What should be paid attention to in daily life with arrhythmia?

Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
Updated on September 26, 2024
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For managing arrhythmias, it's important to pay attention to several aspects. First, maintain a regular lifestyle and ensure adequate sleep. Second, the living environment should be quiet and serene to avoid noise, and it’s beneficial to grow various plants for a better temperament. Third, balance work and rest according to personal capacities and engage in appropriate physical activities such as walking, Tai Chi, and Qigong; moderate sexual activities and avoid colds. Fourth, strive to maintain a standard weight and not indulge in overeating, as obesity can increase cardiac load. Fifth, be mindful of changes in seasons, weather, and climate, as extreme cold or hot conditions can significantly impact the disease, potentially aggravating or triggering arrhythmias. Sixth, diet should be light with frequent, small meals, and avoid coffee, strong alcohol, fried foods, and minimise strong tea. Seventh, keep a stable emotional state and try to eliminate stress, fear, anxiety, irritation, and anger which are stimulants that could negatively affect your emotions. Eighth, in addition to daily medications, have emergency medications prescribed by a doctor on hand, such as Xintiandan, Shexiang Baoxin Pill, Xintongding, Atropine, etc. Ninth, if there are sudden exacerbations of arrhythmia accompanied by palpitations, chest tightness, dizziness, low blood pressure, and sweating, and in severe cases fainting, seek medical attention promptly.

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Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
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What tests are done for arrhythmia?

Arrhythmia is also relatively common in clinical practice, and its common detection method is mainly the electrocardiogram (ECG). ECG is a simple and non-invasive operation that helps to identify the type of arrhythmia. Another method is the 24-hour Holter monitor, which can record all heart rate changes occurring within 24 hours. If an arrhythmia occurs, it is crucial to seek medical attention promptly, visiting a cardiology department. Treatment may involve antiarrhythmic medications, and if possible, a complete electrophysiological examination can be performed.

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Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
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Do arrhythmias need treatment?

The treatment of arrhythmias should be based on the symptoms of the patient, the type of arrhythmia, and its impact on hemodynamics to determine if treatment is necessary. For instance, mild sinus bradycardia, irregular sinus rhythm, occasional atrial premature contractions, and first-degree atrioventricular block have minimal impact on hemodynamics. Therefore, if there are no obvious clinical symptoms and no cardiac structural disease, temporary drug treatment may not be required. However, severe arrhythmias such as sick sinus syndrome, rapid atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, and persistent ventricular tachycardia can cause palpitations, chest tightness, dizziness, low blood pressure, severe sweating, and in severe cases, syncope, Adams-Stokes syndrome, or even sudden death, which require immediate medical attention.

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Written by Liu Ying
Cardiology
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Causes of arrhythmia

There are many causes of arrhythmia, which can be physiological or pathological. Pathological causes can originate from the heart itself or from other diseases. For instance, normal individuals might experience sinus arrhythmia, and circumstances such as staying up late, emotional excitement, or excessive fatigue can lead to premature beats or sinus tachycardia, among others. Other diseases, such as hyperthyroidism or fever, can cause an increased heart rate. For example, pulmonary embolism can lead to atrial fibrillation. Heart-related diseases, like heart failure, can cause ventricular premature beats, and diseases of the sinoatrial node itself can lead to sick sinus syndrome, among others.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Causes of arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is a common and frequently occurring disease in clinical practice, primarily caused by various organic heart diseases. Common heart diseases include coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, severe myocarditis, and cardiomyopathy, all of which can lead to arrhythmias that are generally severe. Arrhythmias can also occur in some healthy individuals due to instability of the autonomic nervous system. This type of arrhythmia can be clinically cured through lifestyle adjustments, appropriate exercise, and improvements in myocardial contractility and conductivity.

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Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
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Can arrhythmia cause sudden death?

The clinical manifestations of hemodynamic changes caused by arrhythmias mainly depend on the nature, type, cardiac function, and the extent of impact on hemodynamics. Mild conditions such as slight sinus bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia, occasional atrial premature contractions, and first-degree atrioventricular block have minimal impact on hemodynamics and therefore do not exhibit significant clinical manifestations, and sudden death is generally not expected. However, more severe arrhythmias, such as sick sinus syndrome, rapid atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, and sustained ventricular tachycardia, can lead to palpitations, chest tightness, dizziness, hypotension, and sweating. In severe cases, syncope, Adams-Stokes syndrome, or even sudden death may occur.