Heart arrhythmia treatment in the Seacoast Region
The heart is vital to your health. We aim to keep yours functioning as it should.
At Portsmouth Regional Hospital, we realize your heart issue can be challenging to navigate. Our cardiac care team delivers the compassionate treatment you deserve, supporting both your physical and emotional needs.
Expert advice, available 24/7
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Heart arrhythmia symptoms
An arrhythmia, also known as an irregular heartbeat, occurs when the heart beats too fast, too slow or unevenly. Although they aren't often noticeable, symptoms of a more serious heart arrhythmia can include:
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Difficulty breathing
- Fainting
- Lightheadedness
- Sweating
- Tiredness
- Weakness
Advanced electrophysiology (EP) services
Our electrophysiologists offer arrhythmia treatments to ease symptoms and enhance your well-being. The personalized, heart-focused care plan we oversee is designed to help you feel your best as quickly as possible.
About heart arrhythmias
We have vast knowledge in EP, a branch of medicine that enables us to study the heart's electrical patterns and check for heart arrhythmias. Arrhythmias occur when there’s a change to your heart’s electrical signals, which control your heartbeat. They cause your heart’s natural pacemaker function to fail, leading to an abnormal heart rate or rhythm.
Some arrhythmias are so quick they don't cause any harm. However, when an arrhythmia lasts longer, your heart is unable to pump blood as it should. This can cause damage to your heart, brain and lungs, as well as raise your risk of blood clots, heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest.
Different types of heart arrhythmias
The condition you experience may include:
- Bradyarrhythmia, or bradycardia — Causes your heart to beat slower than normal, potentially leading to dizziness or fainting
- Premature ventricular contractions — Occasional fluttering, skipping feeling that doesn't require treatment
- Supraventricular arrhythmias — Includes serious conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AFib) and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), which can contribute to a very fast heartbeat
- Ventricular arrhythmias — May lead to sudden cardiac arrest, which is life-threatening and requires your heart to be restarted
Heart arrhythmia causes
Heart arrhythmias can be caused by coronary artery disease, a heart attack or structural issues. They can also develop from congenital anomalies or cardiomyopathy. Additional causes can include:
- Certain medicines, such as allergy medications
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Sleep apnea
- Stress
- Thyroid problems
- Unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as alcohol abuse, smoking and overcaffeination
Treatment for an irregular heartbeat
At our facility, our electrophysiology team diagnoses and treats heart arrhythmias using the latest approaches. Sometimes, monitoring your symptoms is all the treatment you need. When your condition is more severe, however, you might require further medical attention.
Arrhythmia surgery
Our heart surgeons can perform surgical ablation, also called maze surgery, to interrupt irregular electrical signals in the heart. Your surgeon will make tiny cuts, which are immediately closed, to create a maze pattern in the heart. The abnormal electrical signals follow this path through the heart, stopping them from disrupting your heartbeat. If you have AFib, our surgeons may also implant a permanent heart device to help reduce your risk of stroke.
Catheter ablation
During this minimally invasive, video-guided procedure, we make a small puncture in the neck, arm or upper thigh and insert a catheter into a blood vessel that leads to the heart. We then thread electrode catheters, or thin tubes with wires, into the heart to identify the tissue that's causing your arrhythmia. Once we find the source of your issue, we use radiofrequency energy (heat) or cryoablation (freezing) to destroy it.
You will receive pain medicine to help keep you comfortable during the procedure. After catheter ablation is complete, your doctor will let you know if you can go home or need to stay overnight in the hospital.
EP studies
We can use this method to examine your heart and measure its electrical signals. During an EP study, your doctor inserts a thin, flexible wire into a blood vessel in your arm or upper thigh that leads to the heart. Your doctor may give you medicine during this procedure to see if it works.
Implantable cardiac devices
Placed directly under the skin of your chest, these devices send electrical signals to the heart to regulate your heartbeat and stop your symptoms. Pacemakers manage slow heartbeats and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) regulate fast heartbeats. We use the latest technology, enabling us to tailor your device to your specific needs.
Nonsurgical support
As well as surgical options, we may attempt to use medication and lifestyle changes to treat your condition. Some arrhythmias can increase your risk for more severe conditions, so we offer therapies to lower your exposure. To prevent heart disease, we work to help you lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, lose weight and eat a heart-healthy diet.
To learn more about our available services and treatments, please call (603) 433-4032.