Arrhythmia Treatment
Arrhythmia Treatment
While most conditions of Arrhythmia are harmless and hardly require any treatment at all, there are certain types of conditions in Arrhythmia which could require serious medical treatment. The primary treatment for a person suffering from Arrhythmia is medicine known as the
Anti-Arrhythmics. The medicine prescribed to the person experiencing Arrhythmia depends on the kind of condition he or she is experiencing. Some of these medicines are not without their side effects.
If it is a condition of Arrhythmia involving abnormally faster heartbeats, as in the case of Atrial Fibrillation, then the prescribed medicine will be meant to slow the heartbeat down to bring it into the normal range and if the condition involves a slow heartbeat rate, as in the case of Bradyarrhytmia, then medicine like the prescribed will pace up the heartbeat to the normal rate. In the case of Atrial Fibrillation, blood thinning medicine is also frequently used to prevent clots.
Medicine used to control a fast heartbeat rate includes the Calcium Channel Blockers such as Diltiazem and Verapamil and Beta Blockers such as Atenlol. Here it must be noted that these medicines, such as the Beta Blockers, could actually trigger Arrhythmia in some people as a side effect. Other medicine such as Disopyramide and Procainamide are also used to regulate the heartbeat, but with possible side effects, which could make Arrhythmia worse in some cases.
Medicine may not always get the condition under control depending on the reasons behind the Arrhythmia and other kind of treatment is carried out for better results. However, such treatment methods do not apply to many Arrhythmia cases. Defibrillation could be used to treat Arrhythmia which involves stimulating the heart with an electric shock. A pacemaker, a device planted under the chest, is also used to help Arrhythmia patients with heartbeat rate control using sensors that monitor the heartbeat and sending an electric pulse.
Some of the cases are treated with sophisticated treatment procedures such as Catheter Ablation, which involves inserting a flexible tube into one of your blood vessels in body parts like arms and guiding to the heart to stimulate it for the destruction of any possible problem areas causing Arrhythmia. In case of severe Arrhythmia cases such as Ventricular Arrhythmia, a device called ICD (Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator) is implanted under the skin of the chest to stimulate the heart through an electric shock if the patient suffers from Ventricular Arrhythmia according to its monitors.
Surgery may not be the treatment of choice in the case of Arrhythmia, but is recommended in some cases particularly if the coronary heart disease is the cause behind the problem. In that case, coronary artery bypass grafting can improve blood supply to heart muscles. Surgery is also sometimes recommended for Atrial Fibrillation. Usually surgery for Arrhythmia is carried out in the case of people who are already suffering from cardiac disorders and who are about to undergo surgery for some other reason anyway.
If all these sophisticated medical treatment methods are worrying you, there are even simpler techniques to control Arrhythmia. These techniques vary with every person and you may need to learn how to use them to control the condition. Such techniques include the Valsalva Maneuver, which involves holding your breath and to exhale forcefully while not allowing it through your mouth or nose, gagging and coughing, among many others. Since these techniques may not work for everyone, it is better to discuss with your physician on what sort of evasive action should you take to control Arrhythmia when it strikes.