WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
The heart has 4 chambers in it. The upper chambers are
called atria (A-tree-uh) and the lower chambers are called
ventricles (VEN-trick-uls). When the heart ""beats,'' the atria
push blood into the ventricles and the ventricles push blood
out of the heart. Usually, the atria and ventricles work
at the same time. But in people with the condition called
atrial flutter, the atria ""beat'' more often than the
ventricles. This means that the atria have a shorter time to
push all of their blood into the ventricles; and because of
this, the ventricles may not fill up with enough blood. The
body, then, may not get enough oxygen-rich blood.
This may or may not be a problem, depending on how fast
the atria are beating. The faster they beat the more problems
your body will have getting enough
oxygen.
Causes
Atrial flutter can be the result
of valve disease, hardening of the arteries, thyroid disease,
or heart failure. Another cause is swelling and irritation of
the outside of the heart. If the cause is treated, your heart
rate may return to normal. There is a chance that no cause will
be found.
Signs/Symptoms
Many people have no symptoms at
all, but others may feel weak, dizzy, or faint. Some people may
feel pain or fluttering in the chest, have trouble breathing,
or develop nausea.
Care
If your heart is beating too
fast, treatment may begin in the office, emergency department,
or hospital. Your heart rate will be watched on a TV-type
screen and you will be given oxygen, an IV (a small tube placed
in your vein), and medicine to slow down your heart
rate. If the medicine doesn't work well enough, you may
need to have cardioversion (car-dee-o-VER-shun). This is an
electrical shock to your heart. Your doctor will also try to
find out the cause of your atrial flutter.
Risks
If a fast atrial flutter goes untreated, your body will
not get the oxygen it needs to work well. As a result, you
could end up with worse heart or lung problems (such as a heart
attack or fluid in the lungs). The sooner you have treatment,
the better chance you have of avoiding
problems.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
-
Ask your doctor how to count your pulse, and make
sure it is strong and regular.
-
If you take aspirin regularly, continue to take it.
Aspirin helps thin the blood so blood clots don't form. Do
not take acetaminophen or ibuprofen
instead.
-
A diet low in fat, salt, and cholesterol is very
important. It keeps your heart healthy and strong. Ask your
doctor for guidelines on what to eat. It may take time
getting used to a new diet. Special cookbooks may help you
and the cook in your family find new
recipes.
-
Quit smoking. It harms the heart and lungs. If you
are having trouble stopping, call your doctor to talk about
other ways to quit.
-
Exercise daily. It helps make the heart stronger,
lowers blood pressure, and keeps you healthy. If your
exercise plan seems too hard or too easy, talk to your
doctor.
-
Do not have sex if you are tired or if you have just
eaten a big meal. Avoid sex if you have been drinking, if
you are angry with your mate, or if the room temperature is
too cold or too hot. If you get chest pain during sex,
stop.
-
Weighing too much can make the heart work harder. If
you need to lose weight, ask your doctor for a diet
plan.
-
Since it is hard to avoid stress, learn to control
it. Learn new ways to relax (deep breathing, relaxing
muscles, meditation, or biofeedback). Don't hesitate to
talk to someone about things that upset
you.
-
If you have other illnesses, such as diabetes or high
blood pressure, you need to control them. Take medicines as
directed. Because of these illnesses, you have a higher
chance of getting a heart
attack.
-
For more information about the heart, call the
American Heart Association at 1-800-AHA-USA1
(1-800-242-8721) or call your local
Red Cross.
Call Your Doctor If...
-
You have chest pain during exercise that doesn't go
away with rest.
-
You are dizzy or nauseated after taking medicine, or
you have other problems that you think may be caused by the
medicine.
-
You have trouble breathing while resting, you have
swelling in your feet or ankles, or you are more tired than
usual.
Seek Care Immediately
If...
-
Your heart rate increases or becomes irregular and
you faint or feel like
fainting.
-
After counting for 1 minute, your pulse is higher or
lower than usual.
-
You have chest pain that spreads to your arms, jaw,
or back, accompanied by sweating, nausea, and difficulty
breathing. These are signs of a heart attack.
THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. Call
911 or 0 (operator) to get to the nearest hospital
or clinic.
Do not drive yourself!
IF YOU'RE HEADING FOR THE
HOSPITAL...
What to Expect While You're
There
You may encounter the following
procedures and equipment during your stay.
-
Taking Vital Signs: These include your temperature,
blood pressure, pulse (counting your heartbeats), and
respirations (counting your breaths). A stethoscope is used
to listen to your heart and lungs. Your blood pressure is
taken by wrapping a cuff around your
arm.
-
Oxygen: Your body may need extra oxygen at this
time. It is given either by a mask or nasal prongs. Tell
your doctor if the oxygen is drying out your nose or if the
nasal prongs bother you.
-
Pulse Oximeter: While you are getting oxygen, you
may be hooked up to a pulse oximeter (ox-IM-uh-ter). It is
placed on your ear, finger, or toe and is connected to a
machine that measures the oxygen in your
blood.
-
Blood: Usually taken from a vein in your hand or
from the bend in your elbow. Tests will be done on the
blood.
-
IV: A tube placed in your vein for giving medicine
or liquids. It will be capped or have tubing connected to
it.
-
ECG: Also called a heart monitor, an
electrocardiograph (e-lec-tro-CAR-dee-o-graf), or EKG.
Patches placed on your chest are hooked up to a TV-type
screen or a small portable box (telemetry unit). This
screen shows a tracing of each heartbeat. Your heart will
be watched for signs of injury or damage that could be
related to your illness.
-
12 Lead ECG: This test makes tracings from different
parts of your heart. It can help your doctor gage the
seriousness of the problem.
-
Chest X-ray: This picture of your lungs and heart
shows how they are handling the
illness.
-
Medicines: Heart medicine will be given in your IV
to slow your heart rate. If you get dizzy, feel pain, or
have other side effects after getting your medicine, call
your doctor right away.
-
Cardioversion (car-dee-o-VER-shun): This procedure
uses an electric shock to the heart to return it to a
normal rate. It may be needed if medicine fails to slow
your heart rate. Before cardioversion, you will be given
medicine to make you sleepy. Then the shock is
administered. If it works, your heart rate and rhythm will
return to normal. However, you may still need medicine to
keep your heart rate under
control.
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