Silicon Valley, USA Chapter, Uncategorized, writing

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia

G. Li, Editor-in-Chief
đź“Ť Silicon Valley, USA

Img Source; The Cleveland Clinic

Did your heart just skip a beat, or do you have arrhythmia? 

You may find your heart skipping a few beats doing an important task or talking to your crush – is it because you’re nervous, or do you have arrhythmia? What you may have disregarded as a silly thing your heart did because you were nervous and/or lovesick may actually be a sign of a deadly disease. 

Arrhythmia is a problem with the rhythm or the rate of your heart. It can be a dragging or racing, or completely unrelated to speed, rather the rhythm of your heart, hence the name “arrhythmia”. 

Generally, there are two types of heart arrhythmias, tachycardia and bradycardia. 

Tachycardia refers to a fast heartbeat, which can be described as a racing rhythm of your heart. Tachycardia is characterized with a heart rate of more than 100 beats a minute. Some significant examples of tachycardia are: 

  • Atrial fibrillation (AFib): a rapid, uncoordinated heartbeat. AFib has been linked to strokes. 
  • Ventricular fibrillation: your lower heart’s chambers quiver instead of squeezing. It can cause sudden cardiac death. 

Bradycardia refers to a slow heartbeat, which can be described as a dragging rhythm of your heart. Bradycardia is characterized with a heart rate of less than 60 beats a minute. Some significant examples of bradycardia are: 

  • Sick sinus syndrome: scarring near the sinus node slows or disrupts heartbeat signals from the sinus node to the heart. 
  • Conduction block: blockage of electrical pathways in the heart can cause your heartbeat to slow or stop. May cause skipped or slowed beats. 

If you are worried you may have arrhythmia, check for these symptoms: 

  • A fluttering, pounding, or racing heart
  • A fast or slow heart 
  • Pain in your chest 
  • Shortness of breath 
  • Lightheadedness 

After checking these symptoms, if you feel that you match some of these, you should make an appointment for a health checkup. It can cause you to have a stroke or even suffer from sudden cardiac death. 

Make sure to ensure your heart is healthy! 

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