Article Advise

submitted: Aug 11th 2008 | by: JuneBliwise | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 503 | |

Like any other muscle in our body, the heart needs to be taken care of. Before exercise we stretch and lossen up our muscles to prevent injury to them and although the precuationary measures we take for our heart are different, they are still important. To lower one's risk of heart disease one should make sure to have low cholesterol and blood pressure, moderate amounts of physical activity, and one should refrain from smoking tobacco or drinking excessively.

Why? Well the heart works like a pump, and is divided into four chambers : two atria at the top of the heart and two ventricles at the bottom. The heart beats (contracts) when an electrical impulse from our heart's "natural pacemaker", the sinoatrial, moves through it. But what happens if there is a glitch in the heart's complicated "wiring" system causing it to "misfire"? The result can be an abnormal heart rhythm; officially this is called an arrhythmia.

An arrythmia cuases the heart to pump blood in a less effective manner and refers to any irregularity from the hearts normal sequence. Although they can be serious, arrythmias are not always a reason to worry, and often healthy individuals can feel an irregularity in their heartbeat due to certain medications, too much caffiene or exercise.

Most heart rhythm disturbances are fleeting and are nothing to worry about. For example, during times of fear or excitement it is normal for you to feel your heart "skip" a beat. Exercise can also speed up your heart rate as can too much caffeine and certain medications. When an arrhythmia becomes dangerous is when it is frequent or chronic. The consequences of arrhythmias usually depend not only on symptoms they can cause like faintness or dizziness, but also on the presence of important abnormal structural conditions of the heart and/or heart disease.

There are two types of arrhythmia one can suffer from. These two types are: atrial fibrillation, and ventricular fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is when your heart beats rapidly causing symptoms such as palpitations, rapid heart beat, chest discomfort, shortness of breath and dizziness. Ventricular fibrillation is an arrhythmia that originates in the ventricles or pumping chambers and usually occurs in people who have a damaged heart, frequently the result of a heart attack. Because ventricular fibrillation is so rapid and is occurring in a damaged heart, the heart may not function properly or efficiently and this arrhythmia can be fatal.

To help with arrythmia preventative medication can be taken such as beta blockers or drugs that reduce blood clots. Pacemakers may also be used and these monitor and regulate heart beat. Before resorting to medication however, preventative lifestyle changes can also be made such as exercise, limited intake of alcohol, and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

Cardiology specialists, specifically electrophysiologists help to detect , diagnose and treat arrythmias. If an arrythmia cannot be corrected by behavior changes or medication, patinets have the option of a minimally invasive procedire called cardiac ablation.

About the Author

Here, Heart Health at Emory Atlanta is discussed and Heart Risk Factors are mentioned. Arrythmia, a condition causing abnormal heartbeat is the condition the writer concentrates on.

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