Skip to main content

Things to Know about a Slow Heart Rate

With age, a person’s heart generally slows and while resting. Consult with your doctor if you’re concerned about your heart rate to determine whether bradycardia suggests a problem. Heart rate changes with an individual’s activity level. The ticker has to pump faster and harder during intense physical exertion so the rate goes up. A slow heart rate is below 60 beats per minute (bpm) in most adults.

Symptoms:
A slow heart rate is the primary symptom of bradycardia. Some people have no other symptoms whereas other people do experience symptoms where a slow ticker rate is more likely to be due to a serious issue. Some of the common symptoms include feelings of exhaustion and weakness, confusion, fainting or dizziness, difficulty breathing when working out.  More severe symptoms may appear including cardiac arrest (the ticker stops), chest pain, low or high blood pressure, heart failure when a serious medical condition causes bradycardia and an individual does not seek treatment.

Causes:
Some people have only moderate bradycardia whereas some only experience occasional bradycardia. It is crucial that an individual with a slow heart rate seek medical guidance, but not everyone will need treatment as a slow heart rate may be harmless or minor issue when bradycardia causes no other symptoms and when a person does not have an underlying condition. Bradycardia episodes are common in older people as the ticker rate tends to decline with age. Although it’s typical, it still warrants investigation by a healthcare provider.


Exercise strengthens the ticker with athletes having more efficient tickers especially those who engage in intense cardiovascular activity which may slow their pulse because there’s no need for their ticker to pump as hard or as fast to supply oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.
A slow heart rate can also be due to some medical conditions including

1.      Problems with the ticker’s natural pacemaker , or sinoatrial node, that helps regulate heartbeat.
2.      Other heart electrical issues.
3.      Metabolic disorders with one of the most common being hypothyroidism (the thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormones).
4.      Heart disease and heart medication.
5.      Oxygen deprivation.

When to Consult with a Healthcare Provider:
A parent or carer should immediately take a baby who has a low pulse to the emergency room. It is as important for adults and children who’ve a low pulse and experience severe symptoms like chest pain or fainting to visit the hospital.

See a doctor for bradycardia when you experience an unexplained change in heart rate lasting several days, you have heart disease and bradycardia, you have bradycardia and other heart health risk factors like diabetes or smoking, you experience episodes of bradycardia and tachycardia (fast heart rate that makes the ticker beat more than 100 times per minute).

Treatment:
A slow heart rate doesn’t always necessitate treatment, however, if it causes serious health problems or when heart disease slows the ticker, it is important that people receive treatment. An artificial pacemaker can help in this regard, which is an electrical device that a doctor inserts into the ticker to promote regular rhythms. A healthcare provider depending upon the cause might also recommend changing heart medications, making lifestyle changes (adopting healthy measures), taking medication to treat thyroid or other metabolic disorders, frequently monitoring heart rate or blood pressure.

In USA, heart disease is the leading cause of death that accounts for 1 out of every 4 deaths. Any changes in the health of ticker, blood pressure, or pulse should be taken very seriously. See a doctor for guidance as only a doctor can evaluate an individual's cardiovascular risk factors.

Cardiovascular disease also increases the risk for a cardiac arrest or heart attack. Get CPR trained and contribute towards the safety of cardiac arrest victims in out-of-hospital cases. If you are on the lookout to join a CPR program in PalmHarbor, don’t look beyond the AHA certified CPR Tampa. Register for a class now. Call on 727-240-9404 to know more.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Algorithms for Respiratory and Cardiac Arrests

  Introduction Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) algorithms provide healthcare providers with systematic approaches to managing respiratory and cardiac emergencies in children. These evidence-based protocols are designed to optimize outcomes by offering clear, sequential steps for assessment and intervention during critical situations. Understanding and implementing PALS algorithms correctly can be the difference between life and death for pediatric patients experiencing respiratory distress or cardiac arrest. The Importance of PALS Algorithms in Pediatric Care Respiratory and cardiac emergencies in children differ significantly from those in adults. Children have unique anatomical and physiological characteristics that influence how they respond to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. For instance, respiratory issues frequently precede cardiac arrest in pediatric patients, unlike in adults, where primary cardiac events are more common. PALS algorithms account for these dif...

Information on Antioxidants in Foods and Tampa CPR Classes

It is important to eat well and exercise regularly which are the two best ways to keep your ticker well-functioning. Any problem with the functioning of your heart can cause life-threatening cardiac emergencies like a heart attack or cardiac arrest. The best way to deal with cardiac emergencies is by going for a CPR class Tampa at an accredited training center. In the classes, get to learn about the life-saving resuscitation procedures that comprise chest compressions and rescue breaths. Proper application of the techniques can revive the life of a victim involved in a cardiac emergency. Always select an accredited training center for acquiring training such as the AHA certified CPR Tampa in Florida. Certified instructors conduct the classes. Both theoretical and practical training are imparted to the students.  There are a few foods like grapes, tea and chocolate that may be highly beneficial for your heart health as they contain special components called phyto...

Is Chest Pain A Signal Of Heart Failure Among People In Tampa And All Over

It is a very crucial question, “is chest pain a signal of heart failure?” The fact is chest pains of any type can be frightening, it may be a warning sign of a heart attack. In order to be sure, you should immediately seek a doctor’s advice. One needs to keep the heart healthy in order to keep heart disease at bay which is the possible cause of a cardiac arrest or heart attack. The best way to deal with cardiac emergencies is by going for a CPR class Tampa . In the classes, you will get to learn about the life-saving resuscitation techniques comprising of chest compressions and rescue breaths which if properly performed can restore the life of a cardiac arrest or heart attack victim. Always go for an accredited training center such as the AHA accredited CPR Tampa in Florida where certified instructors conduct the classes in a fun manner. Make sure to go through the course curriculum prior to enrolling for a CPR course. Reasons for Ongoing Chest Pains and is it a Sign Of Hea...