Ever Felt your Heart Skipping a beat?

Ever felt your heart skipping a beat? A missing beat by itself 

might not be significant but if you notice other symptoms 

like fatigue, weakness, fainting spells, and an inability to 

cope with the normal routine then you need to see your 

cardiologist for a complete assessment of your heart’s 

functions.

A lady  in her sixties, an active woman who could multi-task 

with ease. But episodes of irregular heartbeats was taking 

an toll of her life. Her cardiologist put her on a holter, which 

records one’s ECG for 24 hours during normal activity and 

the pulse as well. To her horror, the doctor told her that she 

needed a pacemaker. Apart from irregular heartbeats, she 

also bradycardia (slow heartbeat), which could be 

dangerous, with her pulse dipping to 35 at night when she 

was asleep. She was traumatised and terrified but felt better 

after her doctor explained what was happening.

When the heart’s two upper chambers, the atria, contract, 

blood is pumped into the two lower chambers, the ventricles. 

The ventricles then contract and pump blood to the rest of 

the body. The combined contraction of the atria and 

ventricles is a heartbeat. The heart has its own internal 

electrical system to control the rate and rhythm of 

heartbeats. With each heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads 

from the top of the heart to the bottom.

Each electrical signal normally begins in a group of cells 

called the sinus node or sinoatrial (SA) node. As the signal 

spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom, it 

coordinates the timing of heart cell activity. Faulty electrical 

signal in the heart causes arrhythmias.

Pacemakers use low-energy electrical pulses to overcome 

this faulty electrical signalling.

A pacemaker is a small device that is placed in the chest or 

abdomen to help control abnormal heart rhythms. This 

device uses electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a 

normal rate. Pacemakers are used to treat arrhythmias. A 

fast heartbeat is called tachycardia A slow heartbeat is 

called bradycardia. During an arrhythmia, the heart may 

not be able to pump enough blood to the body. This can 

cause symptoms such as fatigue (tiredness), shortness of 

breath, or fainting. Severe arrhythmias can damage the 

body's vital organs and may even cause loss of 

consciousness or death.

Pacemakers can be temporary or permanent. Temporary 

pacemakers are used to treat short-term heart problems, 

such as a slow heartbeat that is caused by heart attacks, 

surgery or an overdose of medicine. They are also used 

during emergencies. They might be used until your doctor 

can implant a permanent pacemaker or until the temporary 

condition goes away.

When is a pacemaker recommended? “Due to an atrio-

ventricular block the heart rate may be low or absent 

resulting in momentary block or loss of consciousness, 

occasionally even seizures. Then pacemaker implantation is 

mandatory. A pacemaker is also useful when the pumping 

efficacy of heart is low,” says a Dr. 

Ageing or heart disease damages your sinus node’s ability to 

set the correct pace for your heartbeat. This can cause 

slower than normal heartbeats or long pauses between 

heartbeats. This condition is called sick sinus syndrome and 

also warrants implantation of a pacemaker. 

What precautions are advised post-surgery?

“Since we keep our patients for a week following the 

procedure, we make sure the wound is healing well, and 

dressed regularly,” says  the Dr. “The patient is advised not 

to shower for the first two or three days, and not lift the arm 

above the head or carry even small weights, or stretch the 

arm for about six weeks. After a month, if there is any 

discomfort it should be reported.”

Regular check ups once in 4-6 months are advised. The 

patient is advised to get into mainstream activity gradually 

like travelling, driving the car, swimming, resuming the job, 

golfing, and walking which will make you return to normal. 

Even sex is not barred. But there are some things to be 

avoided like entering an electromagnetic field. One should 

keep away from transformers, electric arc welding 

equipment and airport screening devices. The pacemaker 

identification card helps. MRIs are definitely to be avoided.

“Generally, we tell patients to avoid induction cooking, but 

the risks I believe are fairly small,” says Dr. , “but you can 

check with the manufacturer of the device.”

“You should use the mobile phone on the opposite ear, and at 

least six inches away from the implant,” says the Dr. 

 “Other household appliances like microwave oven, electrical 

appliances, computers can be safely used.”

Pacemakers do improve the quality of life and the implant is 

a small procedure, but check with the doctor before taking 

any decision.

What does a pacemaker do?

Relieves arrhythmia symptoms, such as fatigue and 

fainting

Helps a person with abnormal heart rhythms 

resume a more active lifestyle

.

Monitors and records heart's electrical activity and 

rhythm

.

Newer pacemakers also monitor blood temperature, breathing rate, and other factors and also adjust heart rate to changes in activity.


ps- this is only for information, always consult you physician before having any particular food/ medication/exercise/other remedies.

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How Hypertension Affects Your Heart Beat?

When the heart beats, it acts like a pump that takes in de-oxygenated blood from the body, and pushes out oxygenated blood with great pressure. The pushing out of blood leads to  pressure being exerted by the blood on the blood vessels in the body. This is known as blood pressure. Although the workings of the heart are not that simple, the explanation shows that there is a direct correlation between  the number of heartbeats and blood pressure. In some cases the heart may beat at a normal rate, but due to other factors, like blocks in the blood vessels, irregularities of the valves within the heart etc, a person could suffer from high blood pressure. According to a Dr, ‘Optimal blood pressure is below 120/80. A person can be diagnosed with high blood pressure if his/her BP is above 140/90. Anything in between is considered as borderline’.

Apart from this, some people might suffer from a condition called Aterial fibrillation or AF. Although this condition is not very common, people with this condition experience extremely irregular heartbeats, which then leads to high or low blood pressure, dizziness and in some cases can lead to a heart attack or stroke. It may have no symptoms and can only be detected by either checking the pulse, or by a healthcare professional. An episode of AF can lead to formation of blood clots, which may flow out of the heart and cause blocks in other blood vessels, leading to severe consequences strokes. AF episodes first start off intermittently and may become permanent in the long run.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is the most common risk factor that leads to AF. If both AF and hypertension coexist, it puts a person at higher risk of suffering from a stroke.

What is normal and what isn’t when it comes to heartbeats? 

According to Dr, ‘a normal heart rate consists of 60-90 heart beats per minute, when a person is at rest. Anything above or below this can be considered abnormal’. According to specialists, a heart rate that is higher than 100 to 150 beats is considered extremely dangerous. Symptoms usually range from feeling faint, uneasiness usually in the chest, fainting etc.

How does one detect any kind of abnormality in the heartbeats?

If a person feels that his/her heartbeat might be above or below normal, the best way to detect it is to simply measure his/her blood pressure and pulse rate. In the case of patients who are suffering from AF, their doctor will perform some simple tests to detect it. He/she may perform tests like an EKG (Electrocardiography), Holter test, Stress test, chest X-ray, and in some cases a blood test as well. All these tests are absolutely painless and non invasive in nature. If a doctor finds it difficult to detect the extent of the AF he may prescribe an Transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE). This is a test where the doctor will use a probe to check for irregular heartbeats through the oesophagus.

What are the treatment options for  irregular heartbeats?

There are basically two ways to control irregular heartbeats, they are – the rhythm control method  and rate control method.

The aim of the rhythm control method is to regularize  a person’s heartbeat. A doctor may primarily choose to treat a patient with medication, and if that fails, the patient might be given a controlled shock over the heart to regularize his/her  heart rate. Dr Contractor says , ‘All  procedures must be  strictly monitored by a trained professional, and should never be tried without supervision’.

The rate control method employs medication to slow the heart rate of a person. In most cases these medications also help to control irregular heart beats.

Lastly, remember that prevention is always better than cure, so get some exercise, eat healthy and get regular check ups to stay in shape.