Final answer:
The treatment for a heart rhythm disorder in a patient without structural heart disease involves using medications like beta blockers or antiarrhythmic agents. If the arrhythmia causes a slow heart rate, a pacemaker may be needed. In severe cases, electrical shock therapy or blood thinners may be used.
Step-by-step explanation:
To treat a rhythm disorder in a young patient without structural heart disease, a few strategies may be employed. Initially, medications such as beta blockers or antiarrhythmic agents like procainamide might be used to stabilize the heart rate and restore normal rhythm, though side effects must be closely monitored, especially with long-term use. If the arrhythmia is of a kind that causes a slow heart rate, a pacemaker might be indicated. This device is implanted by a cardiologist and delivers electrical impulses to the heart muscle, ensuring effective contraction and pumping of blood.
Normalizing Heart Rhythm
In more acute cases of arrhythmia presenting severe symptoms or risk of complications, urgent treatment such as controlled electrical shock therapy through cardioversion or defibrillation might be required. For those with irregular heartbeats that could predispose them to conditions like stroke, blood thinners may be prescribed to reduce risk. The chosen treatment largely depends on the type of arrhythmia, its severity, symptoms presented by the patient, and any underlying causes that have been identified.