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Arrhythmias

Nearly everyone has felt their heart ‘skip a beat’ or beat too slowly. Occasional heart palpitations are common and harmless, and can be caused by anything alcohol to staying up too late. These kind of palpitations don’t require medical treatment, but recurrent heart palpitations usually do. More than 4 million Americans require treatment for heart palpitations. (Mayo Foundation). There are many different treatments to correct and prevent arrhythmias, which will be discussed later in the paper.

The heart is the most important muscle in the body, and is about the size of a fist. It is located under the rib cage, between the lungs. The heart has two sides, right and left, and each side is separated into two chambers, called the atrium and the ventricle. After the body uses oxygen that is in the blood,. the blood enters the heart through the right atrium. The right atrium then contracts and blood is pumped into the right ventricle, which then contracts and the blood is pumped into the lungs. While the blood is in the lungs, it is loaded with oxygen, and then the oxygen-rich blood goes to the left atrium. The left atrium then contracts and pumps the blood into


When an arrhythmia becomes very serious and cannot be controlled by any other type of treatment, a doctor may recommend heart surgery to destroy or remove heart tissue and muscle that is causing the arrhythmia. In some abnormal heart rhythm, there is a specific part of the heart that is causing it. Surgery can also be used to treat underlying heart diseases that could be causing your arrhythmia, such as coronary artery blockage.

Arrhythmias may occur if the sinus node is not able to generate enough heartbeats, the rhythm of the sinus node becomes abnormal, or if other areas of the atria take over the function of the sinus node. If the electrical wiring of your heart is damaged, an arrhythmia can develop. Some people are born with an electrical ‘short circuit’ in their heart, but these people usually don’t experience electrical problems until other health problems put them at risk. Many things can damage your heart’s electrical system and lead to an electrical problem, such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and a leaky heart valve. These can all weaken your heart and cause it to not be able to pump properly. One type of arrhythmia, the long QT syndrome, is inherited. There are two types of long QT syndrome, one is autosomal dominant and one is autosomal recessive, which are caused by mutations of at least 6 genes.

All the heart contractions are synchronized, meaning the atria contract together, and then the ventricles contract together. The muscles in the heart contract and pump blood because a small electric current activates them, which starts in the sinus node, also called the pacemaker. The electric current leaves the sinus node and travels through fibers to another area of the ventricles called the atrio-ventricular node, or the AV node. From here, the AV node sends the signals to the walls of the ventricles, which contract a fraction of a second after they have been filled with blood. This timing sequence is called atrio-ventricular synchrony. When the timing sequence is working properly, the hearts electrical system automatically responds to your body’s need for oxygen. It also creates your heartbeat. However, sometimes there is a change in the rhythm, called a palpitation. Some palpitations are caused by anxiety, cigarettes, cola, or other stimulants, and these are less serious. However, some can be more serious and cause the heart to beat too slow or too fast.. This altered heart rate is called an arrhythmia, and it may prevent your body from pumping enough blood to meet it’s needs.

Some topics in this essay:
Long-Term Effects, Mayo Foundation, QT Syndrome, Causes Arrhythmias, Types Arrhythmias, ECG ECG, Ventricular Tachycardia, Holter Monitor, Americans Guidant, Introduction Nearly, heart rate, sinus node, electrical impulses, heart’s upper, types arrhythmias, type arrhythmia, ventricular fibrillation, heart palpitations, impulses heart, heart heart, heart’s upper chambers, electrical impulses heart, lower chambers cause, beat slow fast, heart’s lower chambers,

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Approximate Word count = 2852
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)


  

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