By Marissa Savoy

Long QT Syndrome

The Long QT Syndrome is a heart rhythm disorder that is very rare and is usually affects children or young adults. This disorder causes fast,

chaotic heartbeats that can cause a sudden fainting spell or seizure. In

some severe cases it can cause sudden death.

People with Long QT Syndrome show prolongation of the Q-T interval during physical activity, intense

emotion or when startled. Studies show that healthy people with LQTS

have had at least one episode of fainting by the age of 10 and most of

them had a family member with a long Q-T interval. 

In new cases of long QT Syndrome it is more common in female patients than males (60-70% of cases). LQTS

is thought to cause about 4000 deaths in the United States every

year.

This shows the difference between the way a normal heart beats and the way a perosn with Long QT

Syndrome heart beats.

There is not a cure for Long QT Syndrome. However, there is ways to manage it. Some

of these ways are by taking medications such as beta blockers to prevent a chaotic heart rhythm, you could limit your physical

activity, and sometimes a surgical procedure is performed that implants a

defibrillator. A implantable defibrillator is a battery powered electrical impulse

generator. It is designed to detect any irregular heartbeats and correct it.

Implanted Defibrillator