem.
©1992, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2010
The StayWell Company. www.krames.com
800-333-3032 All rights reserved.
Lithographed in Canada.
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Inside This Booklet
Page
■ How a Normal Heart Works . . . . .4
■ Understanding Arrhythmias . . . . .6
■ Diagnosing
Common Arrhythmias . . . . . . . . .8
■ Other Diagnostic Tests . . . . . . . .10
■ Premature Contractions . . . . . . .11
■ PSVT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
■ Atrial Fibrillation . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
‘‘ ’’ ‘‘
I was sure I’d need a pacemaker. I was afraid I wouldn’t live to see my
’’
granddaughter.
Most of the arrhythmias needing treatment Common arrhythmias are
can be controlled with medication. rarely life-threatening.
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How a Normal
Your Heart Is a Pump
Heart Works
Your heart has a right and a left side. Each side has an
Weighing just ounces, your upper chamber (atrium) and a lower chamber (ventricle).
heart is a hollow muscle. The two upper chambers (atria) receive blood from the
It endlessly contracts and lungs and body. Then these chambers contract, helping
to pump the blood into the lower chambers. Next, the
relaxes to pump fuel to
lower chambers contract. They pump blood into your
your body. This pumping
lungs and body.
action is triggered by
electrical im pulses that
pass through your heart.
Even between beats, your
heart keeps working. It
generates the electricity
needed to produce the next
beat. The pace and pattern
of your heart’s electrical
impulses can be recorded
on an electrocardiogram
The left atrium
(ECG or EKG).
receives blood from
the lungs.
The right atrium
receives blood from
the body.
The left ventricle
sends blood to
the body.
The right ventricle
sends blood to
the lungs.
An ECG is a test that records
the electrical impulses from the
heart. Each series of waves,
from the P wave through the
T wave, reflects the passage of
one impulse through the upper
and lower heart chambers.
R R R R R R
P T P T P T P T P T P T
QS QS QS QS QS QS
The P wave shows the The QRS complex shows The T wave shows the
electrical stimulation of the electrical stimulation of recharging (repolarizing)
the atria. the ventricles. of the ventricles.
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A Pump Run by Electricity
Each heartbeat starts as an electrical impulse. The impulse is released
by a special group of cells (SA node). These cells, found in the right
atrium, function as the heart’s natural pacemaker. The impulse
travels through the atria and pauses at another special group of
cells (AV node). The AV node funnels the impulse to the rest of the
heart. Once it receives the impulse, the heart muscle contracts,
causing a beat. After each beat, the muscle recharges. Then the
cycle begins again—60 to 100 times a minute.
Stimulating the Atria
1 The SA node releases electrical impulses,
setting the pace of the heart rhythm.
2 Each impulse travels a set path through
the atria, causing them to contract.
3 The AV node acts as a circuit breaker. It
slows the impulse or blocks impulses that
are too closely spaced, giving the blood
time to enter the ventricles.
Stimulating the Ventricles
1 The AV node funnels the impulse to
the ventricles.
2 The atria recharge and begin to fill
with blood.
3 The impulse travels a path through the
ventricles, causing them to con tract and
pump blood into the lungs and body.
Recharging the Ventricles
1 The ventricles recharge and relax.
2 The ventricles begin to fill with blood.
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Understanding
How an Arrhythmia Premature contractions:
Common
An area other than the SA node
Happens
releases an impulse early.
Arrhythmias
Each type of arrhythmia
happens in a different way. SA node
There are many types of
For instance, you may have:
arrhythmias. Some are
• A premature contraction,
more severe than others.
where an impulse is
Premature contractions
released early outside
and paroxysmal supra- of the SA node.
ventricular tachycardia
• PSVT, where an impulse
(PSVT) often are not
that was released early
serious. Atrial fi brilla- reenters the atria by
tion, though, may be circling back through the
more of a health risk— AV node. Or the impulse
especially when linked may follow an abnormal
route (bypass tract)
with heart disease.
through the heart.
Often a problem in the
heart’s electrical system • Atrial fi brillation, where
many unorganized
causes the arrhyth mia.
impulses are released
The arrhythmia, in turn,
quickly in the atria.
affects the heart’s pump-
ing ability.
The Effect on A premature contraction pumps very little
blood. It is followed by a heavy beat that
the Pump
pumps more blood than usual into the body.
