

What are the different types of pacemakers?ĭepending on the heart problem, a specific type of pacemaker - with anywhere from one to three wires (called leads) - may be used. Needing to urinate multiple times at night.Swelling in your ankles, legs and abdomen.Unexplained dizziness or lightheadedness, nausea or fainting.Shortness of breath, especially when you’re more active.Heart palpitations: This happens when you can feel your heartbeat in a way that’s unpleasant (it might feel like your heart is “flip-flopping” or pounding in your chest).Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia): A heartbeat that skips beats or adds in extra beats.Bradycardia (pronounced braid-y-cardia): This is an unusually slow heartbeat (fewer than 60 beats per minute).Tachycardia (pronounced “tacky-cardia”): This is an unusually fast heartbeat (more than 100 beats per minute).Some of the symptoms you should tell your healthcare provider about include: Talking to your healthcare provider about your concerns or symptoms is the first step to determining if you have health problems that can be treated with a pacemaker. Disruptions of your heart’s electrical system (such as heart blocks).Certain heart arrhythmias (malfunctions of your heart’s normal beating process).What conditions do pacemakers treat?Ĭonditions that are treatable with a pacemaker include (but aren’t limited to): Pacemakers use electrical impulses to correct these kinds of malfunctions. When your heart’s electrical system malfunctions, your heart’s chambers may squeeze in the wrong order or squeeze too weakly to provide enough blood to your body. Your heart has its own electrical system, which tells your heart’s chambers when it’s their turn to squeeze. They can stabilize abnormal heart rhythms and prevent problems that can disrupt or endanger your life. Pacemakers are devices that can be placed in your body, usually by surgery, to support the electrical system in your heart. Permanent pacemaker type and placement examples.
