Table of contents:
- Pacemakers at a glance
- How long can a person live with a pacemaker?
- Which must be considered when using a pacemaker
When a heart rhythm is problematic and there is a life-threatening risk, doctors will usually immediately “shock” the patient's organs with a pacemaker. Yes, this medical tool serves to help control the patient's heart rate to keep it normal. How long, really, can someone survive with this one tool? Here's the full review.
Pacemakers at a glance
A pacemaker, also known as a defibrillator, is a device used to treat heart rhythm disorders in an emergency. This device will be attached to the patient's chest to send a shock in the form of an electric current to the heart. Well, that electricity will stimulate the previously disturbed heart muscles to return to normal work.
However, not everyone needs a defibrillator. This tool is usually used for people who have an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Either too fast (tachycardia) or just too slow (bradycardia).
How long can a person live with a pacemaker?
The resistance of the pacemaker in the patient's body depends on several factors. Starting from the severity of the heart rhythm disturbance and the needs of each patient. Then, the next question is, how long can a pacemaker actually increase a person's life expectancy?
Reporting from Science Daily, most patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy can survive more than 7 years with the help of a pacemaker. Even people with congenital heart disease can survive to 10 years with the same tools.
In patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, the left ventricle of the heart has difficulty pumping blood around the body. Meanwhile, the heart condition of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy tends to weaken and enlarge. As a result, both diseases make the heart fail to pump blood around the body.
According to Robert Hauser, MD, a cardiologist from the Minneapolis Heart Institute, United States, both conditions can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death and heart failure. Therefore an implanted pacemaker is needed to help increase blood flow to the heart and throughout the body.
Which must be considered when using a pacemaker
Before installing a defibrillator, make sure you have the permission of your cardiologist first. Your doctor will look at your medical history and measure how much you need a pacemaker.
After the pacemaker implant surgery is successful, always follow all the recommendations of the cardiologist regarding the do's and don'ts. This aims to prevent the side effects and risks that may occur to your body after installing the defibrillator.
The good news, defibrillators that are implanted in the body can last quite a long time and are not easily damaged by small things. Even if there is, for example, a minor trauma to the chest which is located above the defibrillator site.
However, the durability of your pacemaker can be impaired if you experience significant trauma or fracture. That is why it is recommended that you avoid vigorous exercise after inserting a pacemaker.
Also avoid movements that can trigger too strong heart contractions. For example sawing wood or stirring cement which involves the muscles around the defibrillator.
Relax, you can still exercise, really, as long as the intensity is light. For example, by walking or just a short stretch. When done carefully, this can help improve blood flow to the heart and reduce the severity of your heart disease.
No less important, make sure to always take medication regularly according to doctor's recommendations. All of these methods can help optimize the use of a pacemaker and keep your heart healthy in the future.
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