Arrhythmia: Diagnostic Tests and Treatment

Arrhythmia is a condition that presents heartbeats abnormally. In order to know if you truly have it, the doctor will do a physical examination and take medical history as the first steps to understand what you are experiencing. After that, a series of tests will be advised by the doctor to confirm if the signs and symptoms are really Arrhythmia. These tests are:

1. Electrocardiogram or ECG - This diagnostic test uses electrodes that are placed on the patient’s chest and sometimes in the arms and legs as well to monitor the heart’s electrical activities and heartbeat. 

2. Event recorder - A form of ECG that is worn by the patient to detect arrhythmias that occasionally occur every time the patient feels any symptoms. This is used for a long time for about 30 days.

3. Holter monitor - Another portable and wearable ECG that monitors the heart’s activity in the span of 24 hours or more while performing your daily life routine.

4. Implant loop recorder - A recorder that is implanted under the skin of the chest that records the electrical activity of the heart and detects abnormal rhythm. This is only used if symptoms rarely occur. 

5. Echocardiogram - A noninvasive test that is placed on the patient’s chest and uses a transducer that produces soundwaves to give a full view of the heart’s image in terms of size, structure and movement. 

6. Stress test - If the diagnostic tests mentioned above do not detect your Arrhythmia, your doctor might use this form of test to trigger your Arrhythmia by having you exercise on a treadmill or a stationary bike while monitoring your heartbeat.

Once you are diagnosed with Arrhythmia, various treatment options will be recommended to you by your doctor depending on what you need. Treatment for Arrhythmia includes:

1. Medications - There are many options of medications that are available for Arrhythmia treatment which is why this will take several trials to work because your body might respond or might not respond to certain medications and dosages. 

What medications does the doctor can prescribe to a person with Arrhythmia?

1. Antiarrhythmic medications  - drugs used to regulate heart rhythm.

2. Anticoagulants - blood thinners to prevent blood clots that might cause Stroke.

3. Heart rate control medications - used to control heart rate.

4. Other medications - Prescribed for other related diseases. 

2. Invasive Treatments and therapies - This kind of treatment is done when medications fail to fully control abnormal heartbeats or if the Arrhythmia is so severe that it affects a person’s functioning. The following are some of the invasive treatments and therapies:

1. Vagal Maneuver - This is recommended to patients who are experiencing an arrhythmia called supraventricular tachycardia. In this type of therapy, the vagal maneuvers did affect the vagus nerves causing the heart rate to slow down to regulate the heartbeat. 

2. Catheter ablation - is a form of invasive therapy wherein a doctor uses a catheter inserted through a blood vessel (usually in the groin area) of the patient going to the heart to deliver an energy that uses either heat or cold from a special machine that will help regulate the heartbeat. Also, this is used to remove the heart tissue in a small area that is causing the irregular heart rhythm leaving a scar.

3. Electrical cardioversion - Recommended if the patient has a certain type of arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation. This uses shock delivered to your heart by a machine through paddles or patches attached to your chest.

4. Pacemaker implant - A small device that is placed near the patient’s collarbone. The pacemaker helps speed up the heart when it is too slow or even stops. This uses one or more electrode wires that run from the pacemaker to the blood vessels going to the inner heart.