By Martha McLaughlin Pain exists to serve as a warning signal. In an ideal world, we experience pain, quickly identify the underlying problem and easily correct it. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not possible to decipher the message our pain is trying to send or to fix the issue quickly once it’s been identified. Sometimes, the efforts to correct a problem, such as surgery, can cause an increase in pain themselves, at least temporarily. The importance of safe pain management has become increasingly apparent as the crisis of opioid addiction and overdose has engulfed the nation. Many people become addicted to opioids […]

The term cardiac arrhythmia describes a disruption to the heart’s natural rhythm. Individuals with cardiac arrhythmia may experience heart palpitations, or the feeling of an irregular heartbeat. This can feel like any of the following: Your heart beating too fast Your heart beating too hard Your heart fluttering Your heart skipping a beat There are many factors that can cause arrhythmia and heart palpitations. One of these is the use of certain drugs such as opiates. Opioids and Heart Health Heart palpitations and cardiac arrhythmia can lead to stroke, heart failure and death. In fact, these heartbeat irregularities are one […]