Overview Symptoms Causes Risks Diagnosis Treatment What is a heart attack?A heart attack happens when the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart are blocked. This can damage your heart or lead to an abnormal heart rhythm or heart failure. A heart attack is also called a myocardial ...
Knowing the causes of heart palpitations can help you prevent a medical emergency. Learn more at WebMD.
The test can check for blockages in your heart or abnormal heartbeats. Ask your healthcare provider for more information about a stress test. An electrophysiology study is a procedure to check the electrical pathways in your heart. The electrical pathways control your heartbeat....
Increased α-adrenergic activity constricts the arterioles and increases blood pressure while increased β-adrenergic activity causes the heart to beat faster. ARs function by binding to heterodimeric G-proteins. α-ARs are coupled to Gq, an inducer of phospholipase C (PLC) activity which ...
The heart has a regulatory system, known as the intrinsic conduction system, that determines the pace of the heartbeat. Learn about the intrinsic conduction system, including the SA node, AV node, the bundle of His, bundle branches, and Purkinje fibers, and discover its role in heart contract...
Valvular heart disease should be detected before the heart muscle is affected in order not to delay a possible surgical intervention, such as a valve replacement. Usually, the VHD is diagnosed in two steps: Stethoscope A doctor listening to heart murmurs (abnormal sound when listening to the hea...
When to Call Your Doctor Get medical help right away if you notice any of these things: Sudden shortness of breath Chest pain Dizziness, fainting Fast heartbeat Sudden, severe headache Nausea, vomiting Sudden blurred or double vision Sudden pain above or behind your eye ...
Both the terms heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest describe ways the heart can malfunction. A heart attack occurs when blood cannot flow through one or more of the coronary arteries, which supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. When this hap
Although it does not occur often, if the heart has problems pumping it can cause a person’s lungs to become saturated with fluid. This can cause difficulty breathing, chest congestion, abnormal heart beat, and even swelling in other areas of the body, such as the ankles. Medical treatment...
Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm caused by erratic electrical signals in the heart. A normal heart rhythm creates regular electrical signals that are essential for the heart to beat in a steady, rhythmic way to pump blood to all parts of the body. Sometimes these electric...