Arrhythmia of the heart: what is it, what is dangerous and how to treat it

Arrhythmia of the heart is a change in its rhythm, characterized by acceleration. Such a disease is observed in 15% of all patients suffering from pathologies of this organ. This condition is considered normal if it occurs after exercise. If cardiac arrhythmia, which will be discussed later, often occurs at rest and is accompanied by a deterioration in general condition, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor.

general description

If the specified organ is healthy, then its work in the body is not felt. Any emotional change or physical activity can accelerate the heartbeat. The pulse with cardiac arrhythmias can exceed 160 beats per minute. In this case, the patient can hear the heartbeat. Often a person complains of a sinking heart, interruptions in his work.

This disease contributes to inadequate blood circulation, poor supply of the brain with nutrients. All body systems suffer from this. Pathology leads to a violation not only of rhythm, but also of electrical conductivity. Arrhythmia of the heart, which is already clear, often leads to death (if left untreated).

Causes of occurrence

Attacks of cardiac arrhythmias appear due to nervous overstrain or constant stressful situations. Such reasons can also provoke them:

• Hereditary predisposition.
• Errors in nutrition.
• Smoking and alcohol abuse.
• The presence of scars in the tissues of the heart that violate its conductivity.
• Maintaining a passive lifestyle.
• Poor blood circulation, due to which the cellular ability to produce and conduct electrical impulses changes.
• Heart disease or other organ diseases.
• Climax
• Problems with metabolic processes.
• Injury to the heart muscle or its death (in this case, the path of propagation of impulses changes).
• Changes in electrolytes.
• Infectious and fungal diseases.
• Gastrointestinal afflictions.
• Diseases of the brain.
• Binge eating.
• Age.
• Diabetes.
• The use of strong drugs or stimulants.
• Strong intoxication of the body with chemicals, alcohol.
• Surgical intervention (as a complication).

A cardiac arrhythmia, what it was said earlier, is provoked by a sharp change in body temperature, constant fatigue, any infectious focus in the body. If timely measures for the treatment of the disease are not taken, then it will acquire a chronic form.

Varieties of pathology

What it is - arrhythmia of the heart - was generally considered earlier. However, there are different types of it:

Before choosing a cure for cardiac arrhythmias, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination. Improper therapy can only exacerbate the situation.

Symptoms of arrhythmia

Symptoms and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias should be known to those people who have a genetic predisposition or other pathologies of this organ. The disease has such common manifestations:

• A feeling of heaviness in the chest area, an extensive pain syndrome that can give off to other parts of the body.
• Shortness of breath, shortness of breath, lack of air (even at rest).
• Throbbing veins of the neck.
• Increasing anxiety, fear for the patient’s life.
• Frequent fainting.
• Poor response to physical activity, fatigue.
• Pallor of the skin or their blueness.
• Sharp jumps in blood pressure, and indicators can both fall and increase.
• Throbbing in the ears.
• Numbness of the limbs, a feeling of cold in them.

Depending on the type of pathology, a person may experience cramps, increase salivation and sweating. If arrhythmia is repeated frequently and is accompanied by sudden cardiac arrest, then you should immediately consult a doctor.

First aid for an attack

In the presence of such a disease, the patient may need an ambulance call. However, before the arrival of physicians, you can not leave the victim himself. First aid for cardiac arrhythmias involves such actions:

• The patient’s organization of such conditions under which he will feel better. A person needs to sit in a chair or lie down.
• The challenge of the gag reflex, which often normalizes the work of the body.
• Providing fresh air access to the room. In addition, a person needs to remove all items of clothing that constrain his movements.
• Constantly monitor your heart rate.
• Give a person a sedative: valerian, motherwort.

If these methods of eliminating the attack did not give the desired effect, and the person’s condition continues to deteriorate, then he needs to do an indirect heart massage and perform artificial respiration. Other measures to save the patient's life are carried out by doctors.

Diagnostic Features

Treatment of atrial fibrillation of the heart or other varieties of the disease is carried out only after a comprehensive examination. Diagnostics includes the following methods:

1. General and biochemical analysis of blood. It will help determine the cause of arrhythmia.
2. Electrocardiogram. It reveals abnormalities in the work of the heart at the time of the study. If a person has cardiac arrhythmia, an ECG is mandatory.
3. Echocardiography. This study identifies structural changes in an organ that affect its functionality.
4. Ultrasound of the thyroid gland and heart.
5. Holter daily monitoring. It is carried out using a miniature cardiomonitor. The device captures changes in the heart during the day. So, you can accurately determine which factors contribute to the appearance of arrhythmia.
6. Stress test It is carried out to identify the maximum allowable load on the heart.
7. Exercise test. A treadmill or exercise bike is used for it.
8. Tilt test. It is carried out if the patient loses consciousness for no reason. To do this, use a special table with clamps, which can rotate in different directions.
9. Intracardiac electrophysiological diagnosis. Thanks to it, the functionality of the conduction system of the heart is determined.

