How to Know You Need a Pacemaker

An artificial pacemaker is an electrical device that helps the heart beat regularly if your heart's natural pacemaker is defective or a pathway to the heart is blocked, according to the American Heart Association. The artificial pacemaker sends impulses to the heart through electrical charges to help it pump; it can be external or internal. There are a variety of reasons doctors might recommend a pacemaker and different tests to determine the need for one.

Things You'll Need

• Health care provider

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Instructions

• 1

  Visit your doctor if you have symptoms of irregular heartbeats or a heartbeat that is too slow. These symptoms include dizziness, shortness of breath and fainting. You doctor will also look at your medical history, medications and any heart tests you have taken, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

• 2

  Your doctor will try to determine the cause of your heart problem. Aging and damage from a chronic heart condition or heart attack can cause the heart to slow down or have long intervals between beats. If you often faint, it might be because of a slow heartbeat that does not allow enough blood to flow to the brain. If you have an arrhythmia--a heart that can beat too fast, too slow or irregularly--a pacemaker can help regulate it.

• 3

  With your doctor's recommendation, take one or more heart tests to detect an arrhythmia.

  • An electrocardiogram (EKG) test detects electrical activity, showing the rate of the heartbeat and rhythm.

  • A Holter monitor is similar to an EKG, but records electrical activity over a 24- or 48-hour period. This way, you can record any symptoms you have and when they occur so your doctor can see how your heart was acting while you had the symptoms.

  • A stress test is used to see how your heart acts when it is working harder. In this test, an EKG is conducted to detect heart activity while you exercise.