cardiac arrhythmias
What are they and what should I do if I have any signs?

“Cardiac arrhythmias are a broad group of changes that can occur in the heart. They comprise situations that can range from milder conditions to very serious conditions, with risk to the patient's life.” 

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Our heart has an electrical conduction system responsible for keeping it beating rhythmically with a resting frequency of around 60 to 100 bpm. Arrhythmias are changes in the electrical conduction of the heart causing an abnormality in the heart rhythm. 

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Heart attack and heart disease
Arrhythmias can cause changes in the heart such as an acceleration of the rhythm (tachycardia), deceleration (bradycardia), and even cause irregularities or incoordination of the beats. These changes can have numerous causes and can occur even in normal hearts. Some diseases that affect the structure of the heart such as heart attack, valve diseases and congenital diseases are some of its etiologies.

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Symptoms
Symptoms of arrhythmias may vary depending on their type and clinical presentation. The most common are dizziness, palpitations, weakness, fainting, chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, among others.

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It is worth mentioning that arrhythmias can often be completely asymptomatic. 

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diagnostics
Diagnosis of most conditions requires some form of supplementary testing, such as electrocardiogram, 24-hour holter, tilt test, event monitor, treadmill test, echocardiogram.

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When the arrhythmia is not diagnosed using these methods, there is still the possibility of performing a diagnostic procedure, called an electrophysiological study. This procedure is an exam performed in a hospital environment, similar to a cardiac catheterization, where some catheters (small wires) are introduced through the femoral vein, which are positioned inside the heart for the study of the cardiac electrical part and also to carry out research. of possible arrhythmias.

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Treatment
The treatment of arrhythmias will depend on its severity and clinical repercussion, and may range from behavioral measures such as weight loss, treatment of sleep apnea, lifestyle habits and medications, or even the possibility of performing a definitive treatment called catheter ablation. be performed at the same time as the electrophysiological study, where after identifying the focus of the arrhythmia, an attempt is made to eliminate it using a specific “cauterization” device. Some arrhythmias can still be treated with what we call artificial cardiac pacing devices, such as a pacemaker, defibrillator and resynchronizer.

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If you or a family member fits any of these characteristics, look for your trusted doctor for an evaluation.