Archive for April, 2008

Science geek needed?

Saturday, April 26th, 2008
Duhh_hh asked:

List the sequence of events that results in atrial and ventricular contraction.

Question posted courtesy of: Tammy
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google

I’ve been having an irregular heartbeat for some time now?

Friday, April 25th, 2008
cafeconleche224 asked:

I went to a walk in clinic and the Dr. advised I have Premature Atrial Contractions. He also advised they are no cause for worry, however, I have been having them more frequently now and am beginning to get concerned. Any opinions?

Question posted courtesy of: Marian
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google

Question about my heart/anxiety?

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
Mike W asked:

I’m a 19 year old male, smoker, with blood pressure at 150/100 and weigh 135 lbs. Height is 5′11″
I had a really weird episode about 5 months back, and ever since then it’s been bugging the hell out of me. I was lying in my bed about to go to sleep, and all of a sudden I felt like I was going to vomit. The onset symptom occured within probably 5 seconds, which was strange because I have never had that before. Sure enough, I ran into the bathroom and put my head over the toilet, but didn’t throw up. I felt my chest start to pound erratically, then within the span of about 4 seconds started having ringing in my ears, saw stars, and started to drift out of consciousness, but didn’t lose consciousness. Instead, I stood up and snapped out of it, but was in Atrial Fibrillation. (not sure if it was that, but my heart was beating oddly when I felt it, but my pulse was pretty much normal. i have had EKG, holter monitor, and event monitor, but the tests were fine. What’s wrong with me?
Also, ever since this happened, I have had weird heart feelings, like my heart is jumping out of my chest randomly, and I get palpitations, but the doctor’s don’t seem concerned. My blood pressure has been at about 150/100, and it might be from anxiety. Is it all in my head because I think about it too much?
I also wanted to add that this night I had about 8 cans of mountain dew within 5 hours, but that was nothing different from what I usually drank. But now I have cut out caffeine all together, but it still doesn’t seem to have an effect.

Question posted courtesy of: Julie
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google

Atrial Fibrillation what is it? I went to the ER last week with a racing heart doc said my EKG was fine?

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
chickenorfish asked:

Someone told me I may be in atrial fibrillation. My heart did feel funny but was in a regular rythm. My blood work came back elevated (a BNP blood test) which they said was for heart failure but my cardio was not concerned because the CT, chest x-ray, ekg and echo was normal.

Question posted courtesy of: Arthur
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google

Reason for early induction?

Sunday, April 20th, 2008
Crystal asked:

Just so you know, I am just shy of 36 weeks. My daughter has tachycardia (elevated heart rate) and Premature Atrial Contractions. When she comes out they’ll do an EKG to rule out any other heart abnormalities and treat those if they haven’t cleared up. Also, I am borderline with Gestational Diabetes (failed the first test and passed the second) and I have been dilated to a three for several weeks, now I am almost a four. Four centimeters is considered active labor right? Also, she is doing very well, she is “ripe” and at a healthy birth weight already. My doctor said something about maybe giving me an early induction. Not soon, I would be 37 or 38 weeks when they did it, but he said that certain circumstances make baby coming out a little early a better way to go. Would those circumstances be any of those? Is there a reason to induce early? I want her out of me and my mom will be visiting then and I want her here for the birth, I was just wondering why he might have brought it up.

Question posted courtesy of: Minnie
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google

Answers to why it feels like my heart skips a beat then makes me cough?

Monday, April 14th, 2008
BoostLikeWoa asked:

I have suffered from what you are talking about. I am a healthy 25 year old female and I have been through every battery of test you can imagine on my heart because of this. I used to feel like my heart stopped beating for a second and I would have to cough. It completely freaked me out and my husband and I had many a trip to the ER. Like a previous post, I wore a holter monitor, but felt that the irregular beat didn’t occur when I wore it. After all my tests and meeting with a cardiologist, I was diagnosed with having Premature atrial heart contractions. It is completely normal. Everyone gets them. It isn’t an extra beat, it is a “skipped” beat. Everyone has them but only about 50% of people can actually feel them when they happen. My cardiologist said no one knows why some people are more sensitive to feeling them and some others are not. She said I could take medication to keep them from happening, but the side effects wouldn’t be worth it. They don’t change your life expectancy and are not a risk. Some people get them only when they are stressed and some people get them every other heartbeat. It is sort of like your heart is re-seting itself, like an internal pace maker. It makes you feel like your heart skips a beat or has an extra beat and may make you cough as a reflex. Working out helps as does keeping stress levels and caffeine consumption down. I went for a long time after without having (or feeling) them until I got pregnant with my second child. My recommendation is to ask your doctor about it. It has given me a world of comfort because once you start having them and they scare you, the anxiety that is derived from having one makes you more likely to experience more of them. I hope this helps and gives you something to discuss with your respective doctors.

Question posted courtesy of: Fred
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google

Ectopic Atrial Rhythm??

Saturday, April 12th, 2008
sisters 4 asked:

I had an EKG done this morning and was diagnosed with Ectopic Atrial Rhythm i’m totally lost and confused after hearing i needed an ablation procedure for this. Please help me by explaining this condition in plain english.

Question posted courtesy of: Calvin
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google

The doctor says I won’t die BUT?

Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
Heather m asked:

I experience Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia. My heart rate has been over 300 BPM, which only stops when they give me a shot in an IV of adenosine. They say it cannot kill me because it is atrial, and they always send me home the same day. It has happened 5x since I was 19 (I’m pushing 31 now). They suggest a cardiac ablation, which can kill me. Are the docs right? It doesn’t seem possible that a heart can beat that fast for too long with out giving up on you.

Question posted courtesy of: Jesus
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google

The atrioventricular valves open when:?

Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
themotivatedone asked:

a) chordae tendineae pull them open due to papillary muscle contraction
b) the AV node stimulates them to do so
c) ventricular pressure falls below atrial pressure
d) atrial pressure falls below ventricular pressure

Question posted courtesy of: Denise
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google

What is the difference between sinus tachycardia and atrial tachycardia?

Monday, April 7th, 2008
yc asked:

in the EKG strip?

Question posted courtesy of: Bobby
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google