When it comes down to it, most of us are constantly on the hunt for the best life possible. We seek it out through trips to our favorite restaurants, vacations, spending time with friends and family, and a whole host of other aspirations. But, the truth is, there’s nothing that can give you a better quality of life than your health. Your body, especially as you age, requires more and more tender loving care. Sometimes, it also involves intervention from doctors to ensure that they continue living the best life possible for as long as possible.
One of the body systems that takes a beating throughout a person’s life is the cardiovascular system, which comprises the heart and all of the veins and arteries that move blood and oxygen around your body. You hear of people having heart attacks, strokes, and many other types of cardiovascular disease as they age. There are plenty of different tools that doctors can use to keep your heart healthy and strong, and one of them is the pacemaker.
What Is A Pacemaker?
A pacemaker is one of those devices that most people have an idea about, but they don’t necessarily understand how it works. It all starts with a problem. Generally, people who undergo pacemaker surgery have an electrical problem in their hearts. Whether their heart beats too slowly or not consistently, the pacemaker’s job is to regulate it. The device itself is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. From the side of the pacemaker, you’ll find lead wires that connect to the heart and generate electric shock when necessary. The responsibility of the device is to track the heart’s rhythm and correct it when it becomes abnormal. It’s a small device that has made a world of difference for cardiac patients for decades.
When Do You Need Pacemaker Implantation?
Every patient is different and will require a different approach to cardiac care. However, some very specific cases often require intervention by pacemaker implantation. One of the common needs for a pacemaker is in patients who suffer from arrhythmia. Arrhythmia is a condition where a patient’s heart beats irregularly, and the pacemaker helps to maintain a consistent heartbeat. Another condition that warrants a pacemaker is called bradycardia. Patients with this tend to have heart rates that are lower than expected. The average heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute where patients with bradycardia will have heart rates lower than that. Commonly, patients who have experienced heart attacks or have heart disease experience a weakening of the heart muscle and its electrical currents, which can also require pacemaker implantation. There are many reasons to get a pacemaker, and your cardiologist will let you know if the pacemaker is the right cardiac solution for your current condition.
The Benefits Gained From A Pacemaker
If you’ve experienced any of the conditions listed above, you know how frustrating it can be not to be able to live your life to the fullest for fear of how your heart may react. Pacemaker implantation gives patients the freedom to live their lives without that fear hovering over their heads. A pacemaker can actually make patients feel better physically outside of the fear of your heart health becoming a problem. If you’ve suffered from irregular heart rate or have low energy due to a condition like bradycardia, you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel after pacemaker implantation.
Living Your Best Life
Getting a pacemaker may feel like you’ve got a new lease on life. But what’s important to remember is that the pacemaker and any other cardiac devices are just tools to help you on your personal journey to cardiac health. Pacemaker implantation should be paired with a heart-healthy lifestyle and a close and consistent relationship with your cardiologist. After you get your pacemaker, you’ll be sent home with loads of information to help you live with increased cardiac health. From dietary and exercise recommendations to medications you need to take, your cardiologist should provide you with all of the information you need to go forward and live your best cardiovascular life.
Protecting your heart health is essential to living a long and enjoyable life. Of course, life may go on with or without a pacemaker, but we want more for you than just life going on as usual. We want to see our patients gain more quality of life, feel more confident getting out and enjoying their favorite hobbies, and picking up their grandchildren. Excellent cardiovascular health requires a partnership between patients and doctors, and for many people, a pacemaker is one step in the right direction. If you want more information about pacemaker implantation or would like to meet with a cardiologist on our team, contact us today.
