Wednesday, 6 July 2016

How A Pacemaker Can Help Make Your Heart Beat Faster

By Rebecca Murphy


Not all that many years ago even minor heart problems could have been a death sentence. Enormous strides have been made in the treatment of heart disease, however. Today, complicated open heart surgery is common and considered to be safe. Many heart problems can be managed or treated by means of medication or minor procedures. For example, by opting for a pacemaker Princeton NJ patients can resume normal activities within days.

The heart is really nothing other than a pump the size of an average fist. It pumps blood containing oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body. When it does not pump as intended to, heart problems van ensue. Sometimes the chambers of the heart do not coordinate very well and sometimes the heart beats too slow or too fast.

A pace making device is a relatively simple piece of machinery that helps the heart to beat at the optimum pace. In essence, it consist of a generator that sends electrical impulses to electrodes that are attached to the various chambers of the heart. The electrical impulses controls the rate at which the heart beats. Millions of people have received pace making devices in the past few decades.

These devices are sophisticated. They constantly monitor the heart rate and adjust the speed at which the heart beats based upon the breathing rate and the physical state of the body during exercise. This monitoring is done automatically and the heart beat is adjusted according to the needs of the body for blood and oxygen. These automatic adjustments prevent the patient from fainting or from suffering from severe fatigue.

Inserting a pace making device does not require major surgery. The generator is placed just below the collar bone of the shoulder on the left and the electrodes are guided to the heart chambers through a major vein. It is done under a local anaesthetic and the patient can go home almost immediately after the procedure. At least one follow up visit is necessary to make sure that the device is performing well.

Patients that received a pace making device do not have to change their life styles dramatically. They can still exercise but they should avoid full body contact sports. Intense magnetic fields should also be avoided and when they receive medical attention for any other condition, they should make sure that their doctors know that they have a pace making device. Initially, care should be taken to avoid infection or pressure at the implant site.

This procedure is extremely safe and complication are extremely rare. In some very few cases patients experienced collapsed lungs during the procedure. There is, of course, always a risk of infection developing but this is the case during any surgical procedure. Some patients may have an allergic reaction to the dye that is used during surgery. Some swelling and discomfort at the site where the generator was inserted is common.

There can be no doubt that pace making devices have saved the lives of millions of people or at least allowed them to continue with normal life styles. One can only wonder what new solutions will be offered in the future. Sadly, heart disease remains one of the most common cause of premature death.




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