Tag: Heart rate

Categories
Diagnonistic Test

Holter Monitor

[amazon_link asins=’B01A4W8AUK,B00R59OTOC,B01MXXZ715,B014T0X06M,B00M96HBK0,B00HY6DMW6,B01GDLJMGW,B00MFPYKJU,B004XH55QK’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6239bc6f-27ee-11e7-99e9-51d7904365ae’]

Alternative Names : Ambulatory electrocardiography; Electrocardiography – ambulatory

Definition
A Holter monitor is a machine that continuously records the heart’s rhythms. The monitor is usually worn for 24 – 48 hours during normal activity.It is a portable EKG device that records your heart rhythm over time, outside the hospital or doctor’s office.Whereas a regular EKG examines your heart’s electrical activity for a few minutes, the Holter monitor examines changes over a sustained period of time-usually a 24- to 48-hour period-while you go about your daily activities and even while you sleep. Doctors use it to evaluate symptoms that come and go and that might be related to heart-rhythm changes.

CLICK  & SEE

How the Test is Performed ?
Electrodes (small conducting patches) are stuck onto your chest and attached to a small recording monitor. You carry the Holter monitor in a pocket or small pouch worn around your neck or waist. The monitor is battery operated.

While you wear the monitor, it records your heart’s electrical activity. You should keep a diary of what activities you do while wearing the monitor. After 24 – 48 hours, you return the monitor to your doctor’s office. The doctor will look at the records and see if there have been any irregular heart rhythms.

It is very important that you accurately record your symptoms and activities so that the doctor can match them with your Holter monitor findings.
Why the Test is Performed ?
Holter monitoring is used to determine how the heart responds to normal activity. The monitor may also be used:

*After a heart attack
*To diagnose heart rhythm problems
*When starting a new heart medicine

It may be used to diagnose:
*Atrial fibrillation/flutter
*Multifocal atrial tachycardia
*Palpitations
*Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia
*Reasons for fainting
*Slow heart rate (bradycardia)
*Ventricular tachycardia

What happens when the test is performed?
A technician in your doctor’s office or a diagnostic lab fits you with a Holter monitor and explains how to use it. Five stickers are attached to your chest.Wires snap onto each of these stickers and connect them to the monitor. The wires detect your heart’s electrical pattern throughout the day, while the monitor records and stores the data for doctors to interpret later. You can fit the monitor into a purse or jacket pocket or wear it over your shoulder by its strap.

You can go about your normal activities with two exceptions. First, you can’t take a shower or bath during the period that you’re wearing the monitor. Second, you are given a small diary in which to note any worrisome symptoms you feel and record the time when they occur. The doctor will later review both your diary and the data about your heart’s activity from the monitor, to see if any symptoms you experienced were caused by some underlying heart problem. There are no side effects from the testing.
How to Prepare for the Test ?
There is no special preparation for the test. Your doctor will start the monitor. You’ll be told how to replace the electrodes should they fall off or become loose.

Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any tape or other adhesives. Make sure you shower or bathe before you start the test. You will not be able to do so while you are wearing a Holter monitor

Men with a lot of hair on their chest will probably have to shave it.

How the Test Will Feel?
This is a painless test. However, some people may need to have their chest shaved so the electrodes can stick.

You must keep the monitor close to your body. This may make sleeping difficult for some people.

You should continue your normal activities while wearing the monitor.

Risk Factors:
There are no risks.However, you should be sure not to let the monitor get wet.

Must  you do anything special after the test is over?
You need only return the Holter monitor.

Normal Results:-
Normal variations in heart rate occur with activities. A normal result is no significant changes in heart rhythms or pattern.

What Abnormal Results Mean?
Abnormal results may include various arrhythmias. Changes may mean that the heart is not getting enough oxygen.

The monitor may also detect conduction block, a condition in which the atrial electrical activity is either delayed or does not continue into the ventricles of the heart.

How long is it before the result of the test is known?
It usually takes a few days for your recording to be printed out and examined.

Considerations :-
Electrodes must be firmly attached to the chest so the machine gets an accurate recording of the heart’s activity.

While wearing the device, avoid:
*Electric blankets
*High-voltage areas
*Magnets
*Metal detectors

It is very important for you to keep a diary of symptoms. The diary should include the date, time of day, type, and duration of symptoms.

