 |
print the page |  |
email the page |  |
|
- What is arrhythmia?
- Symptoms of arrhythmia
- Causes of arrhythmia
- Prevention of arrhythmia
- Risk factors for arrhythmia
- Complications of arrhythmia
- When to see a doctor about arrhythmia
- Diagnosis of arrhythmia
- Conventional treatment of arrhythmia
- Alternative/complementary treatment of arrhythmia
- Living with arrhythmia
- Caring for someone with arrhythmia
Conventional treatment of arrhythmia
The treatments for the various types of arrhythmias depend on the type of arrhythmia the person has. Treatment can either be of the form of medication or surgical intervention or a combination of both.
If the arrhythmia is caused from a non-serious reason, there is no treatment other than to observe symptoms and seek medical attention if they worsen.
Medication
There are a number of different medications that are used to treat arrhythmia, depending on the cause of the arrhythmia. Some of these medications may be used in combination:
- Anti-arrhythmic medications - these medications are used to control the rhythm of the heart rate, to bring it back to normal. There are a number of different types of anti-arrhythmic medications and they are prescribed depending on the nature, frequency and severity of the abnormal heart rhythm and whether the arrhythmia starts in the upper (atria) or lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. The different types of anti-arrhythmic medications are:
- Sodium channel blockers - these medications block sodium channels in the heart cells to decrease the conduction of electrical signals from cell to cell in the heart and reduce fast heartbeat
- Beta-adrenergic antagonists (beta- blockers) - these medications are normally used to treat high blood pressure, angina and reduce incidence of further heart attacks in people who have already had a heart attack. Beta-blockers are also used for some types of arrhythmia, as they decrease the heart's requirement for blood and oxygen and so reduce its workload, which helps the heart to beat regularly
- Potassium channel blockers - these medications help to slow nerve impulses in the heart tissue, without affecting the heart's normal electrical activity. The potassium channel blockers have less adverse affects on the heart's pumping ability and act on both the upper (atria) and lower (ventricles) chambers of the heart
- Calcium channel blockers (calcium antagonists) - these drugs help to dilate the blood vessels which reduces the pressure on the heart. Calcium channel blockers are most often used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) as well as for treating coronary artery disease associated with atherosclerosis, but are not prescribed for people with heart failure or any type of structural damage to the heart
- Anti-clotting medications - these medications are used to prevent blood clots that can cause heart attack and stroke. Certain types of arrhythmia have a high risk for blood clots (atrial fibrillation) and this type of medication can reduce the risk of blood clots. The anti-clotting medications are also used to treat stable angina and protect against heart attacks from occurring. These medications have to be carefully monitored because they may cause internal bleeding that may not be stopped, if there is an internal injury
- Anti-hypertensive medications - there are a number of medications which can be used to treat any underlying high blood pressure (hypertension) that may be the cause of the arrhythmia. The most common medications used for hypertension are: Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs), Alpha-Adrenergic Blockers (or alpha blockers), Beta-blockers, Diuretics and Hydralazine
- Cholesterol lowering medications - these medications help to reduce or prevent the accumulation of high levels of cholesterol or triglycerides (fat) in the blood. The cholesterol lowering medications may help improve blood flow in the arteries, even when taken for only a short time
- Diuretics - these medications help to reduce the amount of water and sodium (salt) in the body and are often recommended to treat high blood pressure. Diuretics are also used to treat heart failure and preventing stroke
- Inotropic and cardiotonic drugs - these medications are used to stimulate and increase the strength of the muscle contractions that pump blood from the heart and are used in people who are at risk (or have experienced) heart failure
- Pain relief medications - these medications may be prescribed after a heart attack to treat pain or relieve angina pain. These medications act on blood vessels and dilate them by relaxing smooth muscle in the vessel wall, they produce an increase in diameter, which in turn increases the volume of blood flowing through the coronary arteries and stop chest pain
- Thrombolytic therapy (clot breaking medications) - these medications are used in the early stages of heart attack or stroke to break up a blood clot and restore blood flow by helping to open up the arteries to normal levels to enable better blood flow and oxygenisation
Advertisement
Heart surgery
There are a number of surgical procedures which are used to treat arrhythmias. The type of surgery depends on the type of arrhythmia condition:
- Ablation - this is a surgical procedure conducted with a catheter, where abnormal electrical tissue of the heart is removed. The defunct electrical tissue is identified during an electrophysiology study. This procedure works to resolve many types of arrhythmias, including: atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, atrial tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia
- CryoMaze procedure - this is a special procedure in which certain areas of the heart are frozen to help restores normal heartbeat in people with fibrillation which doesn't respond to other treatment (medication or ablation). The CryoMaze procedure can restore proper and normal pumping from the upper chambers of the heart and this can restore the heartbeat back to normal and resolve the atrial fibrillation symptoms
Procedures
There are a number of minor surgical procedures in which certain devices are implanted in the skin near the heart and which are used to treat some types of arrhythmia:
- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) - this type of battery-powered device is usually recommended for people at high risk of serious forms of either ventricular fibrillation (VF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT), which cause dangerously fast or quivering heartbeats that can cause death. An ICD is implanted near the left collarbone and one or more electrode-tipped wires are inserted into the veins to run to the heart. The ICD monitors the heart rhythm and if it detects slow heartbeat, it functions as a pacemaker (sends electrical signals to fire up the rhythm of the heart to increase heart rate so that it becomes normal). If the ICD detects VF or VT, it sends out some electrical shocks to the heart to re-sets the rhythm back to normal. An ICD may significantly decrease the risk of experiencing a fatal arrhythmia (especially when compared to using medication). There are also ICDs which can be used in people with serious forms of atrial fibrillation too
- Pacemaker - this is an artificial battery device which is inserted under the skin near the collarbone in a minor surgical procedure to make a slow heart beat normally. A pacemaker has an insulated wire which is attached to the right side of the heart. When the pacemaker detects a heart rate that is too slow (or no heart rate at all), it emits small electrical impulses to stimulate the heart to start the heartbeat again or to speed up the heartbeat. A pacemaker is also used for those people with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. This minor surgical procedure usually requires an overnight (up to two night) stay in hospital
Emergency defibrillation
This is the application of an electrical shock to the chest area to return heart beat back to normal. This is performed when the heart suddenly stops, so is used in an emergency where life is at risk.
Vagal maneouvres
Certain ventricular arrhythmias (supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT) may be able to be stopped by using a certain maneouvre - holding the breath and straining, putting your face in icy water or coughing. The reason these maneouvres work to stop certain ventricular arrhythmias is because they affect the vagal nerves, a part of the sympathetic nervous system which control heartbeat and may cause the heart to slow down back to normal. The cardiologist will show you how to do the vagal maneouvres.
Advertisement
Sections: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
< 8: diagnosis 10: alternative treatment > Last reviewed: 27 October 2007 || Last updated: 9 January 2009
Related Articles
NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
