Risk Factors For Premature Atrial Contractions

Premature atrial contractions happen when there is an extra heartbeat that originates in the atria. They are the most prevalent type of cardiac arrhythmia, or irregularity of the heart rhythm, in the world today. Most individuals experience premature atrial contractions on occasion, however, excessive premature atrial contractions can become a life-threatening medical issue. Normal electrical signals in the heart that prompt it to contract will come from the sinus node, however, premature atrial contractions do not come from the sinus node and cause a disruption in the regular sinus rhythm of the heart. Individuals who frequently experience premature atrial contractions will describe them as feeling like their heart skipped a beat; this is due to how the heart essentially resets the sinus node, producing a pause prior to the next normal heart contraction. Learn about the risk factors for premature atrial contractions now.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism occurs when the gland in the neck overproduces the two hormones responsible for relaying the message to speed up or slow down cellular processes and functions. Because the thyroid regulates the quantity of energy and oxygen the body uses and its metabolism of such substances, the secretion of too much thyroid hormones can wreak havoc on the cardiovascular system and the muscles within it. The excessive thyroid hormone is overstimulating to the heart muscle and causes it to consistently contract much faster than it normally would be with the correct hormone levels. In fact, one of the most dangerous complications of an overactive thyroid gland are heart arrhythmias such as premature atrial contractions. When the heart is being overstimulated and contracting at a high speed, there are times when the electrical impulses will get disrupted and cause the atria to lose sync with the ventricles of the heart because of the atria contracting prematurely. Untreated hyperthyroidism can significantly increase an individual's risk of having frequent premature atrial contractions that will cause their own life-threatening complications.

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Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle or myocardium that cause the heart to weaken and lose its ability to pump oxygenated blood throughout the body properly. This can happen when the heart muscles stretch out and become too thin to properly pump blood. Another form of this disease is when the muscle walls of the heart thicken to the point where they are stopping the proper flow of blood through the heart. A more rare type of this disease occurs when the ventricles are not able to expand enough to fill up with the proper amount of blood due to excessive ventricle stiffening. All types of cardiomyopathies can cause electrical interruptions and irregular electrical impulses to flow throughout the heart, resulting in frequent premature atrial contractions. Individuals who have been diagnosed with any type of this disease, even if it is being treated and or managed, are at a higher risk of having problems with excessive premature atrial contractions and the complications that result from them.

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