The normal heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. If the heart beats faster or slower or produces erratic rhythms, it causes shortness of breath, loss of consciousness requiring hospitalization, cardiac arrest or even death. The...
A virus is a parasite that infects animals and humans and can lead to diseases. A virus needs a host such as a human or animal to reproduce. The virus enters the body through the eyes, nose or mouth or breaks in the skin. Once the virus is inside,...
Chronic high heart rate is called tachycardia, and is the instance in which your heart beats faster than 100 times a minute while you're at rest. A chronic high heart rate is a type of a heart arrhythmia, according to the MayoClinic.com, because...
The idea of placing electrodes on the skin is a scary thought for many people. This form of treatment, called electrical stimulation, is safe and effective but there are some important facts to know before seeking this treatment.
Palmitoyl-transferase deficiency is a metabolic disorder associated with a defect in certain naturally produced bodily enzymes that prevent long-chain fatty acids from being broken down properly and brought into your cells for use as an energy...
Arrhythmia is a clinical term describing an irregular heartbeat, which many people commonly refer to as a heart that "skips a beat." Some cardiac arrhythmias are harmless and need no treatment. However, others may be very serious and potentially...
Quinine is a medication that is used to treat malaria. Quinine is a naturally occurring plant substance that is native to South America. Currently, treatment of malaria is the only approved use of quinine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...
Magnesium is an essential mineral. It contributes to important functions of the body, including relaxation and contraction of muscles and the function of enzymes. Magnesium is found in many of the foods you eat, however, many people are not...
Lightheadedness is a subtype of dizziness that is described as feeling as though you may faint. Dizziness and lightheadedness are common symptoms and usually do not indicate a serious underlying condition. Several conditions can cause...
Cardiac arrhythmias include any interruption in the normal rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. Arrhythmias occur as a result of variations in the mechanical function, electrical conduction or electrolyte imbalances in the heart. Electrolytes, which...
An uneven heart rate might be slightly annoying, yet harmless. It might also be completely symptom-free, yet slightly dangerous. In other cases, an irregular heart rate could be fatal. Medically referred to as an arrhythmia or dysrhythmia, an...
Atril fibrillation, or a fib, is the most common irregular heart rhythm. It can be related to heart disease, stress, excessive caffeine or alcohol use or electrolyte imbalances. When the heart is in a fib, it is not beating efficiently and is...
Magnesium is an essential mineral that serves several functions in the body such as contraction of muscles, function of enzymes, protein production, energy production and energy transport. Magnesium aspartate is one of the most absorbable forms of...
Alcoholism, or a physical dependence on alcohol, is a condition in which you continue to use alcohol despite the problems it causes to your health, your relationships or your mental well-being. Common outcomes of alcoholism include brain cell...
Kawasaki disease is a childhood disease that causes inflammation of the blood vessels, particularly medium-sized arteries like the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle. It is also called mucocutaneous lymph node...
Amiodarone is used for heart rhythm problems after other medications and treatments have been found ineffective. Physicians only prescribe this drug for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation. According to the American...
The heart, the hardest-working muscle in the body, pumps blood through the veins to ensure that nutrients and oxygen reach all areas in the body. A variety of cardiac complications may occur when the heart stops functioning as it should....
Heart ablation, also known as cardiac ablation, is a procedure that is done to treat heart rhythm problems such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and atrial tachycardia. Generally patients with heart arrhythmias have tried other courses of...
Your heart works to keep all of your body supplied with blood and oxygen all the time. While there are some conditions that can occur in younger people--almost any of them--more often these conditions develop over time as you get older. Some of...
Your heart contains its own pacemaker called the sino-atrial (SA) node. Your SA node initiates electrical signals that travel throughout your heart muscle to tell it when to beat. It signals your heart muscle to speed up or slow down based on your...
You may have felt your heart skip a beat in extreme situations, but a poor diet and lack of exercise can cause your heart to skip beats or beat irregularly continuously. Known as a cardiac arrhythmia, many of these irregular heartbeats can be...
Cardiac ablation, which is also referred to as catheter ablation, is a surgical procedure used to fix heart rhythm abnormalities called arrhythmias. This procedure typically involves the placement of a small tube or catheter, within the heart...
Magnesium, an essential mineral, supports over 300 metabolic reactions in the body. Although your body uses the majority of magnesium to build strong bones, over 35 percent remains in the cells, where it plays a vital role in transporting ions...
Heart palpitations, a type of cardiac arrhythmia, have been described as an electrical storm in your heart. Heart palpitations can range from mild and sporadic occurrences to life-threatening emergencies. The most common type of heart palpitation...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression are frequently comorbid, meaning they often occur together. Antidepressants with strong serotonergic properties are typically most effective at treating both OCD and depressive symptoms. Because...
Lightheadedness is a type of dizziness in which the patient also feels he may faint. Lightheaded dizziness occurs when the brain is not receiving enough blood. Since blood is responsible for delivering oxygen to the body tissues, when blood to the...
The normal resting heart rate for a one-to-three-year-old is 70 to 110 beats per minute, according to the Kids Health website. Doctors consider a heart rate higher than 110 beats per minute to be elevated. Most toddlers' heart rates will stay at...
Lightheadedness is a type of dizziness that leads the affected person to feel as though he may faint. A feeling of lightheadedness is experienced when the brain does not receive adequate amounts of blood. When the brain does not receive enough...
Not all cardiac arrhythmias respond adequately to treatment with medication. In such instances, cardiac ablation is recommended and performed. During this procedure, specialized catheters are used to selectively eliminate the heart cells...
Cardiac arrhythmia is a term covering a broad group of conditions that denote irregular electrical activity in the heart. Learn more about arrhythmias, including symptoms and treatments in this health video.
Heart disease is a general term including many diseases that deteriorate the heart's function or structures, including coronary heart disease and cardiomyopathy. Learn more about heart disease, including warning signs and treatments in this video.
