What department should one go to for arrhythmia?

Written by Chen Ya

Geriatrics

Updated on September 22, 2024

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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.

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Written by Chen Ya

Geriatrics

1min 49sec

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Can people with arrhythmia eat ginseng?

Arrhythmia falls under the categories of palpitations and throbbing in traditional Chinese medicine. The common differential diagnoses are as follows: For Blood Stasis Obstruction type, the treatment focuses on activating blood circulation and resolving stasis, and regulating qi to unblock the collaterals. For Blood Deficiency type, the treatment is to nourish qi and calm the spirit, and to nourish the heart and supplement blood. For Yang Deficiency type, the treatment aims to warm and supplement heart yang, and calm the spirit and stabilize the will. For Heart Deficiency and Timid Gallbladder type, the treatment is to nourish the heart and calm the spirit, and to stabilize fright and fix the will. For Yin Deficiency and Exuberant Fire type, the treatment focuses on nourishing the heart and calming the spirit, and nourishing yin to clear the fire. For Water Dampness Overwhelming the Heart type, the treatment aims to invigorate heart yang and transform qi to promote water movement. For Qi and Blood Deficiency type, the treatment is to supplement both qi and blood simultaneously. Ginseng's main therapeutic effect is to greatly supplement the primal qi, secure and stop prolapse, generate fluids, and calm the spirit. Therefore, ginseng can be used when arrhythmia differentiation indicates qi deficiency, but it is recommended to use it under the guidance of a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei

Cardiology

58sec

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Causes of sinus arrhythmia

Sinus arrhythmia, the most common cause of which is instability of the nerves that regulate the heart, referred to as the autonomic nervous system. This instability leads to sinus arrhythmia, which is commonly seen in children during their growth phase, women during menopause, or individuals who often stay up late and are under significant work stress, leading to dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. It can also be caused by patterns of breathing that lead to arrhythmias; the heart rate increases during inhalation and slows during exhalation, producing this type of physiological arrhythmia. Generally, this kind of arrhythmia does not require drug treatment. By improving physical exercise, ensuring adequate sleep, and avoiding stimulating beverages or coffee, this type of heart rate can return to normal.

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Written by Chen Tian Hua

Cardiology

42sec

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Arrhythmia is what?

Arrhythmia refers to abnormalities in the frequency, rhythm, origin, or conduction of the heartbeats. It can occur in healthy individuals as well as those with related diseases, and may involve cardiac diseases or other medical conditions. The primary mechanism behind the occurrence of arrhythmias is the abnormal formation of cardiac impulses or the abnormal conduction of these impulses. It is important to actively seek the causes of arrhythmias and control the factors that trigger them. For diseases associated with arrhythmias, proactive management is necessary. When severe arrhythmias occur, timely and effective treatment is crucial to prevent adverse outcomes.

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Written by Chen Ya

Geriatrics

59sec

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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.

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Written by Chen Ya

Geriatrics

1min 28sec

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How to treat arrhythmia?

The treatment of arrhythmias should be based on the symptoms of the patients with arrhythmias, the type of arrhythmias, and their impact on hemodynamics. Control of arrhythmias during episodes involves removing the cause and focus of the disease and preventing recurrence, which can be divided into non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments. Non-pharmacological treatments include methods such as eyeball compression, carotid sinus massage, pinching the nose to exhale forcefully and hold breath to reflexively excite the vagus nerve, along with electrical treatments like electrical cardioversion, defibrillation, pacemaker implantation, and ablation surgery. There are mainly four types of drugs used: sodium channel blockers; beta-adrenergic blockers; drugs selectively prolonging the repolarization process, such as amiodarone; and calcium channel blockers. However, long-term use of these antiarrhythmic drugs can have varying degrees of side effects, and severe cases can cause ventricular arrhythmias or cardiac conduction block which can be fatal. Therefore, in clinical application, it is essential to strictly control the indications, monitor for adverse reactions, and rigorously follow the doctor's orders.