Resources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/diagnostics/holter-monitor.shtml
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/imagepages/8810.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/article/003877.htm

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Related articles
Categories
Diagnonistic Test

Electrophysiological Testing of the Heart

[amazon_link asins=’B01MSDU0SN’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b500f3b2-04ff-11e8-b61b-f1b8df262b6d’]

Definition:
An electrophysiology (EP) study is a test that records the electrical activity and the electrical pathways of your heart. This test is used to help determine the cause of your heart rhythm disturbance and the best treatment for you. During the EP study, your doctor will safely reproduce your abnormal heart rhythm and then may give you different medications to see which one controls it best or to determine the best procedure or device to treat your heart rhythm.
CLICK & SEE.
Sometimes doctors will recommend a treatment called ablation that can be done during EPS testing. Ablation uses electricity to kill the cells in the heart muscle that seem to cause the abnormal rhythm.

You may click to see:->Electrophysiology Study

 

Why Do you Need an Electrophysiology Study?
*To determine the cause of an abnormal heart rhythm.

*To locate the site of origin of an abnormal heart rhythm.

*To decide the best treatment for an abnormal heart rhythm.

Sometimes an EP study is conducted before implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) placement to determine which device is best and afterwards to monitor treatment success.

How do you prepare for the test?
*You will need to sign a consent form giving your doctor permission to perform this test. Tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to lidocaine or the numbing medicine used at the dentist’s office. Also tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to any heart medicines.

*Talk with your doctor ahead of time if you are taking insulin, or if you take aspirin, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, or other medicines that affect blood clotting. It may be necessary to stop or adjust the dose of these medicines before your test. Most people need to have a blood test done some time before the procedure to make sure they are not at high risk for bleeding complications.

*Your doctor may tell you not to eat anything for 12 or more hours before the test. A few people require an anti-anxiety medicine which occasionally causes nausea, and therefore some doctors prefer to have you come with an empty stomach. You might need to plan to spend the night in the hospital afterwards for recovery.

*Ask your doctor what medications you are allowed to take. Your doctor may ask you to stop certain medications one to five days before your EP study. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor how you should adjust your diabetes medications.

*Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the evening before the EP study. If you must take medications, take them only with a small sip of water.

*When you come to the hospital, wear comfortable clothes. You will change into a hospital gown for the procedure. Leave all jewelry or valuables at home.

*Your doctor will tell you if you can go home or must stay in the hospital after the procedure. If you are able to go home, bring a companion to drive you home.

What happens when the test is performed?
The test is done by a specialist using equipment and cameras in the cardiology department. You wear a hospital gown and lie on your back during the procedure. You have an IV (intravenous) line placed in a vein in case you need medicines or fluid during the procedure. Your heart is monitored during the test.

A catheter (a hollow, sterile tube that resembles spaghetti) is inserted through the skin into a blood vessel-typically in your groin, but possibly in the neck or arm. Before the catheter is placed, medicine through a small needle is used to numb the skin and the tissue underneath the skin in that area. The numbing medicine usually stings for a second. A needle on a syringe is then inserted, and some blood is drawn into the syringe, so that the doctor knows exactly where the blood vessel is located. One end of a wire is threaded into the blood vessel through the needle and the needle is pulled out, leaving the wire temporarily in place. This wire is several feet long, but only a small part of it is inside your blood vessel. The catheter can then be slipped over the outside end of the wire and moved forward along it like a long bead on a string, until it is in place with one end inside the blood vessel. The wire is pulled out of the catheter, leaving the catheter in place. Now the catheter can be moved easily forwards and backwards inside your blood vessel by the doctor, who holds the outside end of the catheter while using special controls to point the tip of the catheter in different directions. The doctor carefully moves the catheter to the large blood vessels in your chest and into the chambers of your heart.

