Controlling Sinus
Tachycardia
Sinus
tachycardia is a condition that occurs when the sinus rhythm goes
beyond the 100 beats per minute (bpm). This kind of bpm is not unusual
for a baby but for an adult it could mean severe problems.
The
normal rhythm for an adult ranges from 60 to 80 bpm so a rhythm higher
than 100 bpm would imply health issues. The sinus rhythm is produced by
the electrical signal sent by the sinus node. This electric signal
moves through the heart causing its chambers to expand and contract.
This electric impulse can be easily detected through an
electrocardiogram.
The electrocardiogram or ecg can discover any
abnormality in the sinus rhythm like sinus tachycardia. This
abnormality in the heart causes the electrical impulses making the
heart beat faster than normal. Exercise and excitement can be harmless
causes for an accelerated rhythm. Only when exercise is too extreme you
might be in danger of suffering a cardiac problem.
The most common
causes for this condition are: fever, anxiety, stress, certain
medications, anemia, hypermetabolism, chronic pulmonary disease, heart
failure and intravascular volume depletion. As you can see there are
emotional causes like stress and physical causes like heart disease.
You must also pay attention to the symptoms you might be experiencing
although sometimes there are no symptoms at all.
The main
symptom for this condition is the very rapid and unusual heartbeat.
This can be accompanied by chest pain, anxiety, dizziness and shortness
of breath. Normally to treat this condition you have to look for the
underlying cause. Once you manage to control the cause the sinus
tachycardia will disappear. Sometimes this condition might not require
any kind of treatment but there are times that it will require special
attention. Depending on several factors such as the patient’s age and
medical history some medications might be used to alter the sinus node
response. This type of treatment can have unexpected side effects and
must be monitored frequently.
Some times when the condition is
too severe an alternative is the use of electric shocks. The shocks
should be used only in emergency cases where the patient’s life is a
stake. Another solution can be surgery. The purpose of the surgery is
to remove the sinus node. They should be used only as a last solution
when everything else fails as they can have some serious consequences.
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