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...
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the first step is threading the pacemaker wires through a vein near your shoulder or chest. A small incision is made to locate the vein. The wires are fed through and attached to the heart...
The potential benefits of a pacemaker include normalized heart rhythm and improved quality of life. Physicians recommend pacemakers for patients in varying degrees of cardiac distress, so the potential benefits of a pacemaker will vary, as well....
Physical activity is restricted following a pacemaker implant--due to the lead placement of the pacemaker. Pacemaker leads are positioned in the heart muscle to aide the normal beating of the heart. Following your surgery, however, you should...
Special cells in the heart are in charge of controlling the heart rate. These cells receive stimulation from the various nerves within the body and regulate how fast the heart beats. In some cases, these specialized cells are unable to perform...
A pacemaker is a small medical device designed to regulate abnormal heart rhythms. Pacemakers produce a low-grade electrical current that stimulates the heart to beat. They have a number of clinical indications including tachycardia,...
First-degree heart block is a conduction delay of the electrical impulse through the atria to the ventricles. Normally an electrical impulse travels from atria to ventricle in 0.2 seconds. A first-degree block occurs when the interval is...
When the electrical signals that keep the heart pumping at a normal rate become compromised, abnormalities in your heart rate result, and a pacemaker may be needed to correct the problem. A pacemaker is often used to treat slow heart rate, sending...
Pacemaker warning signs can alert a pacemaker patient to the potential complications or failure of his cardiac device. Pacemakers are small electronic mechanisms that surgeons implant into the upper chest of some cardiac patients. The devices can...
Heart failure does not mean that the heart has stopped working. It means that the heart muscle has become too weak to pump out the blood the body needs to perform normally. It can lead to shortness of breath, fatigue, edema and chest pain. Heart...
Most conditions of heart block in children are asymptomatic and do not require treatment. Heart blocks involve varying degrees of dissonance within the electrical system of the heart. In children, many of the causes are congenital and others are...
The first pacemaker follow-up appointment is critical, according to the Cleveland Clinic: The technician will make adjustments to prolong battery life, and discuss the importance and purpose of various pacemaker tests. Pacemaker tests not only...
If the heart is unable to maintain a regular rhythm, a pacemaker may be required. As with any type of surgery, there are risks that need to be considered along with the benefits of having the procedure done. The first step is to understand how a...
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...
Having a cardiac pacemaker put in typically does not affect an active lifestyle, according to the American Heart Association. Side effects usually occur only if the pacemaker is not operating properly or the underlying condition worsens. Before...
A pacemaker is placed in the body to control the rhythm of the heartbeat. Typically, complications from a pacemaker are rare. Less than 5 percent of patients have problems soon after receiving a pacemaker, notes MayoClinic.com. Factors such as...
Heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women, causes about 25 percent of deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. A number of different disease processes can cause heart disease,...
Electrocardiogram, often shortened to ECG or EKG, tests the electrical conduction system of the heart. The heart beats in response to electrical impulses that spread through the heart. An EKG tracing records electrical impulses on a piece of paper...
Arrhythmias caused by a disruption of the electrical signals in the heart called heart blocks can occur in infants as a result of congenital heart defects or acquired disease or damage. The signs, symptoms and prognosis for infants with heart...
An acute myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack, occurs when a blockage in one or more of the blood vessels leading to the heart muscle causes a disruption in the blood flow to the cardiac tissue. Without blood flow, oxygen cannot be...
A normal resting heart rate for a healthy adult is somewhere between 60 and 80 beats per minute, according to the American Heart Association. When heart rate habitually drops below 60 beats per minute, the condition is called bradycardia. Young...
Surgery to implant a pacemaker, a small device that helps regulate the heartbeat, is a relatively minor procedure that causes complications in fewer than 5 percent of patients, according to MayoClinic.com. Pacemakers are safely implanted in older...
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...
A pacemaker is a life-saving device that can help individuals with heart conditions or defects live long, productive lives. Having a pacemaker, though, means that some of your activities will be limited. You must avoid contact sports and some...
For some people whose hearts beat irregularly or too slowly, doctors may recommend a pacemaker, a small electrical device implanted under the skin near the collar bone. Leads from the device are guided through veins into the heart and connected to...
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...
While all types of cardiac pacemakers perform the same basic function, they vary in how that function is performed. Pacemakers are small, battery-operated devices that are surgically implanted into the chest. Once implanted, the pacemaker...
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...
If your doctor recommends getting a pacemaker, then it is definitely time to quit smoking. While smoking is hazardous to anyone's health, if you have a pacemaker this habit is especially dangerous. Heart disease that has advanced to the point of...
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.