The cause of bradycardia, a weak heartbeat is fatal & bull; hello healthy

Have you ever tried to count your heart rate? Do you know your current heart rate is normal or not? Or is it slower than normal? An abnormally weak heart rate is one of the symptoms that can endanger heart health, even body health in general.

What is bradycardia (weak heart rate)?

The heart is an organ whose function is to pump blood throughout the body, in this blood there is food and oxygen for all cells and tissues. When the heart is not functioning normally, various body functions will be disrupted.

The average heart rate shows the activity of the heart, whether it is healthy or not. Normally, your heart rate is around 60 to 100 beats per minute. If you have less than 60 beats, then you have a weak heart rate that's slower than this.

For some people, a slow heart rate or less than 60 beats per minute does not cause any symptoms or signs, and it may be appropriate for their bodily functions.

But for some people, having a weak heart rate is a sign of a problem with the heart's electrical system.

This can mean that the body's natural pacemaker is not working properly, so the heart is very slow and cannot pump blood to meet the body's needs.

The impact of bradycardia is severe, it can cause death. The age group who has entered 65 years or more, tend to have a weak or slow heart rate, therefore the elderly need special treatment and care.

What should be a normal heart rate?

Everyone's heart rate may be different, especially when compared to the age group or physical activity undertaken. The following are normal heart rates depending on age:

For adults, at rest they have a normal heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute.
Athletes, or in groups of people who are on certain medications, may have a lower heart rate.
The normal heart rate in children 1 to 8 years is 80 to 100 beats per minute
In babies 11 to 12 months of age, the normal heart rate is 100 to 120 beats per minute.
Babies who are newborn, or less than 1 month old usually have a heart rate of about 120 to 160 beats per minute.

What causes bradycardia to occur?

A weak heartbeat is known as bradycardia. Bradycardia, or a weak heartbeat caused by various things, namely:

Aging, a person who has entered old age
Diseases or body function disorders that damage heart function, such as coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and infections of the muscles or lining of the heart
Conditions that lower the level of the heart's electrical impulses, for example hypothyrodism and electrolyte imbalances such as potassium in the blood
Several types of drugs that cause heart disease such as high blood pressure

Apart from a weak heart rate, what else will you feel if you experience bradycardia?

Bradycardia causes not enough blood to be properly distributed throughout the body, because it can cause various symptoms such as:

Feel dizzy
Breath feels short and difficult to move
Feeling very tired
Chest pain and a feeling of heart palpitations.
Find it difficult to focus and lose concentration
In severe cases, a heart attack can occur.

How do you know if your heart rate is getting weak?

You can actually count and feel your own heartbeat. Check your heart rate by feeling the pulse on your wrist or neck using 2 fingers. Feel the pulse beating. When you can feel your pulse, then count the pulse for 15 seconds. Then the result of the rate you are counting is multiplied by the number 4 and you have your heart rate per minute.

Or, if you have frequently felt the symptoms mentioned earlier, then it is better to see a doctor. Doctors will usually diagnose patients who may have bradycardia using an electrocardiogram (EKG). An electrocardiogram is a tool that measures the electrical signals that regulate the rhythm and heart rate in the body.

What happens if bradycardia is not treated properly?

Very severe bradycardia can cause the following:

Heart failure
Angina pectoris
Low blood pressure
High blood pressure

How to treat bradycardia?

How to treat bradycardia depends on what caused the bradycardia, or depending on the symptoms caused.

If a weak heartbeat, aka bradycardia, does not cause harmful symptoms, doctors usually do not take any medical action. The goal of treatment for people with bradycardia is to increase heart rhythm so that blood flows properly throughout the body.

What can be done if bradycardia occurs at home?

In most cases, bradycardia is the result of heart problems or problems. Therefore, what must be done is to do various things that maintain heart health, such as:

Adopting a healthy diet, increasing fiber sources and limiting sources of fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat.
Doing sports and doing activities every day, at least 30 minutes a day.
Do not smoke
Lose weight if you are overweight.
Controlling other health problems such as hypertension or increased cholesterol levels.