Healthy Heart
Tachycardias (rapid beating) If ectopic beats come in runs and occur rapidly they are called tachycardias, taking their name from the site of origin of the ectopic e.g., atria, AV node or ventricular tachycardias. These tachycardias cause symptoms because the heart rate is increased to approximately 200 beats a minute. At this rate the heart … Read more
The heart has four chambers, two upper ones called the atria and two lower ones called the ventricles. The whole heart works electrically by a very small surge of current which is controlled by the pacemaker (the sinus node). The pacemaker lies in the right atrium and generates rhythmical electrical impulses which pass through both … Read more
“I’m very worried doctor, I’ve got these terrible palpitations.” Doctors often see patients who express this anxiety. What are palpitations? Palpitations are an awareness of the heart-beating either rapidly. missing beats or thumping in the chest. We have all experienced palpitations because they occur in everyday life. Emotion, exercise, fever, stomach upsets, alcohol ingestion and … Read more
Coronary Heart Disease -the facts by D G Julian and C Marley pwed by Oxford University Press. Heart Disease -what it is and how it is treated by John Wallwork and Rob Stepney published by Blackwell. Exercise for Life free chapter published by the British Heart Foundation, 14 Fitzhardinge Street, London WIH 4DH. The Light-Hearted … Read more
Raised blood pressure also increases the risk of stroke. It is now routine for adults to have their blood pressure measured at intervals when they visit their general practitioner. If you haven’t had it measured within appointment to see your doctor or the last 2 or 3 years it is worth making an practice nurse, … Read more
First, remember that your risk depends on the combination of all the risk factors mentioned above. Even if your blood pressure is slightly raised, for example, your risk may be no more than average if most or all of the other characteristics ar favourable. This conclusion applies especially to the blood cholesterol level, which is … Read more
How far you need to take up the suggestions in this chapter obviously depends partly on your risk of a heart attack. In the United Kingdom, no one is completely safe from the possibility of a heart attack. But the risk does differ considerably from one person to another according to a number of characteristics. … Read more
Heart attacks are the commonest serious illnesses suffered by men and women to-day. Heart attacks are the result of two main processes. One is known as ‘atherosclerosis’. In this condition, there is a gradual build-up of fatty substances in the walls of the coronary arteries which supply the heart muscle with blood. The second is … Read more
Most patients who have less severe forms of heart valve disease will undergo pregnancy without complication though very careful medical supervision is always advisable. If the valve disease is severe then the risk of pregnancy to both mother and baby is greater. This is a matter for detailed discussion between the patient and her doctor. … Read more
In about 5% of the population the mitral valve may be slightly deformed causing it to leak a little. This gives rise to a heart murmur but in terms of the heart is of little consequence; only very rarely does this condition give rise to any problems. The importance of this condition is that because … Read more