Does WPW syndrome affect life expectancy? Does it affect sport performance?
I was diagnosed with WPW as a very young child. Though I do have rapid heart rate occasionally, this condition has never prevented me from performing any activity. I was a dancer through college, am an avid aerobics participant, and have given birth two children naturally (no epidural, more than 10 hours hard labor each). The tachycardia episodes happened more often when I was pregnant. When I have an episode, there are a few ways I’ve found to be successful in stopping it. One – drink something that is very cold. Two – hold your breath and bear down (like you have to go to the bathroom). Three – lie down on the floor and elevate your legs above your heart. Four – gently press on your jugular vein (in your neck)…but be careful, sometimes this method makes me dizzy. In the worst case, if you can’t stop the episode, go to the Emergency Room. They will most likely give you an IV of adenosine – which will feel like you got drop-kicked in the chest, but it will stop the tachycardia. My mo
