Arrhythmia

Electrocardiograms (EKG or ECG) track the electrical signals in the heart to monitor its health and functionality.

Blood tests can detect increased or decreased levels of substances, such as potassium, electrolytes and other minerals in your body, that may cause an arrhythmia.

Holter monitors and cardiac event recorders are examples of devices your doctor may have you wear to record your heart’s electrical activity and rhythms.

A doctor may perform tests that measure how the heart’s electrical functions change with different activities, for example, how well it works during exercise versus at rest (stress test) or when you change positions from laying down to standing up (tilt-table test).

Tests may include different imaging exams, such as an echocardiogram, which uses ultrasound waves to show your heart while it pumps, or electrophysiology tests, which use electrode catheters to record and map your heart’s electrical signals.

Certain gene mutations or inherited genetic traits can increase your risk of developing an arrhythmia.

You can manage a heart arrhythmia with healthy lifestyle choices, such as:

• Eating a heart-healthy diet 
• Limiting alcohol to one drink a day for men or two drinks per day for women
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Managing other chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure
• Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke
• Improving sleep quality or duration
• Avoiding stressful situations

Certain medications, including beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and blood thinners, may help you manage symptoms, prevent complications or manage the underlying cause of your arrhythmia.

• Vagal maneuvers: Vagal maneuvers are physical actions, such as breathing exercises, that you can use to relax, slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.
• Cardioversion: Cardioversion is a procedure that uses low-frequency energy pulses to restore your heart rhythm.
• Ablations: Two types of ablations may be used for arrhythmia.
  • A catheter ablation uses a narrow catheter to modify or remove faulty electrical pathways causing your arrhythmia.
  • A cryoablation applies cold temperatures to faulty electrical pathways, and a radiofrequency ablation takes the opposite approach and applies heat to faulty electrical pathways.

The type of ablation procedure used would depend on which type of arrhythmia you have, as well as underlying health issues and other factors.

• Pacemaker: This small, implanted device sends electrical signals to the heart to create or maintain a regular rhythm.
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD): This small device monitors the heart for abnormal heart rhythms. When an arrhythmia is detected, the ICD sends an electrical signal to correct the rhythm.

• Maze procedure: This procedure uses various techniques to create scar tissue that blocks the faulty electrical signals causing an arrhythmia