A problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat is known as an arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat. Your heart may beat irregularly, too rapidly, or too slowly.
Your heart rate should increase during physical exercise and decrease while relaxing or sleeping. It's also common to experience periodic heart palpitations. However, a persistent irregular rhythm can indicate that your heart is not supplying your body with enough blood.
There are two basic kinds of arrhythmias:
1- Too slow heart rate (bradycardia): less than 60 beats per minute.
2- Too fast heart rate (tachycardia): more than 100 beats per minute.
Arrhythmias can cause palpitations, lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting, and shortness of breath, though not everyone who experiences these symptoms necessarily has a cardiac rhythm issue.
Arrhythmias are often caused by a problem with the electrical signals within the heart. A trigger frequently causes an arrhythmia to occur. Sometimes the cause of an arrhythmia is not known.
Triggers:
Common triggers for an arrhythmia are viral illnesses, alcohol, tobacco, exercise, drinks containing caffeine, and certain medicines.
Risk factors:
You may also be at risk of developing an arrhythmia if you have had a heart attack, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, or coronary heart disease
Your doctor must refer you to a cardiologist if your symptoms worsen or if there is a family history of unexplained sudden death.
An electrocardiogram, often known as a recording of your heart's electrical activity, is the most accurate approach to identifying an arrhythmia (ECG). Your heart may need further monitoring if the ECG shows no signs of disease.
An exercise electrocardiogram may be needed to record your heart rhythm while you are using a treadmill or exercise bike If your symptoms are triggered by exercise.
An echocardiogram and other tests may be furtherly requested.
Whether your arrhythmia is fast, or slow will determine how it is treated. You will also need to get treatment for any underlying conditions that may be causing your arrhythmia, like heart failure.
Occasionally, medications are combined with other forms of therapy. Arrhythmia medications may worsen your arrhythmia if your dose is too high. If your symptoms worsen, consult your cardiologist.
Treatment may include:
• Lifestyle changes can lower your risk of having a heart condition.
• Medicine to control arrhythmias (Ex: amiodarone, propafenone, flecainide)
• Anticoagulants to reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke (Ex: warfarin, rivaroxaban)
• A pacemaker: a small device containing a battery that is implanted in your chest under local anesthetic; it produces electrical signals to do the work of the natural pacemaker in your heart to help it beat at a normal rate.
• Cardiac ablation: a procedure performed under local or general anesthesia to remove the unhealthy cardiac tissue responsible for the arrhythmia.
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