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Diagnosis And Treatment Of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy And Nashville PALS Classes

Cardiomyopathy means heart muscle disease, andPeripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an uncommon form of heart failure (HF) that occurs during the last month of pregnancy or up to five months after giving birth. The heart chambers enlarge and the muscle weakens that causes a decrease in the percentage of blood ejected from the left ventricle of the ticker with each contraction that invariably leads to less blood flow and the ticker is no longer able to meet the demands of the body’s organs for oxygen. PPCM is rare in USA with around 1,000 to 1,300 women developing the condition each year. Symptoms of PPCM: Fatigue; feeling as if the ticker is racing or skipping beats, in other words, palpitations; swollen neck veins; increased nighttime urination; swelling of the ankles; shortness of breath with activity and when at rest; low blood pressure. Before talking about PPCM diagnosis and treatment, learn more about the CPR procedure. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency t...

Facts about a Heart Valve Surgery and CPR Training in Nashville, TN

There are four valves in our heart which makes sure that the blood flows through the heart in the correct direction. If one or more of your valves is diseased or damaged, your blood flow can get affected in two ways: 1.       Valve Stenosis or Narrowing - Valve stenosis is when your valve does not open fully which obstructs the flow of blood. 2.       Valve incompetence, or regurgitation, or a leaky valve- If the valve does not close properly, it will cause blood to leak backwards. Individuals with heart valve disease need little or no treatment. However, to improve the symptoms and quality of life a doctor may advise to have surgery on your valve. Treatment Options : Talking about valve surgery, there are two options- valve repair and valve replacement. The former is often used for mitral valves that aren’t seriously damaged but become floppy and leak whereas valve replacement involves replacement of diseased valve...

Steps to Take if your Ticker Slows Down, Races or Skips a Beat and Nashville CPR Classes

There’s nothing good about your ticker skipping a beat as it implies that your ticker isn’t beating normally, its electrical system is likely out of step. When your ticker beats too fast, too slow, or skips irregularly- it is called an arrhythmia and the ticker is unable to efficiently pump blood through the body, and that can cause damage to your vital organs like lungs, brain, etc. Causes (Your Heart Skips a Beat) : Heart palpitations is what you’ve had if your ticker’s ever skipped a beat which might feel like your ticker is throbbing, pounding, or fluttering or, you simply might not just feel well. Fortunately, palpitations happen only once in a while. But sometimes people can have dozens of uncomfortable palpitations each day and some can be so strong they feel like a heart attack. Palpitations can occur without any reason. They are brought on by certain triggers other times including panic attacks, stress and anxiety, low blood sugar, nicotine and smoking, low potassi...

Treatment for an NSTEMI and Ways to Reduce Chances of an NSTEMI

NSTEMI, also known as non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) is a type of heart attack. It causes less damage to a person’s heart unlike STEMI- the most common type of heart attack. An electrocardiogram or ECG is used by a doctor to determine if an NSTEMI or a STEMI has occurred in a person. Although damage to the ticker from an NSTEMI is less serious than that from a STEMI, nevertheless, any heart attack can be very frightening. The type of treatment is determined based on severity of an MI. If doctors suspect an NSTEMI, they will take a blood test and do an ECG. Treatment : NSTEMI treatment depends on how blocked the coronary artery is and severity of the heart attack itself and for that an individual will be given a GRACE score, which will decide if they are low, medium, or high risk. A doctor looks at a few factors like the age of the individual, the individual’s systolic blood pressure, their heart rate or heartbeat, whether there is an increase in thei...

Tips to Live and Cope with Atrial Fibrillation for a Healthy Life

A-fib or Atrial Fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat which can lead to the ticker not pumping enough oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. People with A-fib can lead a full and healthy life with proper medical treatment. Making a few changes can improve your quality of life and help reduce the severity of the symptoms. Healthy Lifestyle Measures: Besides receiving regular medical care, there are several steps individuals with A-fib can take to deal with the condition: 1.       Eat a heart-healthy diet, it can be highly beneficial for people with A-fib. Individuals with the condition should eat less trans fat and sugar, while increasing their intake of green leafy vegetables, lean proteins and fiber intake. 2.       With appropriate exercise and diet, maintain a healthy weight which can help. 3.       Alcohol intake can have a negative impact on your ticker so reduce alcohol consumpti...

Atherosclerosis Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Options

Atherosclerosis is also known as arteriosclerotic vascular disease that disrupts the flow of blood around the body, posing the risk of serious complications. Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of arteries due to a buildup of plaque around the artery wall. Arteries are lined with a thin layer of cells that keeps them smooth and allows blood to flow easily which is called the endothelium. Atherosclerosis begins when the endothelium becomes damaged, causing the harmful type of cholesterol to build up in the artery wall. Plaque can build up over time made of cholesterol, macrophages, calcium, and other substances from the blood. Sometimes, after the plaque grows to a certain size stops growing, causing no problems in an individual. Sometimes, the plaque clogs up the artery, disrupting the oxygenated blood flow around the body which makes blood clots more likely, which can result in life-threatening conditions. The plaque eventually breaks open in some cases that cause platelets to gather...

Causes, Risk Factors and Complications of Heart Palpitations

Heart palpitations can be triggered by stress, exercise, medication, or rarely a medical condition which feels of having a fast beating, fluttering or pounding heart. They’re usually harmless, can be worrisome sometimes. Rarely, they can be a symptom of a more serious heart condition, such as an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), that might necessitate treatment. Symptoms include rapid fluttering, skipping beats, fast beating, flip-flopping, pounding. Apart from your chest, you might feel palpitations in the throat or neck which can occur during activity or at rest. If your palpitations are accompanied by chest discomfort or pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath, severe dizziness, etc. immediately seek emergency medical attention. Talk to your doctor if you have a history of cardiovascular disease and have palpitations that occur frequently or worsen who’ll most probably suggest heart-monitoring tests to see if your palpitations are caused by a more serious heart problem. The...