Thanks to such an examination, it is possible to establish not only the type of pathology, but also the reason for its development.

Traditional treatment

Therapy should be combined. Medicines for cardiac arrhythmias are selected depending on the type of pathology and diagnostic results. The following drugs are usually prescribed to the patient:

1. Sedatives: Novo-Passit, Persen, tinctures of valerian or motherwort. They relieve nervous tension, contribute to the normalization of sleep.
2. Sodium channel blockers: Novocainamide, Lidocaine. They stabilize the cell membranes of the heart muscle. The excitability of heart cells is reduced.
3. Beta-blockers: Metoprolol. These drugs reduce the strength and frequency of heart contractions.
4. Calcium channel blockers: Verapamil. These drugs control the transport of ions necessary for normal contractile function of the body.
5. Tranquilizers: Diazepam, Seduxen. They are prescribed in complex cases and are prescription drugs.
6. Preparations for improving metabolic processes and cardiac conduction: "Pulse rate", "Quinidine."
7. Cardiac Glycosides: Digoxin.

Also, patients may need funds to normalize blood pressure, combined and vitamin preparations. You can take on your own only those drugs that are indicated in the therapeutic regimen. In this case, it is necessary to comply with the prescribed dosage. Antiarrhythmic drugs should be taken continuously.

Gymnastics with cardiac arrhythmias also gives a positive result. It improves blood circulation, increases the stamina of the body. The patient is usually recommended simple walking, swimming, jogging. Physical activity should be dosed. In the first stages of treatment, it should be gentle. Gradually, the load can be increased, but in gentle doses. During exercise, it is important to monitor pressure, pulse and overall well-being.

Heart arrhythmia in a child is difficult to treat, as a small patient can use only a limited number of drugs.

What to take from cardiac arrhythmias is already clear, but drugs can not always help. If conservative therapy did not give a positive effect, then a person is prescribed surgical intervention. There are such types of operations:

1. Installation of an electric pacemaker. It is necessary for a person with pronounced bradycardia, if the pulse is poorly audible, and the heart rate is very weak. As soon as the body ceases to perform its functions normally, the device turns on and sends additional electrical impulses. If the heart is working properly, then the device turns off. Over time, the device requires a replacement battery.
2. Implantation of a miniature defibrillator. A device of this type is capable of preventing death due to ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia. Install it under the skin and muscle tissue. In the future, battery replacement is required.
3. Catheter radiofrequency ablation. By means of catheters with electrodes introduced into the pathological region, its tissues are destroyed.

Surgical intervention is prescribed only if the drugs do not give an effect, and the muscle itself has degraded.

Folk remedies

What to take with cardiac arrhythmias is already clear, but pathology can be treated not only with drugs. For this, unconventional methods are used. They are used in combination with a treatment regimen prescribed by a doctor. Such folk remedies for heart arrhythmia will be useful:

