Who needs a Pacemaker?
Arrhythmia is a term used to identify abnormal heart rhythm. Whenever a rhythm is too slow, fast, or irregular, it requires proper medical attention because it can lead to dizziness or even fainting. This happens when the electrical signal sent by the natural pacemaker of the heart known as the sino-atrial node which runs down to the ventricles fail to coordinate the muscles to pump the blood.
How does this happen? The heart has its own electrical system which controls the rhythm and speed of a heartbeat. With every heart beat, an electrical signal is produced which spreads from the top to the bottom of the heart. This electrical signal would cause the heart to pump the blood and perform its duty in a sequence. This means that the two upper chambers of the heart contracts. This contraction, in turn, squeezes blood to the lower chamber of the heart. The lower chambers then contracts and sends blood to the rest of the body. This combined contraction is known as the heartbeat. When there is interference in this sequence, arrhythmia may likely occur. Patients experiencing arrhythmia must use an artificial pacemaker in order for the heart beat to be regulated.
There are other cases when a pacemaker is helpful like if a person experiences bradycardia, if a person has experienced heart attacks of heart disease that damaged the natural pacemaker of the heart, or if a person has a heart muscle problem. During such cases, a pacemaker is needed to regulate and resynchronize the function of the heart.