As your physician maneuvers the catheter, he or she watches a live video x-ray to know exactly where the catheter is. Instruments on the tip of the catheter allow it to sense electrical patterns from your heart and also to deliver small electrical shocks to the heart muscle (or a stronger electrical burn if you are having ablation). The electrical shocks, too small for you to feel, are used to “tickle” the heart muscle in different places to see if your abnormal rhythm is triggered by one sensitive area of your heart. If the rhythm changes, your doctor gives you small doses of different medicines through this catheter to see which ones work best to change the rhythm back to normal. In some cases the doctor may need to give your heart some additional mild shocks to get it back into a normal rhythm. Because this catheter is in place inside your heart and can give the shocks directly to the heart muscle, very small amounts of electricity are used.

After the catheter has been pulled out, a pressure bandage (basically a thick lump of gauze) is taped tightly to your groin to reduce bleeding. The test usually requires one to two hours to perform.

Many patients are able to feel palpitations (an irregular or fast heartbeat) from the rhythm changes. A few patients also experience shortness of breath or dizziness when they are not in a normal heart rhythm. Other than the brief sting of the numbing medicine and some soreness in your groin area afterward, you are not likely to feel any pain. For some people, the procedure provokes anxiety. Some patients also have a difficult time lying still for the time it takes to perform this test.
What Can you Expect During the Electrophysiology Study?
*You will lie on a bed and the nurse will start an intravenous (IV) line into your arm or hand. This is so you can receive medications and fluids during the electrophysiology study. You will be given a medication through your IV to relax you and make you drowsy, but it will not put you to sleep.

*The nurse will connect you to several monitors.
Your groin will be shaved and cleansed with an antiseptic solution. Sterile drapes are used to cover you, from your neck to your feet. A soft strap will be placed across your waist and arms to prevent your hands from coming in contact with the sterile field.

An electrophysiologist (a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal heart rhythms) will numb your groin with medication and then insert several catheters into the vein in your groin. Guided by the fluoroscopy machine, the catheters are threaded to your heart. The catheters sense the electrical activity in your heart and are used to evaluate your heart’s conduction system. The doctor will use a pacemaker to deliver the electrical impulses through one of the catheters to increase your heart rate.

You may feel your heart beating faster or stronger. Your nurses and doctor will want to know about any symptoms you are feeling. If your arrhythmia occurs, your doctor may give you medications through your IV to test their effectiveness in controlling it. If necessary, a small amount of energy may be delivered by the patches on your chest to bring back a normal heart rhythm. Based on the information collected during the study, the doctor may continue with an ablation procedure or device implant (pacemaker or ICD).

The EP study takes about two to four hours to perform. However, it can take longer if additional treatments such as catheter ablation are performed at the same time.

Risk Factors:
There are significant risks from this procedure. Most important, some abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) can be life-threatening, and your doctors will purposefully cause you to go through a few extra episodes of arrhythmia during the testing. If your doctors recommend electrophysiologic testing, they feel that this is a risk worth taking because it will allow them to take better care of you in the future. Because you are right in the lab and attached to a monitor while you undergo the rhythm changes, it is easy for them to treat you should your arrhythmia occur and cause you symptoms.

Ablation has some additional risks, because it intentionally causes some scarring of a small part of the heart muscle. Complications are rare, but new rhythm changes can occur. A very rare complication occurs if the ablation instrument burns a hole through the heart muscle. This causes bleeding and may require immediate surgery.

There are some more minor risks from the test. Among them is bleeding from the place where the catheter was inserted. If bleeding occurs but the blood collects under the skin, it can form a large painful bruise called a hematoma. A few people are allergic to the medicines used in the procedure, and this can cause a rash or other symptoms.

Must you do anything special after the test is over?
You will need to lie flat for around six hours after this procedure. If you received anti-anxiety medicine through your IV during the procedure, you might feel sleepy at the end of the procedure and you might not remember much of the test. You should not drive or drink alcohol for the rest of the day.

Depending on what happened during your test, you might need to wear a heart monitor in the hospital for a few hours or overnight.

What Happens After the EP Study?
The doctor will remove the catheters from your groin and apply pressure to the site, to prevent bleeding. You will be on bed rest for about one to two hours.

An EP study can be frightening, but this test allows the doctor to decide the best treatment for you. In many cases, EP testing and the therapy following can greatly reduce the likelihood of spontaneous arrhythmia. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask your doctor or nurse.

How long is it before the result of the test is known?
Your doctors can tell you how the testing went as soon as it is over. If you had ablation done, the results will not be certain until you have had some time to see if your arrhythmia seems to be under control after the treatment.

