Arrhythmia Diagnosis
Some arrhythmias may occur without any symptoms. Others may cause
noticeable symptoms, such as:
- Fainting
- Dizziness, sensation of light-headedness
- Sensation of your heart fluttering (palpitations)
- Sensation of a missed or extra heart beat
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
Diagnosis
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a
physical exam. In particular, the doctor will listen to your heart with a
stethoscope.
Tests may include:
- Blood Tests — to look for certain markers in the blood that help
the doctor determine what is happening with your heart
- Urine Tests — to look for certain markers in the urine that help
the doctor determine what is happening with your heart
- Electrocardiogram (EKG)— records the heart's activity by measuring
electrical currents through the heart muscle
- Echocardiogram — uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to
examine the size, shape, and motion of the heart
- 24-hour Holter monitor — a portable EKG that you wear as you
perform normal daily activities
- Exercise Stress Test — records the heart's electrical activity
during increased physical activity
- Nuclear Scanning — radioactive material is injected into a vein
and observed as it is absorbed by the heart muscle
- Coronary Angiography — X-rays taken after a dye is injected into
the arteries
Advanced Arrhythmia Diagnosis use a number of
advanced methods to diagnose arrhythmias including cardiac
electrophysiology, a kind of "internal EKG." The cardiologists
threads a sensitive catheter-based instrument called an electrophysiologic
probe from a blood vessel in the leg into the heart to identify the causes
of rhythm abnormalities with far more accuracy than possible with EKG or
other external methods.
Treatment Options:
- Antiarrhythmic Medications to help slow down or speed up your heart
rate, depending on your need.
- Cardioversion or Defibrillation- These treatments involve placing
paddles on the chest or back. An electrical current is passed through
the chest wall to the heart, in order to re-set its electrical
circuits, and attempt to return the heart rhythm to normal.
- Automatic Implantable Defibrillator- A tiny defibrillator can be
surgically implanted in your chest to monitor your heart rhythm. If a
dangerous arrhythmia is detected, the device automatically shocks the
heart in an attempt to return the heart rhythm to normal.
- Artificial Pacemaker- This device is surgically implanted in your
chest. It takes over the job of providing the electrical impulses
needed for establishing an appropriate heart rhythm.
- Surgery- An area of the heart that is responsible for an abnormal
rhythm may be surgically removed or altered to prevent it from
generating an arrhythmia
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