Arrhythmia is a disorder which is characterized by improper and irregular heartbeats; be it too slow or too fast. This problem occurs when the electrical impulses that are used to regulate your heartbeat don t work in the correct manner. Your heart may beat irregularly, too slow or too fast.

Symptoms
Although this disorder does not yield many symptoms, a few noticeable symptoms of arrhythmia are slow heartbeat, or a racing heartbeat, chest pain, breathing difficulties and dizziness. Arrhythmia can lead to inefficient pumping by the heart, leading to bouts of fainting. A severe symptom of this disorder is ventricular fibrillation, wherein the ventricles tend to quiver instead of transporting blood. This symptom can cut off blood supply to the vital organs, which may lead to death.

Causes

Coronary artery disease: In this disease, arteries of the heart can get blocked, leading to irregular heart beat and impaired heart functioning.
A heart attack: An ongoing heart attack usually leads to irregular heartbeats.
High blood pressure: High blood pressure problems make you more vulnerable to this condition.
Impaired functioning of the thyroid glands: An overactive or underactive thyroid gland can lead to heart arrhythmia.
Excessive smoking and alcohol consumption: These habits can cause problems with the blood vessels in the body, thus increasing risks of this particular condition as well as other cardio-vascular diseases.
Stress: Too much stress can lead to high blood pressure; that is again linked to heart arrhythmia.
Treatment
Mild symptoms of arrhythmia do not require treatment. However, complications resulting from it warrant treatment. The various treatment options for this condition are:

Pacemaker: A pacemaker is a device that is used to regulate your heart rhythms. It is placed in the body by a surgical procedure and an insulated wire is put, connecting the heart to the pacemaker. In case of an irregular heartbeat, the pacemaker sends out impulses to correct the improper heartbeat.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: This device is used to prevent a dangerous symptom of heart arrhythmia, a symptom wherein the ventricle quivers. It is similar to a pacemaker as it is also placed near the collarbone. In case it detects an abnormal rhythm, it sends out shocks to reset the heart rhythm.
Maze procedure: This is a surgical procedure wherein incisions are made on the upper heart tissue to create a scar tissue. Scar tissues act as insulators to prevent stray impulses.
Alternative therapies: Alternative procedures such as yoga and meditation can help remedy the disorder.

Is Your Heart Missing a Beat Regularly - Could it be Arrhythmia?

Loving relationships are known to improve more than just your mood, it improve your looks and your health. Researchers believe that it might just be the best medicine for most people, as it helps keep your heart healthy, beat cancer and recover faster, boosts athletic performance and leads to spiritual and emotional growth. Mentioned below are a few of the ways, in which love may lead to a healthy heart and life. 

1. Better heart health: research has shown that women in healthy and loving marriages are less prone to contracting cardiovascular diseases, in contrary to those in stressful marriages. It has also been discovered that love reduces the likelihood of chest pains and suffering from angina despite having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes in men.

2. Lengthens your life: the national longitudinal mortality study studied a million subjects and concluded that couples in a loving marriage tend to live longer and have lowered risk of getting heart attacks, pneumonia, cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. Their chances of committing suicide are also reduced by almost half.

3. Faster cancer recovery: after extensive research, university of iowa proved that patients of ovarian cancer, who were in loving relationships, had stronger wbcs i. E. White blood cells that kill cancerous cells, as compared to those in unhealthy relationships. They also concluded that patients in love recover quickly or completely eliminate cancer. 

4. Lowers blood pressure: studies show that when couples are together, their blood pressure is significantly lowered. This research even proved that spending time with loving and supportive friends results in lower systolic numbers. 

5. Keeps you slim: being in love is a much healthier and better option than juice cleanse, when it comes to losing that extra weight. People in loving relationships produce more adrenaline i. E. An appetite suppressant and are more likely to hit the gym and make healthier lifestyle choices to look their best. Apart from that, sex is one of the best ways to lose calories and reduce your weight.

