Vasovagal Syncope (fainting)
Vasovagal syncope, also called the common faint, is caused by low blood pressure or a slow heart beat or both, usually triggered by outside influence. For appropriate treatment it needs to be evaluated carefully. For diagnosis it is necessary to perform tests such as the tilt table test, ambulatory monitoring or, at times, an electrophysiology study. Sometimes the cause is not heart related, for instance when low blood sugar is to blame, but fainting can still dangerous simply because of the potential for injuries from falling.
Heart Block (slow heartbeat)
When electrical impulses generated in the upper chambers of the heart are not properly transmitted to the lower chambers, heart block happens. The heart then beats too slowly, reducing the oxygen that gets to the body and brain. It may cause symptoms of weakness, shortness of breath and fainting.
Supraventricular Tachycardia
Supraventricular tachycardia is an abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, that starts in the upper chambers of the heart. It causes a rapid and regular heart beat. It is the commonest cause of episodic palpitations in relatively young patients. Diagnosis is made by recording heart rhythm during an episode of palpitation. This condition can be cured in the majority of patients safely by radiofrequency catheter ablation.
Atrial Fibrillation (AF or A Fib)
More than 2 million people in the United States have atrial fibrillation, making it a very common heart rhythm disorder. In Atrial Fibrillation, the heartbeat is irregular and rapid, sometimes beating as often as 300 times a minute, or about four times faster than normal. In the vast majority of cases, atrial fibrillation isn't life threatening by itself; however it can lead to complications including other rhythm problems, chronic fatigue and congestive heart failure. The risk of having a stroke is five times higher for those with A Fib.
Atrial Flutter (AFL)
Atrial flutter (AFL) is similar to A Fib because it too is characterized by a rapid heartbeat. Instead of many disorganized signals, however, AFL is caused by a single electrical wave that circulates very rapidly in the atrium, about 300 times a minute, leading to a very fast, steady heartbeat.
Ventricular Tachycardia (VT)
Characterized by a very fast heart rate, VT usually is seen in the setting of other serious heart disease. Occasionally, it occurs in people with normal hearts. It usually requires prompt treatment, sometimes with medication. Sometimes it is treated with radiofrequency ablation or surgery. Often people with VT are protected by implantation of a defibrillator. Because VT can lead to ventricular fibrillation, it is considered a serious condition that warrants aggressive monitoring and treatment.
Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac Arrest, caused by ventricular fibrillation (VF), poses the greatest threat and accounts for half of all cardiac deaths. In VF, the heartbeat is rapid and chaotic, which causes the lower heart chambers, or ventricles, to go into a spasm. Sometimes, however, a heart attack can lead to VF. VF is abrupt and happens without any warning and it halts all heart functioning. The lack of oxygen throughout the body, and especially to the brain, is deadly. Also known as cardiac arrest, sudden cardiac death is due to an electrical circuitry problem. It is not a the same as a heart attack, or myocardial infarction, which is a circulatory problem caused by clogged blood vessels that cut off the supply of blood to the heart. Although CPR can provide some benefit, the only truly effective VF treatment is defibrillation, which relies on paddles or electrodes to "shock" the heart back to normal rhythm. Without treatment, loss of consciousness comes in seconds, and death is inevitable.
Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure requiring pacemakers and defibrillators occurs in all ages of the population including pediatric patients and those with congenital heart disease. Sick sinus syndrome (SSS) is not a specific disease, but a group of signs or symptoms that indicate the heart’s natural electrical pacemaker, which is called the sinoatrial node, is not functioning properly. In SSS, the heart rate can switch back and forth between a slow rate (bradycardia) and a fast rate (tachycardia). A permanent pacemaker, sometimes in combination with medication, is the primary treatment.
A circulatory heart attack (Myocardial Infarction) occurs when arteries are clogged to the point of decreasing or stopping the flow of blood to the heart muscle. A lack of oxygen damages or kills heart muscle causing a heart attack. Recognizing symptoms and getting prompt emergency treatment can eliminate, prevent or limit the amount of heart muscle damage.
A special pacemaker that works in both chambers of the heart (resynchronization therapy) in combination with medication can prove very effective in improving symptoms in a selected group of patients with heart failure.
