Extrasystole

Extrasystole is one of the types of heart rhythm disturbances that manifest themselves in the form of premature contractions of the heart. This pathology belongs to the group of arrhythmias and can occur both in healthy people and in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Extrasystole occurs due to a disturbance in the electrical activity of the heart. Normally, the electrical impulse that causes the heart to contract is generated in a special node - the sinus node. This impulse then travels through the heart muscle and causes it to contract. However, with an extrasystole, the impulse appears in another place of the heart, and not in the sinus node, which leads to premature contraction of the heart.

Symptoms of extrasystoles can be different and depend on the frequency and rhythm of the heartbeat. Patients often complain of palpitations, a feeling of interruptions in the functioning of the heart, a feeling of “palpitations from the chest,” and short-term fainting. In some cases, extrasystole may be asymptomatic and be detected only during an ECG.

An ECG is used to diagnose extrasystoles. With this study, you can see the premature contraction of the heart and determine its location. Additional examination of the heart may also be prescribed, for example, ultrasound, Holter monitoring.

Treatment for extrasystole depends on its cause and can only be prescribed by a cardiologist. In some cases, if the cause of the extrasystole is not related to cardiovascular disease, treatment is not required. However, in more severe cases, drug treatment may be prescribed to eliminate heart rhythm disturbances. In some cases, cardiac surgery may be required.

Thus, extrasystole is a serious heart rhythm disorder that requires examination and treatment. If you suspect extrasystole, be sure to consult a cardiologist for consultation and prescribe the necessary tests.

Extrasystole or extrasystole, translated from Latin as “above contractions,” is an extraordinary excitation of the heart muscle that occurs under the influence of the effect of premature spread of excitation in the heart. Often, having an external resemblance to the normal contractile activity of cardiomyocytes, extrasystolic contraction differs from normal by a shortening of the systolic interval of the period of the cardiac cycle, which makes itself felt by a decrease in the amplitude of the ST segment and (or) sharpening of the T wave of the ECG. In an adult, extrasystole can be either physiological, for example, during intense physical exertion, under the influence of intense sensory stimulation, or pathological, that is, a disorder of intracardiac or central regulation that arose, for example, against the background of organic pathology of the cardiovascular system. An attack of extrasystole develops in 0.05-0.2 s