Arrhythmia Specialist
Feeling your heart lose its normal regular rhythm or flutter madly with arrhythmia is a scary experience and one that requires a trip to your cardiologist. If you have an arrhythmia, cardiovascular specialist Kiran Kumar Mangalpally, MD, of Prime Heart and Vascular, can help. At the practice locations the team can diagnose your arrhythmia promptly and prescribe treatments to restore your heart’s normal rhythm.
Arrhythmia is a general term for abnormalities in the speed and rhythm of your heartbeat. It’s a symptom, not a unique condition.
Your heart uses electrical energy to function. A part of your heart called the sinus node sends out electrical impulses that cause the heart muscle to contract and release, creating the sound of your heartbeat.
Sometimes the signals can’t get through properly or become erratic, causing an arrhythmia. Some types of arrhythmia cause your heartbeat to slow down (bradycardia); others make it speed up (tachycardia).
Other types of arrhythmia include atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, and premature ventricular contraction (PVC).
What causes arrhythmia and how is it diagnosed?
Some people have congenital heart problems (conditions they’ve had from birth) that cause arrhythmia. You can also develop arrhythmia as a result of cardiovascular disorders such as high blood pressure and coronary artery disease (CAD).
To diagnose your arrhythmia, the team at Prime Heart and Vascular considers your medical and family history and current symptoms. They measure your blood pressure and use a stethoscope to listen to your heart, and they might carry out an electrocardiogram (ECG) to record the electrical activity in your heart.
You might need to undergo additional tests, such as:
- Echocardiogram
- Holter monitor test
- Stress testing
- Tilt-table test
- Electrophysiologic testing (EP study)
- Esophageal electrophysiologic procedure
These tests provide information about your heart’s activity over a longer period or when it’s under stress, which can help isolate the underlying cause of your condition.
What treatment might I need for arrhythmia?
The team creates a suitable treatment plan for your arrhythmia based on the condition’s cause and severity. Potential treatments include:
Medications
Taking antiarrhythmic medications helps to restore your heart’s regular rhythm by changing the electrical signals that make it beat.
Calcium channel blockers or beta blockers can help slow your heart rate down if you have tachycardia, and anticoagulants (blood thinners) reduce your risk of developing a blood clot.
Catheter ablation
After identifying the abnormal cells in your heart muscle responsible for your arrhythmia, your provider passes a slender piece of tubing called a catheter into an artery and along to your heart. They then apply heat via the catheter to destroy the abnormal cells.
If you have arrhythmia, find the cause and get the right treatment at Prime Heart and Vascular. Call the nearest office or book an appointment online today.
