What are some of the reasons a 16 year old uses a pacemaker?

usually because of congenital defect, that is something you're born with. the heart is stimulated to beat by an electrical stimulus which usually originates high up in the right atrium (top right chamber). if this does not function correctly a pacemaker can artificially stimulate the heart to beat.

so people who have forms of congenital heart block will need a pacemaker to keep the heart rate up.

internal cardiac defribrallators, ICD's. are devices which can 'shock' a pt out of an arrhythmia, that is where the heart rate is much to fast. ICD's would be used in a young person who is at risk of an arrhythmia ( such as VT/VF). usually this risk is due to a congenital condition such as long QT syndrome.

you ask a very good question, and one which is difficult to answer quickly. in short the most common reason for a 16 year old to have a pacemaker would be a heart block - either born with it or given it due to cardiac surgery.

There are numerous reasons for a 16 yr old to have a pacemaker. There could be a problem with the SA node (AKA the hearts natural pacemaker). This would lead to a slow heart beat. Another reason could be within the nervous system. If the patient had an episode of syncope (fainting), the vagus nerve could be (briefly) shutting down the heart rate. The conduction between the top and bottom part of the heart could be blocked, which would keep electrical impulses from getting to the lower chambers that pump blood to the body. If an ICD is implanted it would have pacing functions to back-up the heart if it needed to shock the heart back into rhythm. There are so many more reasons why. Genetics and congenital disorders do play a large role in pediatrics with pacemakers, but not always. Pacemakers are not necessarily for advanced ages. Just as any home, at any age, could have electrical problems. So can humans.

If a person gets an infection in the heart, the result may require a pacemaker or defibrillator. Some infections will cause the flesh to expand or wither in various places or all over. If the heart beat frequently stays out of normal range as a result, then a pacemaker is needed. If there is a slightly less of a problem then a defibrillator could be wanted to keep occasional deadly problems from happening.

This can happen at any age, and is not limited to those with family history of such problems. Those with poor hygiene, especially in the mouth are particularly at risk. Any infection that develops in the mouth can easily make it into the blood stream.

I'm really sorry to hear about your situation, and all of your questions are really valid, and things that I would be worried about at age 16 also. The best thing for you to do is what is in line with helping you live the longest and most rewarding life. Honestly, I think you should ask your doctor about a lot of the concerns you have mentioned. If you are uncomfortable taking about it in front of your parents, see if there is anyway you can talk to the doctor alone. You could maybe wisper to him or her that you have some questions, but don't want to ask infront of your parents. From everything I've read about pacemaker, it is okay to have sex, so you should be okay. Also, you more than likely would have to wear a medic alert bracelet, so that if you were to pass out, people would know that you have a pacemaker. A lot of people wear these, and they are pretty common. Even my 5 year old little brother has a medic alert braclet, and to him, it's normal. You have a great attitude kid, and you will be just fine!

Generally in someone so young it would be a more likely to be a congenital problem. Probably not a weight issue. A pacemaker is an implanted device that delivers a shock to the heart that restores a normal rhythm. Some people are born with hearts that either beat at irregular intervals or that beat too fast or too slow. Or a person can be born with structural problems in the heart that make it not function correctly. There are many conditions and structural abnormalities that could be the culprit.

I know a 17 year old girl that had one pacemaker put in when she was a baby because her heart was deformed. They didn't think she would make it to be a teenager but look she is still kicking. She had to get a new battery put into it in the last week and she is doing fine. She has been able to live a fairly normal life.

i would think the use of a pacemaker in someone so young would be from a heart problem, or a genetic defect that would require them to need it...i don't know anything specific about that type of situation, i guess it is just good that modern science is so advanced that in that case it would be helping a young person continue to thrive and live as normal a life as possible.

Pacemakers are used to regualte the heart's electrical system. If any person has a defect in this area, this could require a pacemaker.

RN

a 16 year old person may be using a pacemaker because his heart does not function properly or cannot function well anymore... it may be due to congenital heart problems for some...

hope it was helpful...

Well some kids are overweight, wich is an ever growing problem, and their weight problems cause heart problems. Other reasons are birth defects, premature birth, accedents, and just haveing a bad heart. But all of this is very very un commen in teens.