Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder. It affects around 1-2% of the overall population. It is more common in men and is increasingly common as people age [1]. While it is associated with other medical conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity and other types of heart disease [2], people who are otherwise fit and healthy may still develop AF.
Emmerson Hird
On Wednesday 6th June 2012 my 17 year old nephew Emmerson Hird survived a cardiac arrest. Emmerson had been playing upstairs on his X-box with his girlfriend Micha. As he went to get up he fell down onto her. At first she thought he was messing about but quickly realised something was wrong and shouted for Emmerson’s brother. Emmerson had
Living with long QT syndrome – Jessica Goddard
Living with long QT syndrome Jessica Jane Goddard was born on the 27th July 2007. She was 3 years old when in May 2010 we received a phone call that would change her life forever… My name is Rebekah Goddard and I am Jessica’s mother. I was diagnosed with long QT syndrome in July 2001 at the age of twenty-five, after
Living with long QT syndrome – Rebekah Goddard
Living with long QT syndrome Even at the age of nine the signs were there, but no one realised what they meant. I recall going home from school near to tears as I had, had a ‘panic attack’ in the school assembly hall…. yet again. My heart pounded and I felt sick as well as cold sweats and on top
Technical Terms
Alcohol septal ablation If you have HCM that makes you breathless, dizzy or suffer chest pain, this may be due to blockage of the flow of blood from the main pumping chamber in the heart due to thickening of the heart muscle. An injection of alcohol into the blood vessel supplying this bit of muscle […]
Living with my condition supraventricular tachycardia, struggling with my head – Gary McElkerney
Living with my condition supraventricular tachycardia, struggling with my head Limerick Vikings American Football Team were always going to be a tough team to play and making the 5 hour coach journey to Limerick University was always going to be a disadvantage. It was the 25th July 2009. I got off the coach after a 6am start and remember saying
Living with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – Dan Reeves
Living with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy December 3rd 2010 started out as any other normal day (although, when I look back now it’s as if the day was already planned out). School was closed as the weather had been bad all week and buses couldn’t get through. I had been at work that morning but as the snow was so bad I
Living with right ventricle outflow tract ventricular tachycardia (RVOT-VT) – Abi
Living with right ventricle outflow tract ventricular tachycardia (RVOT-VT) My condition came to light at the end of 2008 when I was 34. I’d been to the doctors to discuss these strange palpitations and dizzy spells I’d been experiencing, but was sent away and told it was due to “stress”. This seems to be the usual response from a GP
Living with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome – Louise Bees
Living with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome Hi, I got diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) after nearly dying giving birth to my son. I had suffered with palpitations for years, but nothing was done about it. Then, whilst I was pregnant, the attacks became more frequent and when I told my doctor I was given a 24-hour heart monitor to wear. After wearing the
Alerting people to your diagnosis in an emergency
MedicAlert in partnership with myheart It is recommended that anyone with a hidden medical condition carries a form of identification detailing their condition and any medication they are on. This could be in the form of a card placed somewhere visible in your wallet/purse, or an identification bracelet, such as a MedicAlert bracelet. MedicAlert is […]
