What is the electricity of the heart?

The specialist in cardiovascular diseases and electrocardiography at the American University of Beirut Medical Center and the head of the Electrophysiology Division at the Lebanese Heart Association, Dr. Marwan Refaat, witnesses many cases of electrical defects in the heart without the knowledge of the people who are exposed to it, and has been saved from sudden death. He talks about the responsible causes and how to treat them and avoid this tragedy.

Dr. Refaat begins his speech by explaining the causes of sudden cardiac arrest in young people, including:

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a genetic disease.

Arrhythmic right ventricular dysplasia

* Long QT Interval Syndrome

* Brugada syndrome

*Wolf-Parson-White Syndrome

Ventricular tachycardia polymorphs (CPVT).

* Congenital defects of the coronary arteries

* genetic factor

* Congenital heart defects

This problem affects young people between the ages of 12-35 years, and the cause of death is due to an electrical defect and irregular heartbeat.

Warning symptoms

Dr. Marwan Refaat distinguishes between a clot, which is a metaphor for a blockage in the arteries of the heart, and an electrical defect in the heart. Therefore, it is very important to diagnose the condition and not neglect any symptom, especially since the first symptom may be the last. The most important of these symptoms are:

- fainting

Dizziness

Rapid heart rate

- nausea

- pain in chest

“Our message today is not only to raise awareness about the problem of heart electricity, but to urge the importance of providing an AED in public places, universities and sports clubs, to save the lives of young people facing sudden cardiac arrest. It is important to note that anyone can use this device if they are trained in it.”

How can electrocardiogram be treated?

Dr. Refaat also stresses “the importance of early detection, ensuring the person’s family history, conducting a clinical examination, examining the heart and electrocardiograms, on the basis of which the patient’s condition is diagnosed and thus the type of treatment is determined.”

As for the treatments, they can be divided as follows:

* Heart rate drugs

Implantation of a device to avoid the risk of sudden death

* Cauterization: Here a catheter is inserted to locate and cauterize the lesion