Implanted Defibrillators

How Does an Implanted Defibrillator Work?

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...

Implanted Cardiac Defibrillators

An implanted cardiac defibrillator (ICD) is a small device that can be considered the ultimate insurance policy for a patient with severe heart disease. If a patient suffers a heart attack that injures the muscle and reduces the pump function...

Types of Implantable Cardio Defibrillator

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...

How Is a Defibrillator Implanted?

Internal defibrillators are similar in size and structure to pacemakers. They monitor the rhythm of the patient's heart and can give a small electric shock if the heart starts to develop an abnormal rhythm, resetting the heart's electrical...

Types of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a type of electronic device that constantly monitors heart rate and rhythm. It is usually implanted in the chest area right near the heart, and when it senses an abnormal rate or rhythm, it...

Heart Failure Stages

The American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines, released the 2009 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure in Adults. In these guidelines, the task force...

How Does a Body Fat Scale Work?

Body fat scales are similar to regular scales but with metal footplates. The body fat scale sends an electrical current up one side of the body and down the other to estimate body fat percentage. The premise behind the test is that body fat is a...

Are Fish Oils Bad for Health?

Fish oils are one of the leading supplements used by Americans, reports ConsumerLab.com's 2010 survey. Fish oils have positive and negative side effects. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the primary reason for taking fish...

Diseases of the Cardiac System

The heart is one of the most important organs in the body; if it fails or is diseased, our quality of life can be dramatically altered. Four common cardiac diseases include heart failure, atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias. Some of...

Ablation for a Heart Flutter

The heart uses electrical signals to enable synchronized, rhythmic contraction of its four chambers. Heart rhythm problems, known as arrhythmias, occur when the electrical impulses in the heart that coordinate heartbeats fail to function properly....

Does Fish Oil Make You Stink?

Fish oil is an excellent source of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, which are associated with several important health benefits. In nutrition and naturopathic medicine, practitioners widely...

Are Fish Oil & Salmon Oil the Same?

Fish oil is a general term that refers to the oils contained in several species of fatty fish. These oils have significant amounts of health-supporting substances called omega-3 fatty acids. While salmon is one of the species used in the...

Fish Oil & Heart Palpatations

The supplement fish oil has gained popularity since the 1970s. Fish oil is commonly derived from salmon, mackerel, tuna and mullet, and contains omega-3 essential fatty acids that may treat heart disease and cholesterol levels. Many patients with...

Will Fish Oil Increase Blood Pressure?

You can get beneficial fish oils by consuming fatty fish, such as mullet, mackerel, salmon, tuna, sturgeon, bluefish, sardines, anchovy, herring, menhaden and trout, or by taking fish oil supplements. Eating fish is better than taking supplements...

Omega 3 Krill Oil Liquid Vs. Softgel

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in abundance in fatty fish, krill and shellfish, are important nutrients for human health and well-being. Krill oil, which contains the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is...

Bad Effects of Fish Oil

Fish oil supplements may contain high concentrations of beneficial oils called omega-3 fatty acids. These oils are commonly used to reduce elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to prevent heart disease and stroke. Drugs.com states that...

Factors That Affect Cardiac Output

Cardiac output (CO) can be defined in words, units of measurement or equations. In short it is the volume of blood being pumped from the left ventricle of the heart in one minute, also expressed as liters per minute (L/min). In the average adult...

What Are the Treatments for Heart Failure Patients?

Treatment for heart failure--a disease in which the body does not receive enough blood from the heart due to weakness of the heart muscles or an inability of the heart to fill up with enough blood--involves taking medication, lifestyle changes or...

Types of Defibrillators

The heart contains four chambers separated by one-way valves that allow blood to flow through the heart to and from the lungs and out into the body. A group of specialized cells, known as the sinus node, produce electrical impulses that trigger...

Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements & Heart Palpitations

If you have pre-existing conditions, taking fish oil supplements may cause heart palpitations. MedlinePlus states that if you have an implanted defibrillator, taking fish oil supplements may cause irregular heart beats. If you don't have an...

Can Fish Oil Cause Heart Palpitations?

Fish oil can cause heart palpitations because of an allergic reaction related to fish, or because you have an implanted defibrillator. Heart palpitations are an alarming symptom and you need to discuss them immediately with your doctor. If you...

Cardiac Defibrillator Types

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...

How to Build Up the Chest With a Muscle Stimulator

An electrical muscle stimulator (EMS) is a portable device that uses electrical current to force muscle contraction. According to the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), using an EMS unit over a long period may increase strength, but...

Tens Unit for Severe Nerve Pain

TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, is a nonsurgical technique to relieve pain. A TENS unit can be used for severe nerve pain by directly targeting where the pain is.

Contraindications to Fish Oil Supplements

People take fish oil supplements as an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. These substances help lower triglycerides, reduce blood pressure and may decrease the risk of heart disease as well. Fish oil also helps improve symptoms of rheumatoid...

Can Fish Oil Pills Cause Heart Palpitations?

Experiencing heart palpitations is a concerning symptom while taking fish oil supplements. Stop using the supplement immediately, and call your doctor for a medical assessment. Heart palpitations may occur from fish oil supplements if you have a...

Can Fish Oil Cause an Irregular Heartbeat?

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...

Fish Oil & Tachycardia

Fish oil has been the subject of many medical studies that have confirmed its benefits for various serious diseases, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It helps to reduce inflammation and improves symptoms in patients with...

Heart Failure Health Video (Video)

Heart failure, or congestive cardiac failure, is the failure of the heart resulting from any structural or functional disorder. Congestive heart failure is the result of many conditions or diseases; learn more about heart failure in this health...

Congestive Heart Failure Health Video (Video)

Congestive heart failure, or congestive cardiac failure, is the failure of the heart resulting from any structural or functional disorder. Learn more about congestive heart failure in this health video.