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Replies to "I have been diagnosed with SVT in the past two years, but have probably had it..."
Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: 7 hours ago | Replies (10)
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Replies to "I have been diagnosed with SVT in the past two years, but have probably had it..."
Charlene, thankfully, your arrhythmia, technically a tachyarrhythmia, is fleeting, so it's paroxysmal...that's the correct medical terminology. It comes and goes on its own. It makes you feel that way because, with that rapid rhythm, your atrium doesn't have time to fil itself with blood properly before its next contraction where it forces blood into the ventricle below it. You can understand that, a poorly/incompletely filling vessel that must forcefully empty itself too rapidly will not supply the needed volume to the ventricle, which cannot supply the oxygenated blood your brain and organs need, nor your muscles, to keep them functioning properly. You get dizzy, winded, unsteady, and naturally that is not normal, so you feel anxiety and fear. Perfectly understandable.
It's good news that ischemia is not at play. Your echo shows normal results, so your heart is not short of blood supply due to blockages or severe constrictions in its own arterial supply, which is what ischemia means. (is KEE me ah). This means your symptoms come about solely, and when, your heart is in SVT. I believe SVT can be controlled chemically, but not always well, and often not for long...a few years at most. So the gold standard for treating most arrhythmias is still a catheter ablation. In the right hands, the best EP you can agree to handle your case, you stand a good solid chance of beating this.