Tachycardia, in medical parlance, describes the abnormal breathing of the heart. Cases of Wide Complex Tachycardia have been considered as a serious heart problem and may prove to be fatal if not identified at an early stage.
How the Human Heart Functions
The term “Wide Complex Tachycardia” may be unfamiliar to a layman. It is difficult for an ordinary person to define what it is; or find out its relevance to the life of a human being. No one could ever be able to do so unless a little etymology is applied to the term, tachycardia.
The term “tachycardia” has a Greek origin. “Tachy”, means rapid or swift, and “Cardia”, is taken from the word “cardio” which means “heart”. Thus, tachycardia is taken to mean as ‘rapid heart’ or “rapid heart (beat)”, since the heart supply blood to the different parts of the body.
The heart is one of man’s most vital organ and forms part of the cardiovascular system that is made up of a group of veins and arteries, as well as the heart itself. The heart functions like a pump within the human body and aids in the distribution of blood to the cells of the body through a system of arteries and veins that comprises the circulatory system. The heart is a made up of tissues and arteries with a size as big as a fist. Together with the valves that could sometimes get clogged and torn, the heart gets a rapid, if not, abnormal rhythm or heart beat. Remarkable, but how is “Wide Complex Tachycardia” be identified or diagnosed?
How To Identify Wide Complex Tachycardia
Wide complex tachycardia can have varying symptoms, and its severity likewise could vary. Medical science defines the unusual condition as one in which a cardiac rhythm exceeding 100 beats per minute occurs. It is also represented by the acronym, WCT. Wide complex tachycardia, can originate from two different sites; either ventricular or supraventricular. In most cases, the source of WCT is ventricular, and only a small number is found to have come from a supraventricular (SVT) origin.
Doctors diagnose Wide Complex Tachycardia through the use of an electrocardiogram machine, which is capable of measuring the rate and rhythm. It can also measure electrical responses of the heart, in which case, it can indicate whether the patient being examined has previously suffered a heart attack, or any abnormality or coronary heart disease.
Normal symptoms would be sudden chest palpitations lasting for up to fifteen minutes. Other symptoms include headache, dizziness, and shortness of breath. The individual experiencing is often forced to cough which makes him feel better, or make him alter his position especially when lying down at one side. To confirm WCT, it is best to consult a heart specialist, at the same time undergo an ECG test.
