Studies carried out by reputable health authorities estimate that nearly sixty lakh people in India have cardiac arrhythmia, commonly referred to as Irregular heartbeats. Pacemakers are the modern medical marvels that cardiologists in Bangalore use to stabilize this abnormality and prevent further complications.
Functions of the Heart
To understand the working of the pacemakers, it is essential that we first understand the functioning of the heart.
- Heart: This vital, human organ is divided into four chambers, which are the two atriums (left and right) and the two left ventricles (left and right). It also has one main aorta that supplies blood enriched with oxygen to the rest of the body, and two pulmonary arteries that carry deoxygenated blood to the lungs for oxygen.
- Heartbeat: The blood is pumped through the chambers in a rhythmic contraction and relaxation. One cycle of the contraction and relaxation becomes the human heartbeat.
- Cardiac Arrythmia: Now, if this cycle loses it rhythm, it will become an irregular heartbeat, medically known as cardiac arrythmia.
In essence, your heart is like an electrical system, and when this system is interrupted, the best heart hospitals recommend pacemakers to bring it back to normal.
How Do Pacemakers Work?
While the functioning of the heart is considered the natural pacemaker, in this content we are discussing the artificial pacemakers used to control irregular heartbeats. It is medical device placed under the skin of the patient, below the collarbone and near the heart.
The wires, called leads, attack the pacemaker to the heart. These are used to deliver very tiny electrical impulses to the heart to control the natural rhythm. In fact, the leads also carry information from the heart back to the pacemaker. This allows the medical device to counter the heartbeat irregularity and send the necessary signals to make it beat rhythmically.
Modern pacemakers at the best heart hospitals also record the heart rate trends, arrhythmia episodes, the rate and frequency of impulses delivered, and battery status and device performance.
When Do Cardiologist Recommend Artificial Pacemakers?
Conditions that cardiologists treat with pacemaker include:
- Atrial fibrillation
- Bradycardia (Slow heart rates)
- Heart arrythmias
- Heart blocks
- Heart failure
- Heart damaged due to stress or surgery
- Congenital rhythm problems
What are the Signs and Symptoms for Needing Pacemakers?
Many-a-times, heart issues are ignored because the symptoms are confused with everyday stress, and gastric problems. This may be true in some cases, but if the following symptoms are consistently present, then consulting cardiologists in Bangalore or any other city becomes of vital importance.
- Regularly feeling tired, weak or dizzy
- Fainting episodes that have no apparent reason
- Suffering from shortness of breath even after doing some light physical activity
- Pain or numbing sensation in the chest area or the left arm
- Heart palpitations making you feel as if the heart is racing and not resting
- Memory issues are also a symptom, it could be old age or could be that enough oxygenated blood is not reaching the brain
- Swelling in ankles and feet, caused by not enough blood reaching the limbs
- Polyuria or frequent urination, usually caused by diabetes and kidney issues
What are the Different Types of Pacemakers?
Cardiologists will suggest pacemakers depending on the patient’s heart condition, age, and other health factors. Some of the more commonly used pacemakers at the best heart hospitals are:
Single Chamber Pacemaker: As the name suggests, this pacemaker is synched with one chamber of the heart. It is mostly recommended for slow heart beats and links the lead to the either the right atrium or the right ventricle.
Dual Chamber Pacemaker: This type of pacemaker is linked to two chambers of the heart, and is usually recommended for heart blocks.
Biventricular Pacemaker: The pacemaker is used to synchronize or regulate the pace of both the ventricles and one atriums. Also known as the cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), the CRT is an advanced device to improve the pumping of the heart.
Crucial Information Pacemaker Patients Should Know
- The type of surgery that cardiologists in Bangalore will opt for will decide the pacemaker to be embedded.
- Pacemakers improve the patient’s quality of life by alleviating the many symptoms related to the heart.
- In some cases, pacemakers may cause an allergic reaction which can be controlled by medication. If the pacemaker does not function as per requirement, visit the cardiologist and they may recommend rest, low activity and other measures to ensure proper functioning.
- In very rare cases, patients my need to undergo a surgical procedure to change the battery. Most pacemaker batteries are designed to last anywhere between 10 to 15 years.
- Always inform your doctor about the pacemaker before going tests like ultrasounds, X-rays, etc. Opt for the best heart hospital to avoid any interference with the functioning of the pacemaker.
- Patients with pacemakers are provided cards which exempts them from checking via machines and wands.
