February Health Night: Device Therapy for Arrhythmias

The heart is, in the simplest terms, a pump made up of muscle tissue. The heart’s pumping action is regulated by an electrical conduction system that coordinates the contraction of the filling and pumping chambers of the heart.

Irregular Heart Beat

The term “arrhythmia” refers to any change from the normal sequence of electrical impulses that causes the heart to beat too fast, too slowly, or erratically.   In any of these situations, the body may not get enough blood because the heart cannot pump well.  The effects on your body are often the same, however, whether the heartbeat is too fast, too slow, or too irregular. Some symptoms of arrhythmias include:

• Weakness

• Fatigue

• Palpitations

• Low blood pressure

• Dizziness

• Fainting

• Shortness of breath

Technology to the Rescue

When the heart doesn’t beat properly, it can’t pump blood effectively. When the heart doesn’t pump blood effectively, the lungs, brain and all other organs can’t work properly and may shut down or be damaged.  For people with recurrent arrhythmias, medical devices such as a pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) can help by continuously monitoring the heart’s electrical system and providing automatic correction when an arrhythmia starts to occur.

Learn More

Join board-certified interventional cardiologist, Todd Justice, MD as he explains device therapy for arrhythmias at Methodist Medical Center’s Health Night on the Town lecture on Tuesday, February 26. The program will start at 7 p.m. in the Ridge Conference Room of Methodist Medical Center located at 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

This program is part of Methodist Medical Center’s continuing Health Night on the Town series. Programs are free of charge and open to the public.