An arrhythmia affects
your heart’s pumping by
speeding up or slowing
down the electrical
impulses that make your
heart beat. If an arrhythmia
lasts longer than a few
beats, the change in blood
fl ow may cause symptoms.
You may feel lightheaded,
dizzy, or weak. You may
also notice a racing feeling
or irregular heartbeat in
your chest (palpitations).
This happens if the
arrhythmia greatly
in creases the heart rate.
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PSVT: The impulse may split at the AV node. Atrial fibrillation: Many impulses may be released
Part may circle back into the atria and the at a rapid, unorganized rate.
rest may pass into the ventricles.
In some cases, the full impulse may travel
a bypass tract through the heart.
PSVT greatly increases the heart rate. The heart Atrial fibrillation makes atrial contractions
has less time to fill between beats, so less blood irregular and i neffective. Blood may pool and
is pumped through the heart and into your body. form a clot in the atria.
Blood clot
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Diagnosing
Your Health History
Common
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms, your health
Arrhythmias
history, and your family’s health history. You may be asked
when your symptoms started, how often you notice them,
Each type of arrhythmia how long they last, and what they feel like. You’ll also be
produces a specifi c abnor mal asked if symptoms begin slowly or start and stop quickly. Tell
heartbeat, which may cause your doctor if you have had heart or lung disease, high blood
a number of symptoms. pressure, or thyroid problems. Any of these conditions can
trigger an arrhythmia.
To help diagnose your
arrhythmia, your doctor Your Physical Exam
will take a health history
During your physical exam, your doctor looks for an
and examine you. You’ll be
irregular heartbeat or any other signs of a heart problem.
asked about your overall
He or she will listen to your heart and take your pulse.
health and any symptoms
Your doctor can tell if your heart is beating normally
you’ve noticed. An ECG and if blood is passing through the atria and ventricles
will be done to provide a correctly. Arrhythmias may be linked with chronic high
record of your heartbeat blood pressure (hypertension). So your blood pressure will
pattern. The ECG will also be taken during the exam.
record any abnormal
impulses that pass through
your heart during the test.
As part of your exam,
blood tests may also be
done to check for certain
medical problems.
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ECG
If your doctor suspects you have an arrhythmia, you’ll have
an ECG. During this simple test, electrodes are placed on your
chest, shoulders, arms, and legs. They record any abnormality
in your heart’s electrical impulses. An ECG takes just a few
minutes and can be done in your doctor’s office. This test
provides a brief snapshot of your heartbeat. If your routine
ECG appears normal, further testing may be needed. Special
variations of the ECG can monitor your heartbeat for a longer
time or during physical activity. This makes it possible to
record arrhythmias that occur less often.
The Holter monitor may be With the event recorder, A stress ECG may be done if
used if your routine ECG is normal you press a button to record your your symptoms occur during
but your symptoms occur often. heart’s impulses every time you physical activity. This test is performed
This type of ECG uses a recorder feel symptoms. This type of ECG while you exercise to record your
to track your heartbeat for 24 hours. can be worn long-term, making it heart’s response to different levels
While wearing the monitor, you easier to diagnose less frequent of stress (activity). Like the routine
keep a record of your activities arrhythmias. Your ECG record can ECG, this test is often done in your
and symptoms. This record is then be transmitted by telephone to your doctor’s office.
compared to the ECG results. doctor’s office.
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Other
Echocardiogram
Diagnostic
An echocardiogram may
Tests
be done to check your
heart muscle or your valves
Further diagnostic tests (fl aps of tissue that chan nel
can provide information blood through your heart).
about how your heart An echocardiogram
works. An echocardiogram bounces harmless sound
waves off the heart. The
creates a moving picture
returning signals are
of your heart. This picture
converted into a moving
helps your doctor learn
image on a video screen.
whether your arrhythmia
is linked to problems with
the heart’s structure. An
electrophysiology study
Electrophysiology Study
(EPS) helps your doctor
During an EPS, areas of your skin are numbed. Then two or
identify your type of
more electrical wires are inserted into blood vessels in your
arrhythmia. The study
neck and leg. The wires are guided into your heart, where they
results help your doctor
record your heart’s impulses. Electrical signals may be sent to
choose the best treatment
the heart, and special medications given to test your heart’s
for you. response. The results of the testing are recorded.
EPS is done in the
hospital by a specially
trained cardiologist.
Taking Your Pulse
You may be asked to monitor your heartbeat by taking your
pulse daily. You will be instructed how to do this.
To find your pulse, place
two fingers on the underside of
your wrist.
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