Subscribe
55
Chen Ya
Geriatrics
About me
Hunan University of Chinese Medicine Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, attending physician.
Proficient in diseases
Specializes in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Voices
What department should one go to for arrhythmia?
Arrhythmia is an important group of diseases among cardiovascular diseases. It can occur on its own or in conjunction with other cardiovascular diseases, thus it mainly requires consulting a department of cardiology. However, due to other causes such as electrolyte or endocrine disorders, anesthesia, hypothermia, thoracic or cardiac surgery, drug effects, and central nervous system diseases, the assistance of endocrinologists and neurologists is needed for diagnosis and treatment. Sometimes, the arrhythmia might be caused by endocrine disorders, such as thyroid diseases or hypoglycemic symptoms in diabetes, necessitating a consultation with the department of endocrinology. If symptoms like transient blindness, fainting, dizziness, or convulsions occur, it is essential to consider brain-related diseases, such as epilepsy or transient insufficient brain blood supply, and consult the department of neurology to make a differential diagnosis.
Arrhythmia is what kind of disease
Arrhythmia is caused by abnormal excitation of the sinoatrial node or excitation originating outside the sinoatrial node, where the propagation of excitation is slow, blocked, or conducted through abnormal channels, leading to abnormalities in the frequency and/or rhythm of heartbeats due to origins and (or) conduction disorders of cardiac activity. Arrhythmia is an important group of diseases within cardiovascular diseases. It can occur independently or in conjunction with other cardiovascular diseases. Its prognosis is related to the causes, inducing factors, and evolutionary trends of the arrhythmia, and whether it leads to severe hemodynamic disturbances. It can cause sudden death or continuously affect the heart leading to its failure.
Can people with coronary heart disease eat eggs?
Patients with coronary heart disease can eat eggs; it is recommended to eat one each morning to balance the nutritional needs of the body. However, it is crucial not to consume them excessively, as eggs, especially the yolks, contain cholesterol and a high amount of lipids. One of the primary causes of coronary heart disease is the accumulation of lipids due to atherosclerosis. Therefore, to prevent an increase in cholesterol levels, excessive consumption should be avoided, as it can lead to higher cholesterol levels if the body cannot digest it properly, exacerbating the condition and causing harm to the body. Thus, it's important to control and moderate consumption.
Do arrhythmias need treatment?
The treatment of arrhythmias should be based on the symptoms of the patient, the type of arrhythmia, and its impact on hemodynamics to determine if treatment is necessary. For instance, mild sinus bradycardia, irregular sinus rhythm, occasional atrial premature contractions, and first-degree atrioventricular block have minimal impact on hemodynamics. Therefore, if there are no obvious clinical symptoms and no cardiac structural disease, temporary drug treatment may not be required. However, severe arrhythmias such as sick sinus syndrome, rapid atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, and persistent ventricular tachycardia can cause palpitations, chest tightness, dizziness, low blood pressure, severe sweating, and in severe cases, syncope, Adams-Stokes syndrome, or even sudden death, which require immediate medical attention.
How is coronary heart disease diagnosed?
The routine non-invasive examination for coronary heart disease primarily includes an essential electrocardiogram, as well as echocardiography. Blood tests generally look at cardiac enzymes and the status of troponin to check for any heart muscle damage. In terms of invasive methods, we can perform coronary angiography, which allows us to directly observe the condition of the coronary arteries. The condition of coronary arteries can also now be examined through a non-invasive CT angiography (CTA), which can also reveal any narrowing of the coronary arteries and assess the severity of such narrowing.
Brain infarction refers to the condition.
A cerebral infarction, commonly abbreviated, is typically referred to in full as thrombotic cerebral infarction or cerebral thrombosis. The most common cause is the formation of a local thrombus or from distant sites, such as the heart or major blood vessels, causing ischemia, hypoxia, and other disturbances in the cerebral blood supply. This results in localized ischemic necrosis or softening of brain tissue, leading to corresponding neurological deficits and signs.
Why does arrhythmia cause chest pain?
The causes of chest pain due to arrhythmias primarily involve all kinds of arrhythmias reducing the blood flow in the coronary arteries. Although various arrhythmias can decrease coronary blood flow, they rarely cause myocardial ischemia. However, severe arrhythmias that cause significant myocardial ischemia can result in chest pain. For patients with coronary heart disease, various arrhythmias can induce or exacerbate myocardial ischemia, which may also manifest as chest pain and shortness of breath, and in severe cases, lead to acute heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and persistent, unbearable chest pain and tightness.
How long can someone with a complete paralysis from a cerebral infarction survive?
The life expectancy of patients with total paralysis from cerebral infarction cannot be generalized, as it depends on the size and location of the stroke, as well as the treatment received. A larger affected area, especially if the stroke occurs in a critical area like the brainstem, and if treatment is delayed, may result in the patient not surviving the acute phase due to high intracranial pressure, which can be fatal. If a patient survives the acute phase and moves into the residual effects phase, the outcome will depend on the rehabilitation treatment received, as well as care from family and community nursing. Such patients are prone to complications, such as pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. The initial stroke may not be fatal, but the treatment outcomes vary significantly. Some patients, if well cared for and treated promptly without recurring episodes, can have a comparatively long lifespan.
Cerebral hemorrhage CT manifestations
The CT manifestations of cerebral hemorrhage include, in the acute phase, the CT scan showing round or oval-shaped uniform high-density fresh hematoma with clear boundaries. It can determine the location, size, and shape of the hematoma, whether it has ruptured into the ventricle, and surrounding low-density edema. There are also effects of space-occupying lesions such as compression of the ventricles and brain tissue displacement, as well as obstructive hydrocephalus and other conditions where a large amount of blood in the ventricles contributes to high-density expansion. The hematoma's pressure on the surrounding brain tissue can lead to ischemia and commonly cause a characteristic ring-shaped low density due to edema around the hematoma.
How to recover from cerebral hemorrhage
The recovery from cerebral hemorrhage is divided into the acute phase and the non-acute phase. In the acute phase, if there is a large amount of bleeding and increased intracranial pressure, surgical intervention can be considered. If the bleeding is less but intracranial pressure is still high, general treatment includes managing blood pressure well, maintaining it at 140 systolic pressure, under which conditions things generally tend to be better. Additionally, controlling intracranial pressure and treatment to stop the bleeding are needed. Later stages involve anticoagulant reversal treatments and prevention of complications because infections, high blood sugar, and stress ulcers can further worsen the condition. The later stages primarily focus on rehabilitation training treatments, helping with limb and speech rehabilitation training.