Heart Health and Risk Factors of Heart Disease Atlanta
As people seek healthier lifestyles, heart health has become an increasingly important topic. The heart is one of the most important muscles in our body. To keep your heart healthy moderate physical activity and a healthy diet is encouraged. Factors that lead to heart disease are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, excessive stress, inactivity, smoking, and excessive drinking. Making life style changes in these areas can greatly reduce one’s risks of heart disease.
The heart muscle is made up of four chambers. AT the bottom are two ventricles, and at the top are two atrials. A heart beat occurs when the heart contracts do to the natural pacemaker, the sinoatrial, that is found in our heart. A glitch in this wiring cuases an irregular heart beat and this is what we term an arrythmia.
Arrythmias are usually not indicative of a serious heart condition but should be cuase for cencern if they are frequent or prolonged. Usually however, an arrythmia is due to caffiene, exercise, excitement, fear, or medication. In these instances a slight or occational disturbance in one’s regular heartbeat should not be a cause for concern.
Most heart rhythm disturbances should not be a huge cause for concern. A racing heart after an exciting movie, or a frighteneing experience does not mean you should run to the doctors office. Exercise, caffiene, and medication can also speed up your heart rate. This is not dangerous, an arrhythmia, irregular heart beat, might need to be looked at by a doctor if it becomes frequent or chronic. One should also remember that the seriousness of an arrythmia depends not just on symptoms, like faintness or dizziness, but has more to do with the presence of important abnormal structural conditions of the heart and/or heart disease.
The two type of Arrythmia that patients experience is either ventricle firbrilation or atrial fibrilation. Ventricular fibrillation is extremely serious because it usually occurs in people who have a damaged heart, such as those who have had a heart attack. Because ventricular fibrillation is so rapid and is occurring in a damaged heart, the heart may not function properly or efficiently and this arrhythmia can be fatal. Atrial fibrilation is when beats rapidly causing symptoms like chest discomfort, shortness of breath, palpitations, rapid heart beat,and dizziness and tends ot be less serious.
To help with arrythmia preventative medication can be taken such as beta blockers or drugs that reduce blood clots. Pacemakers may also be used and these monitor and regulate heart beat. Before resorting to medication however, preventative lifestyle changes can also be made such as exercise, limited intake of alcohol, and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
If one feels they suffer from arrythmia, a doctor should be seen. Since it is hard for the average person to know if their arrhythmia is dangerous, cardiology specialists called electrophysiologists use the most advanced technology to detect, diagnose and treat arrhythmias. Arrhythmias that cannot be treated and controlled by medication, or by pacemakers can often be completely cured through a minimally invasive procedure called cardiac ablation.
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