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Pacemakers - Who Needs a Pacemaker? - Who Needs a Pacemaker?

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Pacemakers are used to treat certain types of arrhythmias, as well as heart failure, a condition that occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body. Not everyone with an arrhythmia needs a pacemaker.

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Pacemaker for arrhythmias

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The most common reason people get a pacemaker is their heart beats too slowly (called bradycardia), or it pauses, causing fainting spells or other symptoms. In some cases, the pacemaker may also be used to prevent or treat a heartbeat that is too fast (tachycardia) or irregular. These problems may be caused by:

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  • Problems with electrical signaling in your heart. Learn more in our Conduction Disorder Health Topic.
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  • Beta blockers, which are medicines to lower blood pressure but also can slow your heartbeat too much. A pacemaker helps prevent a slow heartbeat when you need to keep taking this medicine.
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  • Certain congenital heart defects
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  • Heart attack
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  • Heart transplant
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Pacemakers for a weak heart

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Pacemakers may also be used to help your heart chambers beat in sync if your heart isn\u2019t pumping enough blood to your body. This can happen because of:

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Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/subscribe/3460
Source Agency: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Captured Date: 2021-01-13 19:45:00.0
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