Published by admin on 30 Sep 2009
Atrial Flutter: More Than Nerves
Unfortunately, a consistently fluttering heart doesn’t have the same innocuousness in real life as it does in a good love story. An atrial flutter is an abnormality in the beating of your heart. Rapid or irregular heartbeats are rarely life-threatening when taken care of. However, without proper attention, an atrial flutter can lead to a stroke or other heart problems in the later years of your life. The main concern with having this heart trouble is that when your heart feels like it’s flying, the blood is not flowing properly through your body. Therefore, your vital organs are not receiving the proper nutrients and oxygen they should be.
High blood pressure, congestive heart failure, hypertrophy, blood clots, and hyperthyroidism can contribute to an atrial flutter. Alcohol and stimulants, (drugs, diet pills, even caffeine!) can cause an atrial flutter as well. Sometimes, there is no known cause to an irregular heartbeat.
Finding a reason for an atrial flutter is not always easy. An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) will be utilized to determine whether a true atrial flutter is causing the abnormality in the heart or if some other circumstance, such as anxiety, is the culprit. An EKG measures the electrical source that controls the beating of your heart; it can usually tell where the irregularity is happening within the heart. It can also tell if you’ve had a heart attack or stroke in the past and whether or not there are abnormal chemicals residing in the valves.
Irregular heartbeats due to anxiety or stress can be easily remedied with techniques of relaxation including deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) or yoga. However, people diagnosed with a true atrial flutter may be put on medication, told to stay away from alcohol and stimulants and monitored for further problems. If a person with an atrial flutter is experiencing unrelieved or severe pain, doctors will most often recommend synchronized cardioversion.
A an easy alternative aid for inconsistent blood flow is EDTA Chelation Therapy. Chelation therapy removes heavy toxins or metals, that clog your arteries and restrict your blood flow, from your body. Cardio Renew’s 6 week therapy program is a way to help heart patients stay healthy. For more information on how chelation therapy can help you, contact a Cardio Renew representative.