The Link Between Thyroid and Pacemaker Surgery Explained

Pacemaker surgery is becoming far more common nowadays than it used to be a few years ago. The surgery is recommended for individuals who suffer from any sort of dysfunction on their heart’s pacemaker, which is characterized by a slow heartbeat or cessation of the normal activity within the pacemaker. This is a tricky condition to treat knowing that there are no symptoms, although individuals who have this condition tend to feel weak a lot more easily or it seems as though they are running out of breath. During these instances, surgery is required in order to replace it with an artificial pacemaker so that the heartbeat can be easily regulated. Those who are suffering from rapid heart rate are also prescribed with drugs that can slow down the heart rate.

However, another concern that makes it important to treat pacemaker dysfunction has something to do with one’s thyroid. A recent study has focused on the possible link of pacemaker with the development of thyroid disease. Evidence is growing that there is a strong possibility for this link and this is true no matter what type of drug is taken by the patient.

Indeed, more and more cases of cardiovascular problems (especially noting pacemaker) to have a strong connection with thyroid diseases, namely hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. This is believed to be caused by the hormone activity within the cellular mechanisms of the thyroid glands. This hormonal activity results in changes in the cardiovascular system in terms of blood pressure, cardiac output, heart rate, and other forms of disturbances to the heart’s rhythms.

If you have been diagnosed with a pacemaker dysfunction and is recommended for surgery, it is important to pay close attention to your thyroid as well. Given that the evidence is quite compelling that there could be some connection to these two, it is important that you closely monitor how your thyroid is doing to ensure that no further complications would arise from it.

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What Is a Pacemaker?

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?

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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