Atrial Contractions

Cooler asked:


If so, show me a detail medical reason for this phenonmenon. Why doesn’t the Atria have a valve to prevent back flow if the atria do contract. Where does the blood go? What is the mechanism of atrial contraction ?> Please give a most detailed as answer as possible. I need to proove this to a fellow classmate who refuses to believe the atria contract, he says its not possible because if the atria contract blood will flow back as there is no valve that sepeates the atra from the vena cavas.

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Juliet Cohen asked:


The heart has two upper chambers and two lower chambers. Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart contract at a very high rate and in an entirely disorganised manner. The risk of developing atrial fibrillation increases with age AF affects four percent of individuals in their 80s. The heart contracts (beats) and pumps blood with a regular rhythm, for example, at a rate of 60 beats per minute there is a beat every second. The rate of impulses through the atria can range from 300 to 600 beats per minute. Atrial fibrillation is often asymptomatic, but may result in symptoms of palpitations , fainting , chest pain , or even heart failure. In addition, the erratic motion of the atria leads to blood stagnation ( stasis ) which increases the risk of blood clots that may travel from the heart to the brain and other areas. Several medications as well as electrical cardioversion may be used to convert AF to a normal heart rhythm. Surgical and catheter-based therapies may also be used to prevent atrial fibrillation in certain individuals. People with AF are often given blood thinners such as warfarin to protect them from strokes.

Causes of Atrial Fibrillation

The common Causes of Atrial Fibrillation :

Heart failure.

Congenital heart disease.

Chronic lung disease.

Heart valve disease.

After heart surgery.

Pulmonary embolism.

Hypertension (high blood pressure).

Cardiomyopathy.

Hyperthyroidism.

Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation

Some Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation :

Confusion.

Weakness.

Shortness of breath.

Fainting.

Pulse may feel rapid, racing, pounding, fluttering, or it can feel too slow.

Chest pain.

Dizziness.

light-headedness.

Fatigue.

Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

Drugs (such as ibutilide) can sometimes restore the heart’s normal rhythm. These drugs are given under medical supervision, and are delivered through an IV tube into a vein, usually in the patient’s arm.

Electrical cardioversion may be used to restore normal heart rhythm with an electric shock, when medication doesn’t improve symptoms.

Surgery can be used to disrupt electrical pathways that generate AF.

Radiofrequency ablation may be effective in some patients when medications don’t work. In this procedure, thin and flexible tubes are introduced through a blood vessel and directed to the heart muscle. Then a burst of radiofrequency energy is delivered to destroy tissue that triggers abnormal electrical signals or to block abnormal electrical pathways.

Atrial pacemakers can be implanted under the skin to regulate the heart rhythm.

Medications are used to slow down rapid heart rate associated with AF. These treatments may include drugs such as digoxin, beta blockers (atenolol, metoprolol, propranolol), amiodarone, disopyramide, calcium antagonists (verapamil, diltiazam), sotalol, flecainide, procainamide, quinidine, propafenone, etc.



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inluvwithpink asked:


I am a 22 year old female, 5′6″ 265 lbs. For 3 days straight my heart kept skipping, now it has greatly reduced in frequency. I’ve felt it before, but only for short periods of time (over the last 4 years). I was told I have Premature Atrial Contractions and Premature Ventricular Contractions (ie. an irregular heart beat). My questions are:

1. Since I don’t notice them all the time, could something cause it to suddenly happen or is it always there?
2. How dangerous or safe is it?
3. I also have Post-traumatic Stress and Severe Panic Disorder; could this have caused/is causing it?
4. Would losing weight cure it or at least help with it?
5. Is there an increased chance of sudden death being that I have both and not just PVC’s?
6. Can it lead to sudden cardiac arrest?
7. How is it treated (whether through lifestyle changes or medication)?
8. How does this affect my ability to exercise? Is it dangerous?

Please help me with any information you can. I’m freaking out and can’t see my doctor to get his explanation until tomorrow, so any answers would really help me, especially from people who have the same. Thank you so much!

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Rich jammes asked:


So if you ask. ‘What is sinus arrhythmia?’ then there are other things too associated with it. However, a sinus arrhythmia certainly does not mean that an individual is suffering from an unwarranted disease, especially no heart disease as such. Many arrhythmias, particularly arrhythmia is found to take place in people who do not have the least symptom or inkling of any heart disease. In most of the cases, even if an arrhythmia is found to exist alongside a heart disease, it is in all likely possibility that the patient will likely die of the heart disease than of the arrhythmia, particularly sinus arrhythmia.