Being in Love Will Lead You to a Healthy Heart and Life

Coronary Artery Disease - Symptoms and Causes

Coronary artery disease is the disease in which the major blood vessels (coronary arteries) that supply blood, nutrients and oxygen to your heart get damaged or disease stricken. It is mostly caused due to the coronary artery getting plagued or inflamed. The consequent reduction in blood flow to the heart causes the various symptoms of coronary artery disease like angina (chest pain), short breath etc.

Symptoms:

Here is a list of a few symptoms that help in identification of the coronary artery disease.

1. Angina

Pressure or tightness may be felt in or near the area of the chest that results in pain. It is mostly felt in the middle or left side of the chest.

2. Shortness of breath

Another symptom of coronary artery disease is short breath, fatigue and a feeling of exertion.

3. Heart attack

Complete blockage of the coronary artery results in a heart attack that is a prominent symptom of coronary artery disease. A person may feel heavy pressure in the chest, pain in the shoulder or arm, sweating etc. prior to getting a heart attack.

Causes:

Coronary artery disease occurs when damage or injury is done to the inner layer of the coronary artery. This damage causes plaque, which are deposits made of fat, cholesterol and other cellular waste materials to accumulate near the damaged area of the artery. This process is known as atherosclerosis.

The various causes that result in coronary artery damage are listed below.

- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- High stress
- Physical inactivity

Knowing Coronary Artery Disease - Symptoms and Causes

Heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction, is a severe condition where death of the heart muscle occurs because of the loss of blood supply. The blood loss usually happens because of the blockage of a coronary artery. Due to electrical instability, ventricular fibrillation is caused. Heart attacks may result in permanent brain damage or even death.

Symptoms of heart attack
There are many early symptoms and signs of heart attack, which should be recognized. Symptoms of heart attack vary from person to person. Here is a list of the primary heart attack symptoms:

Chest pain and discomfort:
Chest pain is the basic symptom of a heart attack and occurs in different forms. The chest pain has a pressure, fullness and squeezing sensation and starts from the center of the chest. The pain may go away and re-occur and may spread down to other limbs of the body.
Headache, toothache:
The chest pain occurring due to a heart attack spreads all over the body and the jaw. Even the back and head are affected. Sometimes pain in these regions is present while chest pain is absent.
Shortness of breath:
A gasping sensation or feeling shortness of breath is another common sign of a heart attack. Such breathing difficulty is called dyspnea. The shortness of breath occurs before or during the chest pain.
Nausea and vomiting:
The feeling of nausea or sickness in the stomach is another possible symptom. It is accompanied by belching or burping and sometimes, the heart attack is associated with a feeling of indigestion. Nausea is more common in women. Vomiting also occurs alongside nausea.
General epigastric discomfort:
In several cases, patients describe the pain of a heart attack as stomach pain. The pain is heavy and uncomfortable and persists for several minutes.
Sweating:
Perspiration or sweating occurs during a heart attack and the patient experiences cold sweat in avid amounts.

Emergency treatment for heart attack-
A person who has a heart attack should be rushed to a hospital.
Several tests are carried out to detect the cause of the attack. A 12 lead ekg is carried out to supervise electrical activity within the heart and detect the damaged areas.
Blood tests are undertaken to check enzymes and in certain cases, cardiac catheterization is required where pictures of the blood vessels are examined.
Emergency medicines are given to the patient to stop the formation of blood clots and include aspirin, heparin and other drugs. Other medicines are given for thrombolytic therapy, which dissolve already formed blood clots. They work to reduce the heart damage. Nitrates are also used.

A heart attack is a severe condition and must be attended to immediately. Emergency treatment procedures are essential to save the life of an affected person.

Heart Attack - Signs, Symptoms and Emergency Treatment

What Happens When the Electrical Activity of Your Heart Changes?

The heart's electrical conduction system plays a very important role in cardiovascular functioning. Also known as the atrioventricular (AV) conduction system, it regulates and controls the timing of the heartbeat.

How does the heart's electrical conduction system work?

There is a collection of electrical cells in the upper right atrium of the heart known as the sinoatrial (SA) node which acts as a natural pacemaker and generates electrical signals. These signals travel through specialized electrical pathways and stimulate the muscular walls of the heart to contract in a rhythmic manner. This gives rise to the heartbeat that pulses at a specific frequency every minute.

