Q: Could you explain what
ischemic cardiac arrythmia is? What causes it? What are the symptoms? How do you prevent it or treat it?
A: The word ischemia refers to a lack of blood flow to an area, in this case the heart, but it can mean a lack of blood circulation to the legs or any other part of the body.
It is usually caused by a narrowing of the blood vessels due to a buildup of a substance known as plaque. This is also often referred to as arteriosclerosis because the walls of the arteries become hardened as well.
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Ischemic heart disease may be caused by old age, or you may have a high level of cholesterol in the blood, high blood pressure or diabetes. Your symptoms could include angina, which is a feeling of tightness or pressure in the chest especially when exercising or going uphill, breathlessness or palpitations.
The words cardiac arrythmia mean a heartbeat with an abnormal rhythm.
There are many different types of irregularity. A common one is paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, where the heart beats at 180-200 beats per minute from time to time.
Atrial fibrillation is a problem where the atria or upper chambers of the heart quiver without contracting effectively. A pulse that is irregular in time as well as in volume is characteristic. In other words, the pulse is all over the place. You will be able to feel this as palpitations.
Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening condition usually occurring after a major heart attack. The ventricles are the large, lower chambers of the heart that are responsible for pumping blood to the body.
Other irregularities of the heartbeat are the result of an electrical wiring problem of the heart muscle, called a heart block. These can be first degree, second degree or complete. In a complete block, the heart will beat at about half its normal rate.
Without knowing what type of cardiac arrythmia you have, I cannot tell you exactly what treatment would help. An ECG or electrocardiogram would tell you which type you have.
Sometimes the treatment is a drug that regulates and slows the heartbeat, for example, a beta blocker such as Propanolol.
Severe cases of heart block might need a pacemaker.
Preventive measures include stopping smoking, losing weight or eating a low fat diet, and moderate exercise such as walking.
