can you die from an extra "wire" to your heart? thus having more palptations than normal?

Question

i've heard that many die at the age of 27 to 29....but not sure if having the same conditions

yes sure an extra 'wire' can occur...it was there since birth for certain

it is not my heart problem therefore i want sincere answers pls

Answer 1

You're not crazy. What your doctor referred to as an extra "wire" is something called an "accessory pathway". The presence of an accessory pathway is often referred to as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. A similar but less common condition is called Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome.

Usually, there is a single gateway that allows electrical impulses to cross from the top chambers (the atria) to the bottom chambers (the ventricles). This gateway is the atrioventricular (AV) node. 1-2 out of every 1,000 people have extra connections between the atria and the ventricles that allows the normal electrical impulses to bypass the AV node and start stimulating a portion of the ventricles before it is supposed to be. This can be picked up by EKG, but most of the time doesn't cause any symptoms.

The problem is that when certain kinds of abnormal heart rhythms occur in the setting of this "accessory pathway", the two conditions can lead to a life-threatening rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (sometimes referred to as cardiac arrest). This has caused sudden death in young people as you have mentioned, but only occurs in less than 5% of people with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Fortunately, if an accessory pathway is identified, it can be fixed. As a previous person mentioned, there is a technology called radiofrequency ablation where catheters can be advanced through a vein and into the heart where the abnormal connection lies. Controlled doses of energy can be administered to "burn" away the abnormal connection thus eliminating the abnormal connection or "extra wire". For more information, please talk to your physician and/or cardiologist. There is a lot of bad information on the internet. Especially at Yahoo! Answers.

Further reading:
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic644.htm

Answer 2

I don't know where you got the idea of an "extra wire" to your heart—perhaps from a cardiologist who should have answered your question more clearly and can do it better than strangers on the board who have no real facts about you. The heart's conduction system can develop other areas outside of the regular channels to cause your heart to contract. The danger depends on where they are being generated from and determines what if anything should be done. These ectopic beats can be dangerous and in some cases can be removed by a simple surgical procedure called ablation or by medication.

You are scared and you should consult or re-consult your cardiologist about the nature of your symptom and what if anything needs to be done.

Knowledge is power. Good luck.

Answer 3

Extra wires don`t occur in heart. But the same impulse generating SA or sino atrial node may send more impulses causing tachycardia. It is not fatal. The underlying cause is amenable to treatment.

Answer 4

Go get checked out by a Cardiologist quickly. It sounds serious. I'm a Cardiac assistant and work with people who have pacemakers and transplants.

Answer 5

Check out this website;http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/treatments/medicaldevices/cardiacablationcatheter.html
also check at;http://www.mayoclinic.com/
know one can really diagnois their problem we can just assume with what information that is given and give you links that maybe useful because we are not trained in any medical field we are not Medical Doctors.
and check catheter ablation my cardiologist spoke to me about having this done because i have rapid heart rate every now and then and do not know what causes it.

Answer 6

I'm a nurse. Anything is possible. I would see a doctor about your symptoms.

Answer 7

yes! it can cause severe arrhythmia in situations where your heart is already beating fast.

Answer 8

Was gonna ask this too

Answer 9

it depends...