You can certainly live a happy, healthy life with an irregular heartbeat. However, it's always a good idea to check with your doctor when you're experiencing new symptoms or discomfort.
The good news is that although AF is a long-term condition, if managed correctly, you can continue to lead a long and active life. There are a number of steps you can take that will help you manage your condition, lower your risk of stroke and relieve any worries you may have.
You may not need treatment, but some people need medicine or a procedure. With heart arrhythmia treatment, many people can live full lives. Some people with more serious arrhythmias have a cardiac arrest and may or may not survive.
Permanent. In this type of atrial fibrillation, the irregular heart rhythm can't be restored. Medications are needed to control the heart rate and to prevent blood clots.
Living with an arrhythmia may cause fear, anxiety, depression, and stress. Talk about how you feel with your healthcare team. Talking to a professional counselor can also help. If you are depressed, you may need medicines or other treatments that can improve your quality of life.
"While most arrhythmias are harmless, some may be a sign of a more serious heart condition or require treatment," says Dr. Rajesh Venkataraman, cardiac electrophysiologist at Houston Methodist.
Heart arrhythmias are caused by electrical problems. Sometimes, it's just a single skipped beat, but arrhythmias can last minutes, hours, days and possibly years. Occasionally, the heart's electrical signals get caught in a little short-circuit loop.
In one study, ventricular arrhythmias occurred in 48 per 100,000 adults (approximately 1 in 2,100 people). In older adults, ventricular arrhythmias occur in 2-3 out of 100 people who do not have any known risk factors, and in 15-16 in 100 people who have coronary artery disease (CAD).
Although heart arrhythmia can be fatal, early detection and receiving treatment from a specialist can reduce its severity with a chance of permanent cure.
Fortunately, most children, whose pediatricians identify an irregular heartbeat, are found to have conditions that are normal and harmless. Some children outgrow an irregular heartbeat. Other times, the condition may be managed with medication.
Common triggers for an arrhythmia are viral illnesses, alcohol, tobacco, changes in posture, exercise, drinks containing caffeine, certain over-the-counter and prescribed medicines, and illegal recreational drugs.
If you feel like your heart is beating too fast or too slowly, or it's skipping a beat, make an appointment to see a doctor. Seek immediate medical help if you have shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting or near fainting, and chest pain or discomfort.
Yes. Your risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder, increases as you become older. Atrial fibrillation is much more common in older adults. Atrial fibrillation can occur at any age, but when it develops in younger people, it's usually associated with other heart conditions.
Within three months, you can expect the arrhythmias to subside. Until then, your provider may recommend continuing to take anti-arrhythmia medication.
They may think that because physical activity makes your heart rate go up, this might be bad if you already have an arrhythmia. It makes sense that people might believe that, but it's not entirely true. In fact, even if you have a heart arrhythmia, you still can — and should — get regular exercise.
If not treated, arrhythmias can damage the heart, brain, or other organs. This can lead to life-threatening stroke, heart failure, or cardiac arrest. During cardiac arrest, the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating, causing death if it is not treated within minutes.
A pacemaker is sometimes used to correct slow or irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. These arrhythmias may cause you to feel light-headed, breathless or even experience black-outs. If your heart rate is too slow, the pacemaker will send an electrical signal to the heart muscle to start a heartbeat.
Approximately one in 18 people, or 5 percent of the U.S. population has an arrhythmia. A recent study has also suggested that one in four adult Americans over the age of 40 could develop an irregular heartbeat.
Without treatment, atrial fibrillation (A-fib) can lower a person's life expectancy due to the risk of serious complications. However, with proper treatment, people with A-fib can often lead long, healthy lives. Heart rhythm involves a synchronized pumping action, or beating, of the four chambers of the heart.
Can an irregular heartbeat go back to normal? Yes, heart arrhythmias sometimes go away on their own.
You may be more likely to have arrhythmias if you have: Heart and blood vessel diseases, such as cardiomyopathy, congenital heart defects, heart attack, and heart inflammation. Kidney disease. Lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)