Comprehensive Care for Patients With Irregular Heartbeats
An arrhythmia is the medical term for an irregular heartbeat. People with
arrhythmias may feel a fluttering or racing in their heart, while others
may not notice anything at all. While many arrhythmias are harmless, some
could be indicators of a weak heart. It is important to have them diagnosed
so that your doctor knows to keep a close eye on your heart.
Diagnosing an arrhythmia
Some arrhythmias are so subtle that they have no symptoms, but others can
be severe enough that you can actually feel the difference in the way
your heart beats.
Some noticeable signs of an arrhythmia include:
A racing heartbeat
Fluttering sensations in the chest
Frequent dizziness or lightheadedness
Chronic fatigue
Fainting
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Keep in mind that these could be symptoms of different health issues. You
should schedule an appointment with your doctor for an official diagnosis
if you think you have an arrhythmia. A physician may be able to diagnose
an irregular heartbeat simply by listening to the heart, but in some cases,
an EKG test will be needed. This is a painless, noninvasive test that
evaluates how hard the heart is working.
Treating arrhythmias
An arrhythmia will only require treatment if it poses a serious risk to
your health. Sometimes treatment involves treating the heartbeat itself,
while other times your doctor will direct treatment at the underlying
cause of the arrhythmia.
Treatment for an arrhythmia may involve:
Mild electric shocks to the heart (cardioversion)
Destroying diseases heart muscle causing the arrhythmia
Medications to control the heartbeat
Implanting a pacemaker
Vagal maneuvers, which are special exercises you can do to get the heart
back into a normal rhythm
An ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) which automatically sends
an electrical shock to the heart when it detects an abnormal rhythm
Our cardiologists offer many treatments that can help you keep an arrhythmia
under control. We work closely with patients to determine a plan of action
that best meets their unique needs.
