According to the American Heart Association, many individuals with sustained tachycardia, or irregular heart rate, benefit from the use of a implantable cardioverter defibrillator -- ICD -- or pacemaker. These devices can detect an irregular heart...
The cardiac defibrillator is a life-saving device used to give the heart a controlled electric shock to jolt it back to beating normally. According to a May 2004 study published in "Medscape Cardiology," cardiac defibrillators are best used in...
Cardiac arrest is a condition in which the heart stops beating due to several reasons including irregular heart beats. According to the American Heart Association, most cases of cardiac arrest that result in sudden death are caused by abnormal...
An implantable cardio defibrillator, or ICD, is a small electrical impulse generator. The ICD is traditionally used in patients who are at risk for serious cardiac attacks which can lead to sudden cardiac death. These attacks, ventricular...
Heart defibrillators are used to treat cardiac arrest--a disease in which the heart stops beating due to several reasons. They are used to treat cardiac arrest caused by irregular heart beats--heart beats that are too fast or erratic. The role of...
If you have suffered from a heart condition such as sudden cardiac arrest or congestive heart failure, your physician might recommend placement of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The device, inserted into the chest or abdomen, uses...
An artificial device may be implanted to regulate the heart rhythm, according to the American Heart Association. A heart rhythm can be too fat, too slow or irregular, causing an insufficient amount of blood and oxygen to reach the body. Deficient...
Tachycardia, or a rapid heart rate, can be caused by a variety of disorders that affect the heart, blood vessels or even the nervous system. Whether acute or chronic, tachycardia can cause life-threatening consequences. Treatments aim to slow down...
A high heart rate is termed tachycardia, according to the MayoClinic.com. In tachycardia the heart is beating faster normal. A normal heart beats anywhere from 60 to 100 times per minute, but when in tachycardia the heart ranges from 100 to 240...
Fish oil, which contains essential omega-3 fatty acids, has several potential heart benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids may help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of ischemic stroke. But study results on the benefits of fish oil in treating...
If you are a ventricular fibrillation (VF) survivor or have other heart problems, you have a high risk of experiencing another episode of the "disorganized" or extremely irregular heartbeat. To be prepared for future situations, it is highly...
Ventricular fibrillation, or V-Fib, is when the heart loses its normal rhythm. The heart is regulated by electrical impulses generated by an SA node in the right ventricle. If the electrical signal gets jammed, the heart quivers, or fibrillates,...
The cardiovascular system consists of the blood that supplies oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, the blood vessels that allow blood to travel and the heart that pumps the blood. Conditions that inhibit the flow of blood into and out of the...
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...
Administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a person who is non-responsive due to a ventricular fibrillation is a treatment method that may be able to help save a life. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurs when your heart's normal pattern...
Blood clots naturally to stop bleeding after an injury. However, sometimes blood clots form when no injury has occurred; when this happens, blood flow through an artery or vein can be impeded, leading to varicose veins or serious, life-threatening...
Heart attack patients need to use caution when considering winter sport activities such as cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and snowboarding. These activities take place in cold, high-altitude environments, which may be dangerous to people...
The body needs oxygen and other nutrients to function properly. The heart is responsible for pumping enough oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to all the organs in the body. In heart failure, the heart loses its ability to pump adequate amounts of...
In most cases, you can treat your irregular heartbeat very effectively with a variety of prescription medications. Your doctor will evaluate your overall health, as well as the risk of side effects, to determine the best combination of drugs for...
A heart pacemaker is a small battery-operated device that detects and corrects slow, irregular heartbeats and delays in the normal flow of electrical impulses within the heart. According to a 1995 article in "Public Health Reports," approximately...
Congestive heart failure, also known as heart failure, is a response to a cardiac dysfunction in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body. When the heart cannot pump the blood necessary, it will cause a backup of...
The heart is an essential part of the body. Through its pumping action, the heart delivers nutrient and oxygen-rich blood to the body via the aorta and other blood vessels. Blood deficient in oxygen and nutrients return to the heart through blood...
There are three kinds of defibrillators--machines designed to deliver a shock to the heart when it goes into a life threatening rhythm. One type, the external defibrillator, is used in and out of the hospital. External defibrillators in hospitals...
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs) are a class of electronic devices manufactured to deliver currents of electricity to the heart in response to abnormal heart rate. This usually is enough to "shock" the heart back into a normal...
A pacemaker is a medical device that is inserted into the body in order to regulate abnormal heart rhythms. Pacemakers exert their therapeutic effect by emitting a a low electrical current that stimulates the heart muscle to contract. There are...
Heart palpitations are a common phenomenon in which it feels as though the heart is beating too rapidly, skipping beats or fluttering. Palpitations are usually harmless and do not have a serious underlying medical cause. In rare cases where...
Many Americans take fish oil daily for heart-health benefits. Fish oil is now consumed more often than a daily multivitamin, according to a 2010 survey published by Consumerlab.com. It contains large amounts of two omega-3 fatty acids,...
A pacemaker assists in regulating a person's heart rhythm and electrical output. The small device lies under the collarbone and is about the size of two half dollars stacked together. Implanting the device takes several hours in the operating...
Congestive heart failure is a condition in which your heart cannot pump an adequate amount of oxygen-rich blood to supply your body's tissues. Symptoms may include fatigue, irregular heartbeat, swelling in the feet and abdomen, wheezing and...