Resources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/diagnostics/electrophysiological-testing-of-the-heart.shtml
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/diagnosing-electrophysiology

http://www.londoncardiac.ca/pages/bfs.html

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories
Exercise

Cardio Exercise that Multi-Tasks

[amazon_link asins=’B000PEM63K,B00O22I4F0′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’8676df2d-c69a-11e7-ab26-45d278488205′]

A fun way to rev up your workout is to combine movements that raise your heart rate while working your legs and core. Try this move in a wide-open area.
…………………………………..

Step 1 ..Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and your toes facing forward. Hold a 5-pound dumbbell in front of your chest with arms straight out and a hand on each end of the dumbbell. Bend your knees into a squat and rotate your upper body to the right, keeping both arms straight and your knees facing front.
…………………………………….

Step 2 ..Shift your weight to your left leg, straightening it as you lift your right knee in front of you. Simultaneously rotate your torso to the center, raising your arms above your head. Remember to keep your arms straight throughout the entire move. Step down and repeat the squat, rotating to your right for eight repetitions. Switch legs and repeat on the other side.

Sources: Los Angeles Times

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories
Featured

Sweet Aroma

[amazon_link asins=’B0749LFK5M,B01BD1S7LI,B00X47GZBO,B004BVU3D8,B01MTCH84N,B079G3TWK3,B076DB8BDN,B075G8DFSW,B00OYJEO46′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’1565c7a8-15f6-11e8-93fc-097cf693bbd2′]

Researchers in Israel have found a way to genetically enhance the smell of flowers:…….CLICK & SEE

Plant biotechnologist Alexander Vainstein
The beautiful camellias in the vase really brighten up your room. How many times have you wondered why the room doesn’t smell with a fragrance that matches the camellias’ beauty? If a team of Israeli scientists have their way, however, they may soon leave you with no room to rue.

These researchers claim to have discovered a way to genetically boost the smell of flowers and even introduce scents in those that don’t have any.

The scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have been able to create transgenic petunias and carnations which smell like roses. They have also swapped smells between carnations and petunias, according to a research paper published in Plant Biotechnology Journal.

“We’ve found a way of enhancing the scent of a flower (Petunia hybrida) 10-fold and make it emit a scent during day and night — irrespective of the natural rhythm of scent production,” said Alexander Vainstein, the lead scientist at the University’s Institute of Plant Science and Genetics in Agriculture. In addition, they also have devised a way to boost the colour of flowers. The novel ‘biotechnolgical strategy’ to ‘activate scent and colour production’ in flowers could eventually be used to create tastier fruits and vegetables that have turned bland because of repeated cross-breeding and excessive use of pesticides.

“Smell plays an important role in our lives — it influences the way we choose fruit and vegetables, perfumes, and even a partner,” said Vainstein in a statement. “Aromas define not just fragrance but the taste of food, too.”

According to Vainstein, in Nature “flower colour and fragrance are the two main means adopted by plants to attract pollinators (such as bees and beetles), thereby ensuring reproductive success.”

The intensity of a flower’s scent largely depends on factors like the time of day, the plant’s age, crossbreeding and so on. “Many flowers have lost their scent owing to repeated breeding over the years. Recent technological developments — including ours — will help create flowers with an increased scent as well as produce novel scent components in the flowers.”

Such an innovation could not only help create new genetic variability for breeding purposes, but also offer the plant an advantage in survival and to evolve. In other words, the technique will make flowers more fragrant and draw more pollinating insects towards the plant, aiding better reproduction and survival. “The knowledge gained from an understanding of mechanisms leading to floral scent production or emission should provide us with a better insight into Nature’s way of ensuring evolutionary success, as well as with advanced tools for the metabolic engineering of fragrance,” said Vainstein.

