Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia

Overview

An arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate (pulse) or heart rhythm. The heart can beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly.

An arrhythmia can be harmless, a sign of other heart problems, or an immediate danger to your health.

Commonly Associated With

Abnormal heart rhythms; Bradycardia; Tachycardia; Fibrillation; Slow Heart Rate (Bradycardia)

Cause

Normally, your heart works as a pump that brings blood to the lungs and the rest of the body.

To help this happen, your heart has an electrical system that makes sure it contracts (squeezes) in an orderly way.

The electrical impulse that signals your heart to contract begins in an area of the heart called the sinoatrial node (also called the sinus node or SA node). This is your heart’s natural pacemaker.

The signal leaves the SA node and travels through the heart along a set electrical pathway.
Different nerve messages signal your heart to beat slower or faster.

Arrhythmias are caused by problems with the heart’s electrical conduction system.

Abnormal (extra) signals may occur.

Electrical signals may be blocked or slowed.

Electrical signals travel in new or different pathways through the heart.

Some common causes of abnormal heartbeats are:

Overactive thyroid gland Arrhythmias may also be caused by some substances or drugs, including:

  • Alcohol or stimulant drugs
  • Certain medicines
  • Cigarette smoking (nicotine)

Some of the more common abnormal heart rhythms are:

Symptoms

When you have an arrhythmia, your heartbeat may be:

  • Too slow (bradycardia)
  • Too quick (tachycardia)
  • Irregular, uneven, possibly with extra or skipped beats
  • An arrhythmia may be present all of the time or it may come and go. You may or may not feel symptoms when the arrhythmia is present. Or, you may only notice symptoms when you are more active.

Symptoms can be very mild, or they may be severe or even life-threatening.

Common symptoms that may occur when the arrhythmia is present could include:

  • Chest pain
  • Fainting
  • Lightheadedness, dizziness
  • Paleness
  • Palpitations (feeling your heartbeat fast or irregularly)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sweating

Exams & Tests

The health care provider will listen to your heart with a stethoscope and feel your pulse. Your blood pressure may be low or normal or even high as a result of being uncomfortable.

An ECG will be the first test done.

Heart monitoring devices are often used to identify the rhythm problem, such as a:

  • Holter monitor (where you wear a device that records and stores your heart rhythm for 24 or more hours)Event monitor or loop recorder (worn for 2 weeks or longer, where you record your heart rhythm when you feel an abnormal rhythm)Other long-term monitoring optionsAn echocardiogram is sometimes ordered to examine the size or structure of your heart.
  • In selected cases, coronary angiography may be performed to see how blood flows through the arteries in your heart.
  • A special test called an electrophysiology study (EPS), is sometimes done to take a closer look at the heart’s electrical system.

Treatment

When an arrhythmia is serious, you may need urgent treatment to restore a normal rhythm.

This may include:

  • Electrical therapy (defibrillation or cardioversion)
  • Implanting a short-term heart pacemaker
  • Medicines are given through a vein or by mouth
  • Sometimes, better treatment for your angina or heart failure will lower your chance of having an arrhythmia.

Medicines called anti-arrhythmic drugs may be used:

  • To prevent an arrhythmia from happening again
  • To keep your heart rate from becoming too fast or too slow
  • Some of these medicines can have side effects. Take them as prescribed by your provider. DO NOT stop taking the medicine or change the dose without first talking to your provider.

Other treatments to prevent or treat abnormal heart rhythms include:

  • Cardiac ablation, used to target areas in your heart that may be causing your heart rhythm problems
  • An implantable cardioverter defibrillator, placed in people who are at high risk of sudden cardiac death
  • Permanent pacemaker, a device that senses when your heart is beating too slowly. It sends a signal to your heart that makes your heart beat at the correct pace.

Source

Courtesy of MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine