When Your Heart Rhythm Isn't Normal
"Arrhythmia" means that your heartbeat is irregular. It does not necessarily indicate that your heart is beating too quickly or too slowly. It simply means that it is out of its normal rhythm.
It may feel as if your heart has skipped a beat, added a beat, is "fluttering," or is beating too fast (tachycardia) or too slowly (bradycardia). Alternatively, you may not notice anything because some arrhythmias are "silent." Arrhythmias can be life-threatening or completely harmless. If you notice anything unusual about your heartbeat, call 911 so that doctors can determine why it is happening and what you should do about it.
Even if your heart is healthy, you may experience an arrhythmia. Alternatively, it could happen because you have:
The incorrect balance of electrolytes (such as sodium or potassium) in your blood.
Changes in the heart muscle
Injuries from heart attacks
Healing process following heart surgery.
There are numerous types of arrhythmias, including:
Premature atrial contractions are early extra beats that originate in the heart's upper chambers, known as the atria. They are typically harmless and do not require treatment.Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are some of the most common arrhythmias.
They are the "skipped heartbeats" that we all experience from time to time. These symptoms may be caused by stress, excessive caffeine, or nicotine use. However, PVCs can be caused by heart disease or an electrolyte imbalance.
If you have a lot of PVCs or symptoms related to them, consult a cardiologist.
Atrial fibrillation is a common irregular heart rhythm in which the upper chambers of the heart contract abnormally.
Atrial flutter- This arrhythmia is typically more organised and consistent than atrial fibrillation. It occurs most frequently in people with heart disease and in the first week after heart surgery. It often progresses to atrial fibrillation.
Accessory pathway tachycardias- A rapid heart rate can occur due to an extra pathway connecting the upper and lower chambers of the heart. It's as if there was an extra road on your way home, in addition to your usual route, so cars could move around faster. When this occurs in your heart, it can cause a rapid heartbeat known as tachycardia. The impulses that control your heart rhythm travel quickly around the heart, causing it to beat unusually fast.
To diagnose an arrhythmia or determine its cause, doctors use tests such as:
Electrocardiogram - Also known as an EKG or ECG, this test measures the electrical activity of your heart. You wear small electrode patches on your chest, arms, and legs for the quick, painless test, which is performed in your doctor's office.
Holter monitor - This is a portable EKG that will be used for one to two days.
You will have electrodes taped to your skin. It is painless, and you can do everything except shower while wearing the electrodes.
If your symptoms do not occur frequently, your doctor may recommend that you wear an event monitor for about a month. This is a device that, when you press a button, records and saves your heart's electrical activity for several minutes. When you notice symptoms, try to take a reading on the monitor. Your doctor will interpret the results.
There are several types of stress tests. The goal is to determine how much stress your heart can tolerate before experiencing a heart rhythm problem or insufficient blood flow to the heart. The most common stress test involves walking on a treadmill or pedalling a stationary bike at increasing difficulty while receiving an EKG and monitoring your heart rate and blood pressure.
Echocardiogram - This test uses ultrasound to evaluate the heart muscle and valves.
Cardiac catheterization involves inserting a long, thin tube, known as a catheter, into a blood vessel in your arm or leg. Using a special X-ray machine, she will guide it to your heart. Then she will inject dye through the catheter to aid in the creation of X-ray images of your heart's valves, coronary arteries, and chambers.
Electrophysiology study - This test measures your heart's electrical activity and pathways. It can identify the root cause of heart rhythm issues and recommend appropriate treatment options. During the test, your doctor will safely reproduce your abnormal heart rhythm and may administer various medications to determine which one best controls it or what procedure or device is required to treat it.
Head-up tilt table test - Doctors use this test to determine what is causing fainting. It measures the difference in heart rate and blood pressure when you stand or lie down. You will take this test in a laboratory. During an EKG, you will lie on a stretcher tilted at various angles while specialists check your blood pressure and oxygen level. This determines whether the symptoms of passing out are caused by the electrical, nervous, or vascular systems.
Treatment of arrhythmias
If drugs cannot control a persistent irregular heart rhythm (such as atrial fibrillation), you may require cardioversion. Doctors will administer a short-acting anaesthetic and then deliver an electrical shock to your chest wall to allow the normal rhythm to resume.
A pacemaker device sends small electrical impulses to the heart muscle to maintain a stable heart rate. The pacemaker consists of a pulse generator (which houses the battery and a small computer) and wires that transmit impulses from the pulse generator to the heart muscle.
ICDs are primarily used by doctors to treat two potentially fatal heart rhythms: ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.
