A healthy heart is one that is known to keep the same rhythm and pace and allows for a continuous and study flow of blood to and from the heart. When an individual has an arrhythmia, it means that the heart is not keeping the same continuation, and the speed of the heart begins to speed up, slow down or move at an irregular pace.
How the Heart Works
The concept of the heart movement is linked to the incoming and outgoing flow of blood as well as oxygen. The heart has arteries that allow blood to move in and out of the heart. These move through the heart when a signal is set off by the heart, which communicates that more blood is needed at a specific time. The result is a pumping in and out of blood from the arteries.
What is Arrhythmia
When an arrhythmia occurs, it means that this specific communication is not set correctly, and sends out the wrong communication to and from the heart. From this, are many types of arrhythmia, all which differ according to the alterations made with the heart's rhythm.
Types of Arrhythmias
- Premature / Extra Beats - This occurs when the heart communicates to the arteries to send more blood flow to or from the heart before the needed time to pump the flow of blood. These particular alterations in tempo are known to not be life threatening or linked to any other disease, and often are heard in healthy individuals.
- Supraventricular Arrhythmia - This is indicated when the heart moves too quickly and takes in and lets out blood at a faster pace. Many also refer to this as a heart flutter. Often times, this type of heart alteration leads to syndromes that lead to a continuous heart rate that moves at a faster then normal pace among individuals.
- Atrial Fibrillation - This is another type of arrhythmia that occurs at a faster pace. The difference between this and other types of heart alterations is that the speeds move so quickly that it causes the arteries to quiver instead of opening and closing at a normal pace. The result is that blood pumps in and out of the heart too fast. This specific type of heart problem is often times connected to other health disorders, such as coronary heart disease, heart failure and rheumatic heart disease.
- Atrial Flutter - This also moves at a faster pace, but has a regular rhythm that moves at a quick speed, instead of altering the speeds. All other symptoms to this are directly linked to Atrial Fibrillation.
- Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia - This is linked to extra heartbeats that occur. It is common to those who take part in activities and sports that require vigorous exercise. If the heart does not slow down, it can become detrimental.
- Ventricular Arrhythmia - The difference between these and other arrhythmias is there main location starts in the ventricles, the area where the heart receives and lets go of blood. If this happens in this area, it can become dangerous, as the pace of blood is not controlled as effectively.
- Bradyarrhythmias - This occurs when the heart rate moves at a slower then normal rate. If the heart slows down for a longer period of time, it can lead to a loss of blood throughout the body, and results in a loss of consciousness. This usually results from different signals that are required to move to the heart being clogged or blocked making the heart pump harder then usual, which is compensated by a slower pace to pump blood in and out of the heart.
Treatment of Arrhythmia
With these several different types of arrhythmias, is the ability to treat the problem through medicine or surgery. Typically, the nerves that are used to communicate with the heart and send blood to and from the arteries, needs to be slightly altered, allowing the heart to move at a steady pace. However, arrhythmias that are not as frequent won't need any surgery, and basic lifestyle care can help to stop the problem from continuing to occur. |
