Do arrhythmias need treatment?

Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
Updated on September 21, 2024
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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.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Is sinus arrhythmia serious?

Sinus arrhythmia is a relatively common type of arrhythmia in clinical practice. It is typically identified through electrocardiogram testing. If no other specific symptoms are present other than sinus arrhythmia, sinus bradycardia, or sinus tachycardia, and if there is no structural heart disease, generally, there are no serious concerns. Often, these kinds of arrhythmias are caused by autonomic nervous system dysfunction, leading to an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. To address this irregular heartbeat, it is advisable to rest adequately in daily life and to include some aerobic exercise. Exercise can enhance cardiac contractility and strengthen regular heart function, which can help correct the arrhythmia.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
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Arrhythmias include:

Arrhythmia is a very common disease in our daily life. What does arrhythmia include? Generally speaking, arrhythmia often includes the following aspects: First, irregular heartbeat, such as sinus arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, and frequent premature beats. Second, tachycardia, such as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, and so on. Third, bradycardia diseases, such as sinus bradycardia, severe atrioventricular block, and sick sinus syndrome, etc.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Is atrial fibrillation a serious arrhythmia?

Atrial fibrillation is a type of cardiac arrhythmia, primarily feared for its potential to form blood clots within the heart. These clots can travel to other organs via the bloodstream, most commonly to the brain. Additionally, pieces of these clots can also travel to coronary arteries causing myocardial infarction, leading to organ embolism wherever they lodge. Generally, if no blood clots are formed, many individuals with atrial fibrillation may not experience symptoms. However, if combined with other cardiac conditions such as heart failure or coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation can exacerbate the risk of developing these heart diseases. Thus, atrial fibrillation on its own is not severe but becomes concerning when associated with other cardiac conditions, increasing the risk of other heart diseases. If atrial fibrillation occurs with left or right accessory pathways, it may also lead to ventricular fibrillation, resulting in sudden death of the patient. Moreover, if the atrial fibrillation has no apparent cause, and the heart structure is normal with no symptoms, then such isolated atrial fibrillation does not typically form blood clots and is considered relatively mild.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Causes of arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is a common and frequently occurring disease in clinical practice, primarily caused by various organic heart diseases. Common heart diseases include coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, severe myocarditis, and cardiomyopathy, all of which can lead to arrhythmias that are generally severe. Arrhythmias can also occur in some healthy individuals due to instability of the autonomic nervous system. This type of arrhythmia can be clinically cured through lifestyle adjustments, appropriate exercise, and improvements in myocardial contractility and conductivity.

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Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
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Arrhythmia refers to what?

Arrhythmia refers to the abnormal origination or conduction of impulses in the heart due to abnormal activation of the sinoatrial node, slow conduction, blockages, or passage through abnormal pathways, leading to abnormalities in the frequency and/or rhythm of the heartbeat. Arrhythmias are a significant group of cardiovascular diseases. They can occur alone or in conjunction with other cardiovascular diseases. The prognosis of arrhythmias depends on their causes, triggers, trends in progression, and whether they lead to severe hemodynamic disturbances, potentially causing sudden death or continuous impairment of heart function leading to heart failure.