Pacemaker Basics: Do You Need One?

• Written by Leena Khowal

  Reviewed by Ritika Malik

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Your heart has its own natural rhythm, beating steadily to keep blood flowing throughout your body. However, sometimes that rhythm can slow down, speed up, or become irregular, affecting your health. When this happens, doctors may recommend a pacemaker, a small device that helps regulate your heartbeat. If you’ve been feeling exhausted, dizzy, short of breath, or have noticed your heart skipping beats, you might be wondering: Do I need a pacemaker?

In this blog, we’ll explore the common signs and symptoms that may signal the need for one, how doctors make the diagnosis, and what having a pacemaker really means for your health and lifestyle.

What Is A Pacemaker?

A pacemaker is a device typically implanted through surgery to support the heart's electrical system. It stabilises abnormal heart rhythms and helps prevent life-threatening issues. It is a small device used to treat certain types of arrhythmias, which occur when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly.

Types Of Pacemakers

There are various types of pacemakers designed for different heart conditions, each featuring one to three wires (leads). The types include:

• Leadless Pacemaker: A compact device, roughly the size of a large pill, that is inserted through a catheter - a thin tube put into the body to remove liquids. It attaches directly to the inner wall of the heart, eliminating the need for wires.
• Single-Chamber Pacemaker: This type utilises a single wire connected to a single heart chamber.
• Dual-Chamber Pacemaker: This pacemaker utilises two wires that link to the two chambers of the heart.
• Biventricular Pacemaker: This device has three wires; two connect to the heart's lower chambers (ventricles), while the third links to the right upper chamber (right atrium). It is used explicitly for Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy (CRT).

When Is A Pacemaker required?

Discussing your concerns or symptoms with your healthcare provider is an essential first step to determine whether you may have health issues that could be treated with a pacemaker. It's necessary to inform your healthcare provider about the following symptoms:

• Chest pain (angina).
• Tachycardia: A speedy heartbeat (over 100 beats per minute).
• Bradycardia: An unusually slow heartbeat (fewer than 60 beats per minute).
• Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia): A heartbeat that skips or adds extra beats.
• Heart palpitations: This occurs when you feel your heartbeat in an unsettling way, such as a "flip-flopping" sensation or an intense pounding in your chest.
• Shortness of breath, particularly during physical activity.
• Unexplained dizziness or lightheadedness, nausea, or fainting.
• Unexplained confusion.
• Swelling in your ankles, legs, and abdomen.

How does a Pacemaker Work?

Pacemakers use low-energy electrical pulses to regulate the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat. Traditional pacemakers deliver these electrical pulses through wires, known as leads. In comparison, wireless pacemakers are newer devices that do not use wires.

Traditional Transvenous Pacemakers:

Traditional pacemakers, also referred to as transvenous pacemakers, consist of three main components:

• Pulse Generator: This device creates the electrical pulses.
• Leads: Wires implanted inside the veins carry the pulses to the heart.
• Electrodes: These devices sense your natural heartbeat. When the heartbeat is slower than usual, the electrodes deliver electrical impulses to the heart to restore a normal rhythm.

Additionally, the device can transmit data to your doctor remotely. This information helps your doctor adjust the pacemaker's settings to ensure it functions optimally for you.

Cross Section Of A Pacemaker:

• Pulse Generator: Battery and electronics under the skin.
• Leads: Wires that carry signals to the heart chambers.
• Function: Keeps the heartbeat steady.

Wireless Pacemakers:

A small capsule-sized device is placed directly inside the heart.

• Inserted through a vein using a thin tube.
• Sends pulses to the right ventricle.
• Used for slow heartbeat or electrical signal problems in the heart.

Other Types Of Pacemakers:

In another type of pacemaker, electrodes are placed on the heart's surface rather than inside it, which requires surgery.

Living With A Pacemaker

To ensure your pacemaker works properly, follow these guidelines:

Regular Check-Ups

• Visit your doctor several times a year for pacemaker checks to ensure it's working correctly.
• Your doctor may remotely monitor your pacemaker's battery and wires, enabling them to track its performance from a distance.

Device Interference

Avoid close contact with devices that emit strong magnetic fields, as this can interfere with your pacemaker's signals. These include:

• Cell phones.
• Electronic cigarettes are devices that use a heating element to heat liquids.
• Headphones.
• Metal detectors.

Keep your pacemaker at least 6 inches away from such devices to minimise interference.

Medical Procedures

Specific medical procedures may affect your pacemaker, including:

• Electrocautery (a medical technique using electrical current to heat and cut tissue).
• MRI.
• Radiation therapy (a medical treatment using high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells).
• Shock-wave lithotripsy (a medical procedure using shock waves to break up kidney stones).
• TENS therapy (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, a medical treatment using electrical impulses to relieve pain).

By following these guidelines, you can ensure your pacemaker functions correctly and improves your daily life.

>> Read More: Rising Tide of Heart Diseases and Role of Heart Health Insurance

Final Words

Pacemakers play a vital role in managing heart rhythm disorders, offering significant benefits to patients dealing with issues like bradycardia or heart failure. For individuals with heart health concerns, understanding the various types of pacemakers and the conditions that necessitate them is crucial. By sending electrical pulses, these devices help regulate the heartbeat, improve blood circulation, and prevent potentially life-threatening complications.

To manage substantial medical expenses, investing in a health insurance plan becomes essential. This is where Care Health Insurance’s Heart Insurance Plan comes into play. It offers benefits such as no upper age limit, no pre-policy check-up, automatic recharge, cardiac health check-ups, lifelong renewal, and no claim bonus. This plan can help alleviate financial stress related to heart conditions and the related treatment options available.

Disclaimer: All plan features, benefits, coverage, and claims underwriting are subject to policy terms and conditions. Kindly refer to the brochure, sales prospectus, and policy documents carefully.