This article will help you out from Mayo clinic:
Treatment Options
Depending on the cause of the irregular heart beat, arrhythmias can be treated with:
Medications
Nonsurgical procedures
Medical devices, such as pacemakers
Surgical procedures
Follow-up care, after patients have heart surgery
Medications
Many drugs are available to treat irregular or fast heart rates. In most cases, the drugs have to be taken for the rest of the patient's life. Some may need to be taken for only a short period, until the heart regains strength. The following list includes most of the common drugs for arrhythmias:
Digitalis
Slows a rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) by slowing the heart's electrical signal as it travels through the heart muscle.
Calcium channel blockers
Slow a rapid heartbeat by reducing the force and rate of the heart's contractions.
Beta-blockers
Slow the heart rate by reducing the speed of the heart's contractions.
Anticoagulants
Blood thinners that help reduce the risk of clots and stroke caused by slow or weak heart contractions.
Other drugs
Other medications that slow rapid heart rhythms include quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide, flecainide, propafenone, sotalol, dofetilide, and amiodarone.
Non-surgical Procedures
Catheter radiofrequency ablation
For arrhythmias caused by abnormal heart tissue, catheter radiofrequency ablation (heat) can be used to destroy the abnormal tissue. In the procedure, catheters (thin, flexible tubes) are threaded through the patient's blood vessels to reach the abnormal heart tissue. The cardiologist then uses a small cutter or radiofrequency energy to remove the abnormal tissue. The procedure is performed without open surgery on the chest. Read more about catheter ablation.
Minimal Access Catheter Maze Procedure
With new technology, surgeons are now able to create electrical barriers in the walls of the heart by using cyroablation (freezing.) This is a faster, safer and less invasive procedure than the open-heart Maze surgery.
Cardioversion
To correct atrial fibrillation -- reset the heart to its regular rhythm (sinus rhythm) -- physicians often perform a procedure called cardioversion. This can be done in two ways: cardioversion with medication or electrical cardioversion.
Medical devices
To help correct some arrhythmias, an electronic medical device can be implanted. These battery-powered devices send electrical pulses into the heart tissue to regulate the heart rate. The devices may include:
Pacemaker
If the heart beats too slowly (bradycardia), an electronic pacemaker can be implanted to speed up the heart rate.
Internal cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
For arrhythmias in which the heart beats too rapidly (tachycardia) or quivers (fibrillate) instead of contracting strongly, internal cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) can be surgically implanted. The ICD sends electronic signals to the heart whenever the heart rate reaches a specified limit or goes very high. These signals shock the heart into beating more slowly and pumping more effectively.
Surgery
When other treatments do not work, surgery can remove or destroy heart tissue that is causing the arrhythmia. Surgery may also be required to treat underlying disease, such as coronary artery blockage.
Mayo Clinic surgeons have highly specialized expertise and experience in the most advanced treatments for heart arrhythmias, such as the surgical Maze procedure which, due to its complexity, is only performed at a few medical centers in the United States. Read more about the Maze procedure.
Follow-up care
Many patients who have had heart surgery of implanted medical heart devices have benefited from the Mayo Clinic's cardiac rehabilitation program while recovering. The program starts with a walking schedule for the first six to eight weeks after surgery and progresses to more vigorous, supervised physical training.
2007-06-26 05:10:13
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answer #1
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answered by Dr.Qutub 7
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irregular, regular? Not sure exactly what that is. Irregular heartbeats can be *treated* and some can be cured through ablation surgery or valve replacement. Many drugs (digitalis, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers) can make an irregular heartbeat almots non-existant, definitely asymptomatic and things like pacemakers also correct irregular rhythms.
It all boils down to what kind of irregularity you're dealing with. Those that originate in the atriums are less dangerous than ventricular arrythmias. And there are many different kinds for each, and each has it's own dangers. Some are non-threatening and don't need any treatment whatsoever. The key to your answer is a proper diagnoses to find the root of the irregularity and find out what causes it and where it originates. I've seen certain irregularities completely erradicated by stopping smoking, avoiding caffeine and discontinuing certain medications.
Best of luck.
2007-06-25 22:43:00
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answer #2
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answered by GetDark 2
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2016-05-18 17:00:03
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answer #3
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answered by Darrel 3
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Depends on a couple of things. A Dr. wont want to do anything invasive if it doesn't present a risk to your health. Some issues can be helped with drugs ... some, like mine, don't show up on except on an EKG. Some of that isn't dangerous to your health ... until maybe you are very old. I joined the military and never told them. Now, in my 40's I run. Sometimes it skips around pretty good, but I'm still kicking and not taking any drugs for it.
2007-06-25 21:46:22
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answer #4
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answered by Anonymous
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The first step is to determine the cause of the PVC (Premature Ventricular Contraction). Look at your lifestlye and diet. Is there a lot of stress or caffiene in your life? Do you smoke, drink or use drugs? Do you exercise? Some times changing any of these factors can reduce the incidence of PVC's. A decrease in one of your electrolytes, Potassium, can create PVCs. This particular cause can be corrected by adding fruit to your diet such as bananas or taking a multivitamin. I doubt there is a genetic component to this, but there is always that chance. I would get concerned if you feel these and you start to get light headed, dizzy, short of breath or develop chest pain. If these symptoms occur, then you might want to go to the emergency department. Hope this helps. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.
2016-03-14 09:02:53
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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