Oct 21, 2014 | Al-Sabah Arryhthmia Institute, Cardiology
Guest post by Francesco Santoni-Rugiu, MD, Director, Outpatient Services, Al-Sabah Arrhythmia Institute at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s
Syncope is a sudden, unexplained loss of consciousness; most commonly referred to as a fainting spell. A syncopal episode implies that the fainting was sudden and there was an immediate return to feeling normal. Patients typically describe the episode by saying “I was fine and then I must have passed out, because I found myself on the floor; I got up and I was ok.” This type of fainting episode is different from one where you get progressively weaker prior to passing out. These episodes are more likely due to intoxication, or low blood sugar. Also, a different type of loss of consciousness is the one associated with seizures, or a concussion when the patient recovers consciousness but does not feel back to normal but rather groggy, confused. (more…)
Sep 29, 2014 | Al-Sabah Arryhthmia Institute, Cardiology, Patient Story
Guest post by Stephan Danik, MD, MSc, Director of the Electrophysiology (EP) Lab at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt
When 61-year-old Franklin had his hip replaced three years ago, routine pre-operative work revealed that he had a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation (or AFib). Because he never had chest pain and never felt his heart beating irregularly, Franklin didn’t know anything was wrong. But fatigue and having low energy are two of the most common symptoms of AFib that people ignore. (more…)
Sep 14, 2014 | Al-Sabah Arryhthmia Institute, Cardiology, Health Tips
Guest post by Conor D. Barrett, MD, Director of the Al-Sabah Arrhythmia Institute at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt.
A human heart beats 80 times per minute, on average — that can be more than 100,000 beats per day. And it all happens quietly and in a way you wouldn’t notice if your heart rhythm is normal. “Anytime someone has an awareness of their heart beating irregularly or is aware of extra beats or skipped beats — particularly if they feel their heart racing or beating very fast — it’s not normal,” says Dr. Conor D. Barrett, Cardiac Electrophysiologist and Director of the Al-Sabah Arrhythmia Institute at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt. Basically, awareness of an irregular heartbeat could signal a heart rhythm disorder. (more…)
Sep 9, 2013 | Al-Sabah Arryhthmia Institute, Cardiology, Common Illness
One common complaint I hear from patients in my practice is the sensation that their heart skips a beat, or that every once in a while they experience an unusually strong heartbeat. This can be felt in the chest or even in the neck. (more…)
Syncope is a sudden, unexplained loss of consciousness; most commonly referred to as a fainting spell. A syncopal episode implies that the fainting was sudden and there was an immediate return to feeling normal. Patients typically describe the episode by saying “I was fine and then I must have passed out, because I found myself on the floor; I got up and I was ok.” This type of fainting episode is different from one where you get progressively weaker prior to passing out. These episodes are more likely due to intoxication, or low blood sugar. Also, a different type of loss of consciousness is the one associated with seizures, or a concussion when the patient recovers consciousness but does not feel back to normal but rather groggy, confused. (more…)