However, such genetic engineering may not work as expected, believes Tapas Ghose, a botanist at Bose Institute, Calcutta. “It is difficult to predict whether pollinators will love the novel scent. It can attract pests too,” said Ghose. According to him it is too early to smell success with the genetically modified flower unless there is a prolonged field test along with definitive ecological studies.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories
Featured

Striking Gold

[amazon_link asins=’B01KXROKHS,B000FNEVQQ,B00J4WZ4JW,B008NVTYW8,B00KH90KUE,B00CMVHDFU,B01HOT7A4I,B00D6GSGJW,B0774NM8PD’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=”]

Citius, Altius, Fortius” goes the Olympic motto in Latin. Translated, it means “Swifter, Higher, Stronger.” That is what every Olympic athlete strives for — to be the best. His or her single-minded dedication, tremendous personal sacrifice and discipline are to be admired and emulated. It is not easy to drive your body to its limits.

Great athletes need the right genetic makeup, body proportions and physique. They can then be moulded for the job. Michael Phelps is 6 feet 4 inches tall, but has proportionately shorter legs attached to a long trunk, with giant size 14 feet that look and function like fins. Kip Keino, the Kenyan marathon runner, is only 5 feet 8 inches tall but has thin, long runner’s legs and a short torso.

In short, aspiring athletes need the correct genes and a supportive family and government. A genetically apt form and physique is wasted without the right training, nutrition, mental discipline and financial support.

This does not mean that we ordinary people cannot exercise and strive to be healthy. The human body has striated or voluntary muscles which function on demand. These muscles are either “fast-twitch” (white) muscles or “slow-twitch” (red) muscles. The white muscles contract rapidly and tire easily. They are good for sprinting. The red fibres are best for endurance sports as they have increased muscle power and are twice as efficient. With training it is possible to develop a particular muscle type, but a choice has to be made between speed and endurance. This is why a tall, strong, muscular and powerful human with more red muscle cannot move swiftly or manoeuvre as efficiently as a small, lean person with more white muscle.

Animals show this distinction in evolution. The cheetah has tremendous sprinting speed over short distances, but the horse has far greater stamina and endurance.

Once a particular muscle type has been trained, it is possible to excel in related events that have similar energy requirements. The same people will do well in the 100m and 400m sprints, the 110m hurdle and the long jump, but not in the 5000m event which requires more stamina. Tremendous torso strength is required to throw a shot put, hammer or javelin. These events require stocky athletes who may not be able to move fast and do well in sprints or jumps.

Everyone (particularly all Indians) should prioritise staying fit and exercising to the limit of his or her endurance. This means exercising one hour a day and trying to achieve the target heart rate (80 per cent of 220 minus age). This habit needs to be started young. Unfortunately, many school going children today are obese with a Body Mass Index (weight in kg divided by height in metre squared) greater than 25. However, it is never too late to start. Despite age, infirmity and illness, the body when trained and pushed is capable of miracles.

To start exercising, set a realistic primary fitness goal, and prioritise it as daily, monthly and lifetime goals. Decide if the exercise is to remain healthy, lose weight, contour the figure, improve cardiovascular status, control blood sugars, normalise blood pressure, for anti anxiety and anti depressant effects, to help work through fatigue or to compete in sports. The effort put in and the training will be different in each case. Targets will never be achieved without setting goals and if there is a tendency to procrastinate.

Regular exercise should include a 15-minute warm-up, a one-hour workout and a 10-minute cool-down phase to prevent muscle injury.

For the warm-up, do one or two pull-ups, spot jogging, skipping, push-ups and short stepping in place, gradually increasing the pace till sweating starts. Finish the warm-up with stretches. Slowly move the muscles, tendons and ligaments to increase flexibility. Stretch the Achilles tendon. Lunge from side to side and front to back. For each workout, pick and target a specific area that needs improvement. Decide ahead and fix a rotating timetable so that all the major muscle groups are exercised.

Muscles accumulate lactic acid during high intensity exercise. This needs to be removed during a 10-minute cool down process that involves walking and stretching.

Regular and judicious exercise can delay the onset of diabetes or hypertension by 10-15 years. It also increases breathing capacity and reduces the frequency of wheezing attacks in asthmatics. Body weight remains under control. Bones, muscles and joints stay flexible, reducing the pain of arthritis. Physically active people have better coping skills and are less likely to succumb to anxiety or depression. The feel good factor makes life pleasurable. The sense of achievement boosts morale. This in turn reduces illnesses, medication, the number of visits to the physician and hospitalisations.

As you start your exercise programme, remember each year of exercise adds approximately a year of life.


Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
css.php