And a word of caution when you say,’ What is sinus arrhythmia?’, that sinus bradycardia is not the same as sinus arrhythmia. The symptoms of both the forms of heart-beat irregularities are divergent and the manifestations are different. Sinus arrhythmia affects the vagus nerve which is responsible for activating the nervous system-triggered parasympathetic input which regulates the heart beat. This systematic failure of the medulla oblongata results in the condition which is termed as sinus arrhythmia. To put it in simple words, the vagus nerve is left unstimulated resulting in the wrong signals to the heart and the subsequent decline in pitch of the heart rate. This is what sinus arrhythmia is.

Cardiac Arrhythmias

Cardiac arrhythmia is a group of conditions in which the electrical activity of the heart is irregular or is faster or slower than normal. Cardiac arrhythmias comprise any abnormality or pertubation in the normal activation sequence of the myocardium. Arrhythmias stem from several causes. The heart’s natural timekeeper—a small mass of special cells called the sinus node—can malfunction and develop an abnormal electrical impulse rate. CPR can prolong the survival of the brain in the lack of a normal pulse, but defibrillation is the intervention which is most likely to restore a more healthy heart rhythm. A slow rhythm, known as bradycardia (less than 60 beats/min), is usually not life threatening, but may cause symptoms. When it causes symptoms implantation of a permanent pacemaker may be needed. Either dysrhythmia requires medical attention to evaluate the risks associated with the arrhythmia. The signs and symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias can range from completely asymptomatic to loss of consciousness or sudden cardiac death.

Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Complaints such as lightheadedness, dizziness, quivering, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, heart fluttering or pounding, and forceful or painful extra beats are commonly reported with a variety of arrhythmias. Beats are generated by electrical impulses in the atria (top chambers of the heart) and are then conducted to the ventricles, where they produce the powerful muscle contraction that pumps blood. People may have allergies or idiosyncratic reactions to many other foods and beverages that cause transitory arrhythmias.

Treatment for Cardiac Arrhythmias Tips

1. Using a small, battery-powered generator to deliver timed, electrical impulses to the heart muscle through tiny wire leads.

2. The treatment for some patients is a technique called cardiac ablation.

3. Magnetic Guidance in the Heart While transcatheter ablation is very effective, it can be difficult.

4. Stereotaxis Niobe Magnetic Navigation System uses two superconductive magnets, a magnetic-tipped guide wire and advanced computer imaging techniques.

5. Atrial fibrillation can also be treated through a procedure, e.g. pulmonary vein isolation.



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Peter Kent asked:


also known as Digitalis, Lanoxin, Digitek, and Lanoxicaps, is a refined plant extract, a purified cardiac glycoside (drugs used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and arrythmia). Digoxin is commonly marketed under the names Lanoxin, Digitek, and Lanoxicaps.

It has been manufactured widely in the United States by the pharmaceutical company Actavis Totowa LLC, formerly known as Amide Pharmaceutical, Inc., the New Jersey headquartered and United States based manufacturing division of the international pharmaceutical company Actavis Group. Actavis Group is a generic version distributor of brand-name prescription drugs.

Digoxin is widely used in the treatment of various heart conditions, namely atrial fibrilation and atrial flutter, both abnormal heart rhythms It is sometimes prescribed for heart failure that cannot be controlled by other medication. Antiarrhythmic agents are a group of pharmaceuticals that are used to suppress cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.

While the use of anti-arrhythmic agents to suppress atrial arrhythmia is still in practice, it is unclear whether suppression of atrial arrhythmia will prolong life. It had, at one time, been believed that life was prolonged after a heart attack with the suppression of arrhythmia. This may happen due to the pro-arrhythmic effect these drugs could potentially create in the patient.

The use of digoxin in heart problems during sinus rhythm(normal heart beat)was once standard, but is now controversial. While it appears that the increased force of contraction should lead to improved pumping function of the heart, its effect on prognosis is questionable; additionally, other effective treatments are available, making the use of the medication during sinus rhythm an unnecessary risk. Nor is Digoxin the first choice for congestive heart failure, although it can still be useful in patients who remain symptomatic despite proper diuretic and ACE inhibitor(another pharmaceutical regimen) treatment. It has fallen out of favor because it was proven to be ineffective at decreasing the duration of heart disease, as well as in the reduction of numbers of deaths with regard to congestive heart failure. It has been shown to increase quality of life in some cases.

Not only is digoxin available as an oral prescription, intravenous injection may be used as well. The half life is about 36 hours; it is given once daily, usually in 125 ¼g or 250 ¼g dosing. In patients with decreased kidney function the half life is considerably longer, calling for a reduction in dosing or a switch to a different medication, such as digitoxin, a similar medication.

Common digoxin side effects can include: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, visual disturbances (yellow-green halos), confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nightmares, agitation, and/or depression. Less frequent adverse effects include: acute psychosis, delirium, amnesia, and the possibility of life-threatening heart complications, including additional arrythmia episodes and heart failure. As far as overdose situations are concerned, Digoxin has been shown to increase risk of deadly overdose.



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