1. Hawthorn. For therapy, not only fruits are used, but also flowers. For cooking, 50 g of crushed raw material (or 1 tablespoon of inflorescences) is taken and poured with a glass of boiling water. Steaming the mixture is better in a thermos. After infusion, the liquid is consumed up to 3 times a day 10 minutes before a meal.
2. A mixture of lemon and honey. Both products are taken in equal proportions - 500 g each. Lemon is pre-crushed using a meat grinder. Additionally, 20 crushed apricot kernels (nucleoli) are placed in the mixture. All components are thoroughly mixed. Take this medicine twice a day before meals.
3. Bow. The presented remedy is used only in case of a mild form of arrhythmia. To prepare the product, you need 1 onion and 1 medium apple. Finely chop the vegetable, and grate the apple. Both components are thoroughly mixed and consumed twice daily between meals. Each time a mixture needs to be made new. The course of therapy lasts 1 month. If necessary, it can be repeated.
4. Adonis grass. The broth is prepared from 4 g of dry crushed raw materials and 1/4 cup of water. Boil the mixture in just 3-4 minutes. Further, the liquid is poured into the container, tightly covered with a lid and placed in a dark place for 20 minutes. Before use, the mixture is filtered. After that, it is ready for use. The instruction is: 1 tbsp. three times a day.
5. The roots of a lovage. Requires 40 g of raw materials and a liter of boiling water. It will take 8-10 hours to insist. After filtering, the entire volume of fluid should be drunk per day. The next day, fresh medicine is prepared.
6. Turnip. From it is made a decoction. For its preparation, 2 tablespoons are required. previously finely chopped vegetable and a glass of water. Boil the mixture for 15 minutes. Take the medicine for half a glass up to 4 times a day.
7. Mountain ash bark. The crushed raw material is poured into an enameled bowl and 0.5 l of water is poured. After the product boils, the intensity of the fire must be reduced. Cook the mixture for 2 hours, and it should be covered. Ready broth is used before meals, 50 ml in 3-4 doses.
8. Lily of the valley flowers. TU is important to consider that this recipe is not suitable for everyone, since it can further enhance the symptoms of arrhythmia. Before its use, a consultation with a cardiologist is mandatory. It takes 10 flowers to fill with boiling water (1 cup) and insist for 1.5 hours. You need to drink medicine in small sips up to 5 times a day.
9. Motherwort grass. For a decoction, you need 15 g of raw materials to fill in glasses of freshly boiled water. The liquid is infused for 10 minutes. You need to drink it for 1 tbsp. thrice a day.
10. Kislitsa. 1 tbsp needed inflorescences to brew a glass of boiling water. You can take the broth after it cools down.
11. Three-colored violet. 2 tsp required herbs (pre-ground) and 1 cup of boiling water. Insisted tool for at least 2 hours. It should be consumed 3-4 times for 1 tablespoon.
12. Yarrow. Half a liter jar should be filled with grass. Further, alcohol is poured into it (to the top). Tincture is prepared for 2 weeks. All this time it must be stored in a dark place and periodically shaken. Before use, the liquid is filtered. You need to drink it daily for 1 tsp. in the morning before eating.
13. Valerian and Mint. Both components have a calming effect. For a decoction, it is necessary to take plants in the same amount (1 tablespoon each). A mixture of 200 ml of boiling water is poured. The resulting volume of medication should be drunk 2 times. The course of therapy lasts 1 month.
14. Asparagus. For the manufacture of a medicine, young shoots or rhizomes are useful. Pre-dried and crushed raw materials is poured 1.5 stack. water and infused for 3 hours. The resulting amount should be drunk in small portions per day. In this way, the patient will have to be treated for 2-3 months. In addition, every 30 days you need to take a break for 10 days.
15. Picking herbs. 1 tsp required mint leaves, 4 baskets of marigolds (calendula) and a glass of boiling water. Finished raw materials need to be drunk in 3-4 doses. To make the medicine tastier, add 1 tsp. honey. Every day you need to cook fresh medicine.

Folk remedies for heart arrhythmias will not be able to completely cope with the disease, especially if it is based on a physiological malformation. They need to be used in conjunction with medications. Unconventional recipes will increase their effectiveness, as well as reduce the negative impact.

Arrhythmia Nutrition

Nutrition for cardiac arrhythmias should be rational, contain a sufficient amount of potassium and magnesium, and B vitamins. These components improve the conductivity of electrical impulses, strengthen the heart muscle, protect it from infections or viruses.

The patient needs to limit the consumption of animal fats (replace them with vegetable oils), sugar, as well as foods with high cholesterol. Spicy and smoked dishes, canned food are excluded from the menu. It is necessary to completely abandon alcohol, smoking. The consumption of stimulants is limited: coffee, strong tea.

A sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits should be introduced into the diet. Magnesium is present in buckwheat, seeds, and bran. For proper heart function, calcium is needed. It is present in hard cheese, beets, seafood, fish.

If the patient is obese, then he will have to lose weight. But this should be done gradually, under the supervision of doctors.

Possible complications and prevention

The consequences of cardiac arrhythmias, if left untreated, can be life threatening. Complications of the pathology are as follows:

• Congestive heart failure.
• Pulmonary edema.
• Thrombosis or thromboembolism.
• A sudden drop in blood pressure, which is fraught with death.
• Cerebral ischemia.
• Cardiac asthma.
• Cardiogenic shock.
• Stroke (the heart cannot pump enough blood, its current slows down, blood clots form, which can cause hemorrhage).

The most dangerous complication requiring emergency medical attention is cardiac arrest.

To avoid this pathology, it is necessary to observe the following precautions:

• Pay attention in time and treat any diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
• Get rid of any inflammatory foci.
• Eat right, excluding from the diet all foods that cause harm to the body.
• Stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
• Do not exclude dosed physical activity from life.
• Control body weight.
• Do not use medicines uncontrollably.
• Avoid excessive emotional outbursts, stressful situations.
• Observe the regime of the day, rest as much as the body needs.

Arrhythmia is a difficult and life-threatening disease that often causes death. The treatment of pathology should be approached comprehensively. With sinus arrhythmia, the army is not contraindicated for most patients. But he is given a reprieve if the condition threatens his life or health, there are prohibitions regarding physical activity.