1. Maintain Good Heart Health
Keeping your heart healthy can be a key factor in preventing heart disease and heart attacks, which are leading causes of ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF is a condition in which your heart's rhythm becomes abnormal and very rapid. This abnormality prevents the heart from pumping blood throughout your body. In most cases, it is fatal. Reduce your risk of ventricular fibrillation by maintaining good heart health through a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Improve your cardiovascular health through a regular exercise routine of at least 30 minutes each day. If you already have a history of heart disease, discuss your diet and exercise plans with your doctor in order to create a program that will not jeopardize your health.
2. Go on the Right Medication
If you've survived an episode of VF, you're very lucky: The survival rate for people who experience this type of irregular heartbeat in their homes or other non-hospital locations is only between 2 and 25 percent. Unfortunately, having one ventricular fibrillation means you are at serious risk for having another one in the future. Some patients may be able to avoid another life-threatening experience by taking antiarrhythmic medications that regulate their heart function. These drugs are classified as sodium-channel blockers, beta-blockers and potassium channel blockers.
3. Use Internal Defibrillators
Based on your medical history and the condition of your heart, your doctor may determine that you are a candidate for a device that can prevent you from having a serious VF episode. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a small device that is placed in your chest and connected to your heart with electrodes. If your heartbeat starts to veer from its normal pattern, the ICD sends an electrical shock to your heart in an attempt to get it back on track. The battery lifespan of an ICD is usually from 5 to 8 years, but it can be replaced if needed.
