Detecting and Treatment for Cardiac Arrhythmia

The human heart is a muscular pump that day and night pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. This muscle is made up of billions of cells, each with its own electrical system to keep it coordinated. A heart that beats too fast, too slow or irregularly can increase your risk for serious health problems including cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).

Detecting and Treatment for Cardiac Arrhythmia

If you think you might be experiencing a cardiac arrhythmia, consult your doctor today. Your doctor will conduct tests and prescribe medication as needed. The fastest test is an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). Another test, called an exercise stress test, determines if your arrhythmia is related to ischemia (lack of oxygen) in the heart. Your doctor may also order a Holter monitor or event recorder to record your heart’s electrical activity while you are awake and active. If you have symptoms that suggest a sudden cardiac arrest, you will be given an emergency transvenous pacemaker to restore a normal heartbeat. If a routine ECG reveals that you have atrial fibrillation (irregularity in the atria) and no other medical conditions that cause it, your doctor may prescribe antiarrhythmic medication.

The goal of treatment for arrhythmia in New Jersey is to restore a normal heart rhythm, prevent further damage and improve quality of life. In addition to drug therapy, your doctor may have you undergo surgery to replace the heart’s electrical system with a pacemaker. If a pacemaker is not available, other options include implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Patients who refuse these treatments can choose the drug therapy and lifestyle changes that are best for them instead.

Medicine is one of the main treatments for cardiac arrhythmia. Medications that can help restore a normal heartbeat include antiarrhythmic drugs, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and digoxin. Your doctor may also prescribe anticoagulants to reduce the risk that blood clots will form in your heart muscle. Some patients with atrial fibrillation are given aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help prevent clots from forming.

If medication does not successfully treat your arrhythmia, surgery may be an option for you as well.