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Samuel's Story Read Samuel's Story as published in the Sunday Tasmanian 2nd July 2006 |
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Drugs to Avoid There are certain drugs that
sufferer's of Arrhythmias should avoid. Please click here to see a list of these drugs |
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Welcome
This site is the place for those who have an arrhythmic
heart condition and/or those who have lost a loved one to a heart arrhythmia condition.
This site was born 12 months after I lost my eldest son Samuel to SADS at the age of 11 years.
Click here to read Samuel’s story.
We have recently launched the Tasmanian Support Branch of the Australian SADS Foundation.
There are support branches in most Australian States and Territory’s.
We are not doctors and do not intend to take the place of a medical practitioner so if you have any medical concerns please raise this concern with
the appropriate person.
We are here to support each other and are not a judgmental group of people
Tammy - Arrhythmic Hearts Owner.
Two categories of arrhythmia
It depends on a person’s age and level of fitness, how often the heart beats. On average it is between 60 and 100 times every minute. Most people will experience a heart
palpitation occasionally. This may be the result of a very brief period of irregular heart beat. In a healthy heart, a palpitation or two can be caused by:
This type of heart arrhythmia typically feels like a skipped beat, followed by a heavy thud. An occasional palpitation is nothing to worry about, but consistent irregularities of the heart beat should be investigated by a doctor.
If palpitations are accompanied by light-headedness, fainting or chest pain, you should seek urgent medical help.
How the Heart works
The heart, blood vessels and blood make up your circulatory system. The main role of the circulatory system is to deliver oxygen and nutrients to every cell, and take away their waste products. Your heart sits inside the chest, in front of the lungs and
slightly to the left. Your heart is actually a double pump, made up of four chambers. The upper right chamber (right atrium) takes in deoxygenated blood, which is then squeezed into the lower right chamber (right ventricle) and pumped to the lungs.
Oxygenated blood from the lungs travels to the left upper chamber (left atrium) and, from there, enters the lower left chamber (left atrium) and is pumped around the body. The contractions of the chambers make the sound of heart beats. A special cluster
of cells, situated in the right atrium, called the sinus node, regulates the heart rate.
Symptoms of arrhythmia
Occasional palpitations during periods of emotional or physical stress are normal and are nothing to worry about. The symptoms of more serious heart arrhythmia include:
Two categories of arrhythmia
Heart arrhythmia is sorted into two types:
Tachycardia - is when the heart beats too quickly. The majority of episodes of
tachycardia are experienced in the upper chambers of the heart, or atria. Those that occur in the lower chambers, or ventricles, are more serious. Arrhythmias in the ventricles are associated with sudden cardiac death, particularly if the ventricles are
reduced to quivering rather than beating. This is called ‘ventricular fibrillation’ or VF. It should be noted that tachycardia is normal after vigorous exercise.
Bradycardia - is when the heart beats too slowly. Normally,
Bradycardia is caused by
problems within the sinus node, the specialised cluster of cells in the heart that regulate the heart beat. In severe cases, there may be a problem with the electrical ‘cabling’ of the heart; intermittent signals can cause the heart to beat very slowly. It
should be noted that people who are physically fit may have a slow ‘resting heart rate’ and therefore a normal Bradycardia. Drugs can cause arrhythmia
The are some cases of arrhythmia can be traced to certain medications or drugs, including:
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Appetite suppressants
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Beta blockers
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Caffeine
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Cocaine
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Amphetamines
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Nicotine in cigarettes
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Some asthma medications
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Thyroid medications.
Serious disorders
A heart arrhythmia can be a symptom of more serious underlying disorders, including:
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Previous heart attacks that have scarred the heart tissue
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Heart valve or heart muscle abnormalities
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Congenital heart disease
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An overactive thyroid gland
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Problems with the sinus node, the natural pacemaker of the heart.
Medical tests
If you are troubled by persistent irregularities of heart beat, you should consult with your doctor for a thorough medical examination. The recommended tests may include:
The treatment for heart arrhythmia will depend on the cause. It is important to remember that not all chronic arrhythmias are dangerous or life threatening. Sometimes, the heart is perfectly healthy but its regular beat is interrupted as the result of chronic emotional upset
or stress. In these cases, stress management and healthy lifestyle changes may be helpful.
Treatment options
Some options for treating serious cases of heart arrhythmia include:
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Medication - to ‘stabilise’ the rhythm
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A pacemaker - to speed up the heart rate artificially, when necessary
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Defibrillation – mild electrical current to ‘reset’ the heart beat
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Surgery.
You should seek help from:
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Your doctor
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Specialist cardiologist
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In an emergency, such as collapse with loss of consciousness, or chest pain or discomfort lasting for more than 10-15 minutes, always call
000 for an ambulance.
Some things to remember
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