Ventricular tachycardia:
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Ventricular
tachycardia is an abnormally rapid heartbeat that begins in the lower
ventricles of the heart.
Your heart
is a four-chamber muscle pump. The top two are called atria. The bottom two are
called ventricles. They work together to pump blood throughout the body. A
healthy heart beats about 100,000 times a day. They begin at the sinus node
(SA). The atrium he is located in one and is often called the heart's natural
pacemaker.
This signal
causes the atria to contract and blood to flow into the ventricles. It then
travels to another part of the heart called the atrioventricular (AV) node.
This causes the ventricles to contract, causing more blood to move.
When happens:
With VT, the
electrical signals in the ventricles take over, making the heart beat faster.
Impulses from SA nodes are also affected. Most normal heart rates are in the
range of 60-100 beats per minute. Ventricular tachycardia can be a heart rate
of 170 beats per minute or more.
When this
happens, the upper chambers of the heart do not have time to replenish blood
and send it to the ventricles. As such, blood does not pass through the body
the way it should.
In some
cases, this condition can lead to ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular
fibrillation is a condition that causes a very rapid and uneven heartbeat of
300 or more beats per minute.
Symptoms :
You may not
notice any symptoms, especially if your heart is beating fast for a few
seconds.
VT can cause:
Dizziness or
lightheadedness
Chest pain
Palpitation
Difficulty
breathing
Syncope
Tightness in
the neck
Cardiac
arrest (cardiac arrest)
When should I call my doctor?
If you feel
lightheaded, dizzy, have rapid heartbeats, or faint, see your doctor as soon as
possible.
If you have
a very high heart rate, chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911.
Ventricular
tachycardia is more likely to occur if you are older or if you have a family
member with an arrhythmia. Other conditions that can cause or increase the likelihood
of VT are:
Damage
caused by heart disease, such as heart attack, heart failure, valvular heart
disease, and inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis)
sarcoidosis,
a condition in which inflamed tissue grows in the body
Disorders
inherited from parents, such as long QT syndrome or Brugada syndrome
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Dosage:
Uneven
electrolyte levels in the blood
Excessive
intake of alcohol or caffeine
recreational
drugs
When doctors
cannot find a cause, it is called idiopathic ventricular tachycardia.
Also, there
are some tests of the heart.
The first
thing you're likely to get is something called an electrocardiogram. Record the
electrical activity of the heart.
Your doctor
may also ask you to have an electrophysiologic test to identify problem areas
in your heart.
Treatment of ventricular tachycardia:
If you have
no symptoms or your episode is less than 30 seconds, do nothing. Otherwise,
treatment depends on the cause of the problem.
If drugs or
caffeine are causing VT, they should be stopped.
Doctors give
an electric shock to the heart to return it to its normal rhythm. This is a
common emergency treatment, especially when VT is associated with syncope or
low blood pressure.
Drugs that
reduce heart rate, such as amiodarone (Nexterone, Pacerone), flecainide
(Tambocor), lidocaine (Lidopen), propafenone (Rhythmol SR), and sotalol
(Betapace, Sotylyze). These do not work as well as cardioversion and can cause
side effects. Your doctor will implant a small pacemaker near your collarbone.
It sends a signal to both ventricles to make them work normally.
This is a
small device that is placed under the skin just below the collarbone. You can
get it with your CRT. An ICD resets the heartbeat by delivering a shock when
the heartbeat becomes irregular. You can prevent VT from causing
life-threatening problems.
Cardiac ablation. This is also known as catheterization or radiofrequency
ablation. Doctors use heat to destroy abnormal heart tissue. This method can
treat and cure ventricular tachycardia.
Prevention :
The best way
to prevent VT is to keep your heart healthy.
Eat healthy.
Don't smoke,
don't take drugs.
Exercise
regularly to maintain a healthy weight.
Ask your
doctor about over-the-counter medications that cause tachycardia.
If your
doctor has prescribed heart medication, take it as directed.
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