What is the effect of fluctuations in electrical activity on the heart?

The standard heart rate in human being ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. It slows down when a person sleeps and speeds up when one experiences physical or emotional heightening. These fluctuations are triggered by the brain or other systems of the body and signal the SA node to generate charges more rapidly or slowly. This leads to spikes and drops in the heart rate, depending on the nature of the situation.

What happens when there is dysfunction in the heart's electrical activity?

When the heart's electrical conduction system does not function properly, it leads to the occurrence of a condition known as arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm. This happens when electrical impulses are generated in an irregular manner and causes tachycardia (rapid heartbeats) or bradycardia (slow heartbeats) which takes place in jarring infrequent tempos.

What causes fluctuations in the heart's electrical activity?

There are various kinds of triggers that cause the heart rate to fluctuate. The exact nature of fluctuation also depends on the type of trigger. A few everyday examples of these causes are as follows:
- Exercise and strenuous physical activity increases electrical activity as the heart is required to beat faster so as to increase the supply of blood and oxygen to the muscles.
- Sleep and rest reduce heart rate as the body is not needed to exert itself.
- Release of adrenaline into the bloodstream causes the heart rate to spike up.



What Happens When the Electrical Activity of Your Heart Changes?

Congestive heart failure is a chronic progressive condition that affects the pumping power of your heart muscles. Simply referred to as heart failure, congestive heart failure can be life-threatening. It does not mean that the heart has stopped working. Rather, it means that the heart pumping power is weaker than normal. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body s needs. Over a period of time, the reduced ability of the heart causes the organs to receive less amount of oxygenated blood.

Signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure: In the early stages of congestive heart failure, you most likely won t notice any changes in your health. If your condition progresses, you will experience gradual changes in your body. The hallmark and the most common symptom of congestive heart failure is shortness of breath and it may occur while you are at rest, doing any activity that exerts your body, when you are lying flat or while getting up from sleep. Some of the other most common symptoms of congestive heart failure include a persistent and unexplained cough, swelling in the legs, ankles, abdomen, or hands, tiredness, changes in thinking and memory, nausea, rapid heart rate, and dizziness or light-headedness.

Causes of congestive heart failure: Congestive heart failure is most likely to occur in people who have other conditions that weaken the heart. The risk also increases by several lifestyle factors that are bad for the heart. Risk factors for congestive heart failure include congenital heart defects, high blood pressure or cholesterol, obesity, asthma, chronic pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, heart infection, reduced kidney function, a history of heart attack, irregular heart rhythms, abuse of alcohol and drugs, smoking, and old age. Though there are over a hundred other less common causes of heart failure, the exact cause of congestive heart failure is often idiopathic or unknown. Congestive heart failure might also exacerbate by unhealthy lifestyle habits. Specific habits such as smoking, excessive use of alcohol, obesity, lack of exercise, high salt intake, noncompliance with medications, and other therapies may increase the risk of congestive heart failure.

Diagnosis of congestive heart failure: A doctor or cardiologist will perform a physical exam. This may involve listening to the heart for abnormal heart rhythm. Some common tests that are done to help with the diagnosis of congestive heart failure include an electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, series of blood tests, echocardiography, stress test, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cardiac catheterization.

Treatment of congestive heart failure: The goal of treatment for congestive heart failure is to have the heart beat more efficiently so that it can meet the energy needs of the body. Specific treatment depends upon the underlying cause of heart failure. You and your doctor may consider different treatment, depending on your overall health and how far your condition has progressed. There are several medications that can be used to treat congestive heart failure. ACE inhibitors open up narrowed blood vessels to improve blood flow. Vasodilators are another option if you cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors. Beta blockers can reduce blood pressure and slow a rapid heart rhythm. Diuretics reduce your body s fluid content. A surgery such as angioplasty is recommended if medications are not effective on their own.

Congestive Heart Failure - Signs & Symptoms You Must Not Ignore!

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