One may be unaware of this condition until it is diagnosed. At that point the patient will probably be required to wear a halter moniter for 24 hours. This is a starting point for the physician's diagnosis. The condition can range from a fast pulse - tachycardyia - to a pulse which is too slow - bradycardia. When diagnosed as having bradycardia the patient is endangered and prone to loss of consciousness. Falls are very likely in which case bones may be broken or severe head injuries can occur. For these reasons as well as numerous other medical possibilities, at this point it is probable that a patient will receive a Pacemaker.
FACT: Every Pacemaker coming off the line is preset for a 60 year old man! WHY? Consider this .... how could one be set for an individual when the manufacturer knows nothing about a patient? One must actually wear the device for a few weeks to allow one's own personal information to be recorded. At a predetermined time, a highly trained technician using extremely sensitive equipment will read those details from your Pacer and program it to your personal specifications. THEN you will really begin to benefit from the fantastic, life saving device.
How do I know all about this Pacemaker information? Because I am blessed in having one. One day I walked into my cardiologist's office. As I stood before the nurse checking in, I nearly passed out. Never before had this happened until that day! Someone rushed a chair up behind me so that I did not fall. As soon as I saw the doctor, and after an EKG, he explained that, in his words, my heart was "pausing".
My previously diagnosed irregular pulse which had become atrial fibrillation had now changed to bradycardia. I was rushed to the hospital - not even permitted to go home to get the essentials! Dr. R---- kept repeating that I was in serious danger of falling and that anything could happen as results of a fall. He demanded surgery be done at once! Since I was on a prescription for 'coumadin', a blood thinner, they had to get my blood level to a certain reading before surgery was possible. Potassium was administered and surgery took place next afternoon. This was my third hospitilization in 2010; haplessly I was due to undergo an additional two heart related sessions before years end.
