Rhythm
What is an arrhythmia?
An arrhythmia is a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat. Your heart beats too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular pattern. Changes in the electrical signals that control your heartbeat cause arrhythmias.
- When your heart beats faster than normal, it's called tachycardia.
- When your heart beats too slowly, it's called bradycardia.
- When the signal to beat comes too early, it's called a premature or extra heartbeat. It may feel like your heart skipped a beat.
There are many types of arrhythmias. Arrhythmias may affect the upper or lower chamber of your heart. The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular and fast heartbeat.
Some arrhythmias are harmless, such as when your heart rate speeds up during exercise and slows down when you sleep. But if you have a frequent irregular rhythm, it may mean your heart isn't pumping enough blood into your body. Getting treatment and following a heart-healthy lifestyle can help control arrhythmias. It may also help prevent heart damage that can trigger some heart arrhythmias.
What causes an arrhythmia?Many factors can affect your heart's rhythm, such as having had a heart attack, smoking, congenital heart defects, and stress. Other factors that could increase your risk for some types of arrhythmias could include if you:
- Have a family history of arrhythmias.
- Have certain health conditions, which can include heart and blood vessel diseases, lung diseases, kidney diseases, obesity, and sleep apnea.
- Are an older adult.
- Have had recent surgery for your heart, lungs, or throat.
- Take certain medicines for other health conditions.
- Use illegal drugs.
If you have risk factors, some situations that make your heart work harder, raise your blood pressure, or cause strong emotional stress may trigger an arrhythmia.
What are the symptoms of an arrhythmia?You may not have any noticeable symptoms of an arrhythmia. Your provider may find an arrhythmia during your routine checkup. Symptoms of an arrhythmia can include:
- Fast or slow heartbeat
- Skipping, fluttering, or pounding heartbeats
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Dizziness or fainting
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Tiredness or weakness
Seek emergency medical care if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or think you are having a heart attack.
How is an arrhythmia diagnosed?To find out if you have an arrhythmia, your health care provider may order an electrocardiogram (EKG). This test records your heart's electrical activity and is the most common for finding an arrhythmia. Your provider may also:
- Ask about your medical history, including your symptoms and lifestyle habits.
- Do a physical exam, which includes checking your heartbeat and pulse.
- Order blood tests and other heart tests.
- Check your legs or feet for swelling.
- Look for signs of other health conditions that could cause an arrythmia, such as thyroid disease.
Treatment may include medicines, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or pacemaker, or sometimes surgery. Your provider may also recommend avoiding activities that may trigger your arrhythmia.
The goal of treatment is to restore a normal heart rhythm. If not treated, arrhythmias can damage your heart, brain, and other organs and could be life-threatening.
Can arrhythmias be prevented?To help prevent an arrhythmia, your provider may suggest that you make heart-healthy lifestyle changes and treat health conditions that may cause arrhythmias.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Home Remedies for Rhythm
... take licorice if you are pregnant, taking steroids or have low potassium levels. Low potassium levels can cause people to experience abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, edema, lethargy, and/or congestive heart failure. The NIH has determined that there is insufficient data available to k......e FDA notes:
-Don’t eat large amounts of black licorice at one time.
-If you have been eating a lot of black licorice and have an irregular heart rhythm or muscle weakness, stop eating it immediately and contact your healthcare provider.
-Black licorice can interact with some medications, herbs...
Mechanism - glycyrrhizinJlaiii | August 11th, 2020
Felter's Materia Medica on Rhythm
The fresh, green stems and the flowers of Selenicereus grandiflorus (L.) Britt. & Rose (and other Selenicereus speciesMM) (Cereus grandiflorus,... / ...in excitable or nervous individuals, the remedy relieves, because its tendency is to promote normal rhythmic action of the cardiac muscle. Aortic regurgitation is nearly always benefited by it and it ...2
The rhizome and rootlets of Convallaria majalis, Linné (Nat. Ord. Liliaceae.) Common Name: Lily of the Valley. Principal Constituents.Two... / ...dyspnea and palpitation. When acting favorably the heart action becomes slower and stronger, normal rhythm is established, arterial pressure increased, respiration deepened, and the sense of suffocati... / ...carditis and endocarditis, using it in fractional doses. Convallaria is of less service in stenosis of the aorta than in mitral disorders.2
The leaves of Digitalis purpurea, Linné (Nat. Ord. Scrophulariaceae), carefully dried and preserved away from light, in close containers. Europe;... / ...peutic; (2) the toxic; and (3) the extreme toxic or lethal stages. (1) In the therapeutic stage the rhythm is slowed and the ventricles empty themselves more perfectly and by their increased force pum... / ...pulse becomes very slow and irregular. The ventricle dilates more completely, thus prolonging the diastole; the systole becomes erratic in force,2
The dried leaves of Datura Stramonium, Linné, or of Datura Tatula, Linné (Nat. Ord. Solanaceae). A common weed everywhere in the United States,... / ...ect upon the sympathetic system and upon the vagus. If the dose be large enough it will disturb the rhythm of the heart action and induce delirium, exerting these effects more readily and more powerfu... / ...when associated with nervous erethism and unsteadiness. Like hyoscyamus, stramonium meets two classes of nervous and mental disordersthe ment2
The dried ripe seeds of Strophanthus Kombé, Oliver, or of Strophanthus hispidus, DeCandolle, deprived of their long awns (Nat. Ord. Apocynaceae).... / ...cles first become enfeebled, then somewhat rigid, fibrillary twitchings, which are spontaneous, non-rhythmical and increasing contractions, somewhat similar to those of chorea, are observed, and final... / ...It has been reported useful in cases of mitral regurgitation with dilatation; mitral stenosis with regurgitation; regurgitation wi2
References
2) Felter, Harvey Wickes, 1922, The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Cincinnati, Ohio.