What to Do If You or Your Child's Heart Is Beating Irregularly

 Your heart skips a beat.

You feel it flutter in your chest.

This may happen to you occasionally — or maybe it happens to your child.

Usually, it's nothing to worry about, particularly if an exciting or scary event caused the irregularity.

However, an irregular heartbeat contributes to about 130,000 deaths per year in the U.S. 

In other words; sometimes, an irregular heartbeat is very much something to worry about.

Here's what to do if you or your child's heart is beating irregularly.

Types of Arrhythmia

First of all, let's define what we're talking about.

Your heartbeat should follow a steady rhythm.

When it doesn't, this is called arrhythmia. 

A heartbeat that is too fast is called tachycardia.

One that is too slow is called bradycardia.

A resting heart rate for a healthy heart should fall somewhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute.

Having a heartbeat faster or slower than this doesn't always mean that you have a problem, but it could be a sign of one.

There are also several types of arrhythmias.

You can have extra heartbeats or skip some.

The irregularities can also start in different parts of the heart.

Many mild arrhythmias that don't occur frequently (or are normal for the person in question) are nothing to worry about.

But you need to be aware of when to seek medical help.

When to See a Doctor

If you begin to experience other symptoms along with your arrhythmia, it's time to see a doctor.

These include:

-Feeling like you're going to pass out
-Actually passing out
-Fatigue and weakness
-Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
-Feeling short of breath 
-Feeling anxious
-Cardiac arrest

You may also feel pressure or pain in the chest.

This could be indicative of Cardiac Arrest, so call for help immediately.

Diagnosis

Doctors have several ways to determine if your arrhythmia is serious or not.

They may run an EKG or give you a portable one to monitor your heart for a few days.

This test measures the electrical activity of your heart.

The doctor may also have you physically exert yourself while running the EKG.

Other tests include doing an ultrasound on the heart or cardiac catheterization.

This involves injecting dye into the heart and using it with a special x-ray machine to get a complete picture of what's happening.

Treatment

In some cases, your arrhythmia may require treatment.

Some people will need to take anticoagulants like this one from PricePro Pharmacy to help prevent strokes and blood clots. 

Doctors can also use cardioversion (a short electrical shock) to "restart" a regular rhythm in your heart.

Other patients may need to wear a pacemaker to help their heart maintain a normal rhythm permanently.

In particularly life-threatening cases, doctors may implant a small defibrillator in the patient's chest.

Play it Safe When Your Heart Beats Irregularly

Experiencing sudden episodes of your heart beating irregularly can be quite scary.

And in some cases, you could be in danger and should see a doctor right away.

Thankfully, doctors have many tools and treatments at their disposal to help people deal with their arrhythmias safely.

You just need to know when to seek help if your child's heart is beating irregularly.

Are you looking for more health-related information for you or your child?

Keep browsing through our site you can even learn about what happens when your heartbreaks (literally)!