In some cases of irregular heartbeat there may be no specific atrial fibrillation cause however in other cases there may be a specific cause or a number of different factors that work together to ultimately lead to the development of this condition. Atrial fibrillation starts in the atria or the top portion of the heart and causes the heart to beat in an irregular or unusual way. This irregularity ultimately leads to a fast and erratic heartbeat. Some causes of irregular heartbeat such as that which occurs in the case of atrial fibrillation include individuals with past issues relating to high blood pressure or hypertension, obstructions in the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart, overactive thyroid glands, heart attack, consumption of alcohol in large amounts and in some cases of heart failure which cause blood from the left lower portion of the heart to back up due to an improper and inefficient pumping of the blood in this area. Another atrial  [...]

Aortic valve stenosis also referred to simply as aortic stenosis is a condition that is caused by the narrowing of the aortic valve of the heart. This in turn keeps the valve from opening all the way which causes the flow of blood from the heart to the aorta and the rest of the body to be decreased or blocked. This condition causes the heart to have to work harder to pump blood to the body and therefore weakens the heart and decreases the amount of blood it is able to pump causing such symptoms as dizziness and fatigue. When this happens surgery is often needed to replace the defective valve and if not treated can result in serious health issues. This condition often varies in severity from mild to extreme and usually only occur when the narrowing of the valve is extreme. Some symptoms of this may include, pain or tightness of the chest, fainting or feeling as if you will faint or becoming short of breath after strenuous activity, fatigue and heart murmur or palpitations. When  [...]

One of the most common conditions that may cause a sudden sharp stabbing chest pain in children as well as adults is called pericordial catch syndrome or PCS and is also known as texidors twinge. This pain most often happens on the left side of the chest which is the side where the heart is and gets worse when you take a deep breath. Although it is common for many individuals to automatically think of heart attack when they feel this pain it is most definitely not the case nor is it even related to the heart or heart disease even though it happens in the general area of the heart. Pain that is caused by PCS is generally confined to one area and does not spread to other locations within the body such as occurs during the experience of a heart attack. Taking a deep breath often makes this pain worse however this pain in generally relieved in a short period of time if the person remains still for a minute or two. Most of the these episodes last less than three minutes  [...]

Chest pain can be caused by many things but probably among the highest on the list as a common cause of left side chest pain is high blood pressure also known in the medical field as hypertension. If you are having frequent chest pains the first step your doctor is likely to make is to check the levels of your blood pressure. Many individuals who are affected by high blood pressure have this problem because of the poor choices they may make regarding the activities they participate in. Some of these may include excessive smoking or consumption of alcohol as well as an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. Many of these issues can be corrected or at the very least improved if an individual takes the proper steps to balance blood pressure. This may include changing some activities, getting more exercise and making changes to diet. In some cases medication may also be used as an important step in balancing high blood pressure. Many individuals who suffer from left side chest  [...]

Irregular heartbeats also referred to as cardiac arrhythmias are classified as irregular changes of the heartbeat. In general the steady ongoing rhythm of an individual’s heartbeat provides constant blood flow through the body and is relatively unnoticed. There may be many causes of irregular heartbeats and it is a condition that may not always be noticed right away. Many people who are affected by these types of arrhythmias may not even know it. In some cases it is only detected by accident during a routine check up or other doctor visit. There are 3 basic types of cardiac arrhythmias which include the following: Tachycardia This is when the heart beats too fast usually in excess of 100 times each minute Bradycardia This is when the heart beats to  [...]