If you’ve ever had problems with a slower than normal heart rhythm or even the opposite, an above average heart rhythm, then you may very well have a pacemaker. If you are experiencing these things then when you visit a doctor, the recommendation may be to have surgery to insert a pacemaker.
Temporary vs. Permanent Pacemakers
There are temporary pacemakers as well as permanent ones. The temporary ones are to primarily treat problems with the heartbeat in emergency situations. For example, a heart attack, an overdose, or heart surgery can all affect the way your heart beats so the temporary use of a pacemaker may be required. If this is the case, a hospital stay will be required until the device can be removed.
Permanent pacemakers are used primarily to treat long-term heartbeat problems. It’s possible for the electrical signaling within your heart to go faulty, which is called arrhythmia, and a pacemaker can help by using electrical pulses that are low-energy.
What Exactly Is a Pacemaker?
Courtesy of Medline Plus
A pacemaker is a device that is planted in your abdomen or chest (most common) in order to help control and treat irregular heartbeats. The low-energy electrical pulses that we spoke of earlier are used to get the heart to beat normally.
Pacemakers are most often used to treat arrhythmia. If you suffer from arrhythmia, it means that your heart is beating too quickly, too slowly or irregularly. The medical term for a heart rhythm that is too fast is tachycardia while the medical term for heart rhythm that is too slow is bradycardia.
During arrhythmia, your heart is likely not functioning properly in regards to not being able to properly pump a large enough amount of blood to the body. This can cause the individual to experience severe fatigue, fainting as well as shortness of breath. If it severe enough, the individual can actually experience damage to the body’s organs, unconsciousness and possibly even death.
Without the pacemaker, individuals that are suffering from arrhythmia are unable to live an active lifestyle or even a semi-active lifestyle in fear of what might happen. By having a pacemaker device put in the chest, an active lifestyle can be resumed once again.
Aside from controlling your heart rate, a pacemaker can also keep record of the electrical activity within the heart as well as the heart rhythm. Nowadays, a pacemaker can do even more than that – they can keep track of the blood’s temperature, breathing rate, etc.
How Does My Heart Beat?
Inside your heart is an electrical system that ultimately controls the rhythm and rate of your heartbeat. Each time your heart beats, a signal is sent to the bottom of your heart from the top of your heart. When this signal travels from the bottom to the top, the heart contracts allowing blood to be pumped.
A heartbeat actually occurs when two chambers at the top of your heart, known as the atria and two at the bottom of your heart, known as the ventricles, contract. The atria contracts and sends blood into the ventricles, which then pumps the blood into your body upon contraction. You can learn more about how the heart works at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
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