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Tips to Live with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation or A-fib is a type of irregular heartbeat, there are three main types of it. A doctor, in an individual with A-fib- classifies by the reason for it and the amount of time it lasts. Paroxysmal A-fib is when the heartbeat returns to normal within 7 days on its own or with treatment. It may happen a few times a year or as often as every day. It becomes a permanent condition often that needs regular treatment. Symptoms include heart palpitations, confusion, chest pain or pressure, weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath, difficult to exercise, fatigue. If you feel chest pain or pressure, immediately call 911 as you may be having a heart attack. Risk Factors and Causes : Paroxysmal A-fib often happens because things like coronary heart disease or high blood pressure damage your ticker, if that damage affects the part of your heart that sends the electrical pulses that control your heartbeat, those pulses can come too fast or at the wrong time. Age increa...

Types of Heart Bypass Surgery and Recovering from it

Although heart bypass surgery is a complicated procedure that involves a significant amount of preparation and recovery time, but it is the most common type of heart surgery performed on adults which doctors usually recommend when one or more of the blood vessels that transport blood to the heart muscles become partially blocked. It is a safe and effective procedure that reduces the risk of heart attack and death. Furthermore, the procedure might also ease coronary artery disease symptoms, such as chest pain. Types : Heart bypass surgery is an open-heart surgery which means the surgeon can perform the surgery “on-pump” and “off-pump” by cutting open the chest to reach the ticker. In on-pump surgery, a heart-lung machine is used that circulates blood and breathes for the body that allows doctors to stop the ticker making the operation easier for them. On the other hand, off-pump surgery takes place while the ticker is still beating and doesn’t necessitate using the heart-l...

Types, Causes and Symptoms of a Heart Block

The ticker beats irregularly and more slowly than usual, potentially stopping for up to 20 seconds at a time in heart block which is due to a delay, obstruction, or disruption along the pathway that electrical impulses travel through to make the heart beat which can result from an injury or damage to the heart muscle or heart valves. Heart Block - A healthy human ticker beats at about 60 to 100 times a minute. A contraction of the heart muscles is what a heartbeat is that pushes blood around the body. Electrical signals that travel from the atria, or the upper chambers of the heart, to the ventricles, or the lower chambers controls every heart muscle contraction. When the electrical impulses are delayed or stopped, what occurs is a partial heart block that prevents the ticker from beating regularly. A complete heart block happens when the electrical signals stop completely. A heart block sometimes makes it difficult for the ticker to pump properly through the circulatory system, ...

Exercise is the Key to a Healthy Heart for Everyone

Physical activity along with healthy eating and not smoking improves heart health by preventing heart disease and also helps to recover if one has had a heart event. According to experts, doing just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day can significantly lower your risk of cardiovascular disease thus helping to keep life-threatening cardiac emergencies at bay. A cardiac arrest can strike anyone, even a child or an infant. You cannot predict its occurrence. It’s a life-threatening emergency and a victim would require immediate treatment for survival. The most appropriate form of treatment is proper application of the life-saving CPR procedure that comprises chest compressions and rescue breaths. The most common cause of cardiac arrest in adults is a disturbance in the electrical rhythm of the ticker called ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF can be treated, which requires applying an electric shock to the chest called defibrillation. Brain death will occur in less t...

CPR Procedure for Children One to Eight Years and PALS Classes in Memphis

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a life-saving procedure that is done when a child’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped which may happen after drowning, suffocation, choking, or an injury. The procedure involves chest compressions that keeps the child’s blood circulating and rescue breathing that provides oxygen to a child’s lungs. CPR must be continued until the child’s heartbeat and breathing return, or the arrival of trained medical help as permanent brain damage or death can occur within minutes if a child’s blood flow stops. The life-saving procedure is best administered by someone trained in an accredited CPR course from a certified training site such as the AHA certified CPR Memphis in Tennessee. Everyone from parents to those who take care of children should learn infant and child CPR if they have not already. Time is crucial when dealing with an unconscious child who’s not breathing as permanent brain damage begins only after four minutes without oxygen resulting in deat...

Overview of Performing CPR on a Four Weeks Old Baby and Older

In babies, most cardiac arrests occur from lack of oxygen like from drowning or choking. First aid for choking should be conducted if the baby on your hand has an airway obstruction. CPR should be performed if the reason behind why the baby isn’t breathing is not known. You need to examine the situation. Watch for a response like some kind of movement by stroking the baby. Do not shake him/her. You need to follow the CAB procedure mentioned below for a baby under age 1 if there’s no response. If you are the only rescuer present and did not see the baby collapse, perform CPR (about 5 cycles) for 2 minutes prior to calling 911 and getting the AED. On the contrary, if you see the baby collapse call 911 and get the AED, before beginning CPR. If someone else is present at the scene, have him or her call for help and get the AED while you attend to the baby. Compressions: 1.       You need to place the baby on his or her back on a firm, flat surface, su...

Ways to Avoid Heart Health Mistakes Made by Men and Memphis BLS Certification

There is a huge difference between wanting to keep your heart healthy and actually doing the right things to make it happen. Men have this stoic approach to risk which often makes them commit heart health mistakes. We’ll highlight the common mistakes made by men and ways to avoid them for good health of their ticker. Getting CPR trained can actually help you face out-of-hospital cardiac emergencies efficiently. You cannot predict the occurrence of a cardiac arrest or heart attack. These are life-threatening emergencies and a victim would require immediate treatment for survival. Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation can keep oxygenated blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs until more definitive medical treatment can restore a normal heart rhythm. Every individual should be trained in the procedure. If you are on the lookout to join a CPR course in the Memphis region in Tennessee, don’t look beyond the AHA certified CPR Memphis. Certified instructors conduct the classe...