If reading this, there is a good chance you want to know more about arrhythmia. An arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, is a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat. Your heart may beat too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular rhythm. Arrhythmias are treatable with medicine or procedures to control the irregular rhythms.
To diagnose a heart arrhythmia, the best cardiologist in Singapore will usually perform a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms. In most instances, tests may be done to confirm an irregular heartbeat and look for conditions that can cause arrhythmias, such as heart disease or thyroid disease.
Among the most common tests done to diagnose arrhythmia include Electrocardiogram, Holter monitor, Event recorder, Echocardiogram, and implantable loop recorder. During an Electrocardiogram (ECG), sensors that can detect the electrical activity of the heart are attached to the chest and sometimes to the arms or legs. An ECG aims to measure the timing and duration of each electrical phase in the heartbeat.
Holter monitor, on the other hand, is a portable ECG device that can be worn for a day or more to record your heart’s activity as you go about your routine. With event recorder, it is merely a wearable ECG device that is used to detect sporadic arrhythmias. You simply press a button when symptoms occur.
In the event that the best cardiologist in Singapore fails to find an arrhythmia after performing the above tests, he or she may try to trigger the arrhythmia with others. Your doctor may decide to perform a stress test considering some arrhythmia are triggered or worsened by exercise. During a stress test, the heart’s activity is monitored while your ride on a stationary bicycle or walk on a treadmill.
The best cardiologist in Singapore may also recommend a till table test of you’ve had fainting spells. Your heart rate and blood pressure are monitored as you lie flat on a table. The table is then tilted as if your were standing up. The doctor will observe how your heart and the nervous system that controls it respond to the change in angle.
Last but least is Electrophysiological testing and mapping. In this test, also called an EP study, a doctor threads thin, flexible tubes tipped with electrodes through the blood vessels to different areas within the heart. Once in place, the electrodes can map the spread of electrical impulses through the heart.