Arrhythmia refers to what?

Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
Updated on September 23, 2024
00:00
00:00

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.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
50sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
46sec home-news-image

Which department should I go to for arrhythmia?

Arrhythmia is a common and frequently occurring disease in clinical settings. It can be caused by organic heart disease as well as functional issues. Patients need to visit the department of cardiology, where they undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG) under the guidance of a cardiologist. The treatment involves a comprehensive analysis of the patient's history that led to the arrhythmia, followed by appropriate medication management. Patients with arrhythmias must avoid indiscriminate use of anti-arrhythmic drugs, as improper use of these drugs can cause significant harm to the body. It is crucial to select the correct medication for treatment under the guidance of a cardiologist.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
40sec home-news-image

How to alleviate arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is very common in clinical settings, and its treatment mainly includes etiological treatment and symptomatic treatment. If a patient experiences occasional premature beats without significant hemodynamic effects, special treatment may not be necessary at this time. However, if a patient repeatedly experiences supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and other arrhythmias, cardiac electrophysiological examination and dynamic heart rate monitoring should be conducted. Antiarrhythmic drugs or even radiofrequency ablation may be administered for symptomatic treatment, as uncontrolled arrhythmias can easily lead to sudden death in patients.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
49sec home-news-image

How to relieve arrhythmia

The relief of arrhythmia mainly involves removing any triggers if they exist, as well as using non-pharmacological methods, including ocular compression, carotid sinus massage, pinching the nose and forcefully exhaling, and breath-holding, which are methods to reflexively stimulate the vagus nerve. If relief is unachievable and the episodes are accompanied by hypotension, fainting or near-fainting, seizures, angina, or heart failure, it is crucial to seek medical attention promptly for pharmacological interventions against arrhythmias, or even consider electrical treatments such as cardioversion, defibrillation, pacemaker implantation, and ablation, as well as surgical options.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
45sec home-news-image

Does arrhythmia cause nausea?

Mild arrhythmias, such as sinus bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia, occasional atrial premature contractions, and first-degree atrioventricular block, have minimal impact on hemodynamics, so they generally do not show obvious clinical symptoms. In cases of severe arrhythmias, such as sick sinus syndrome, rapid atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, and sustained ventricular tachycardia, significant arrhythmias affect hemodynamics, reduce blood flow, and cause mesenteric artery spasm, which can lead to clinical manifestations of gastrointestinal ischemia, such as nausea, and even bleeding, ulcers, or paralysis.