Ventricular tachycardia is a condition in which there's a disturbance in heart rhythm. The heart beats more than 100 beats/min which is more than normal with more than 3 consecutive beats from the lower chamber of the heart. This may cause insufficient pumping of the blood to different body parts.
In some cases, patients may be asymptomatic. The common symptoms are:
Palpitations
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Weakness
Nausea
Sweating
Loss of consciousness
Cardiac arrest
Visit a Cardiologist for proper diagnosis and treatment if you have any of these symptoms
Previous heart attack
Structural heart disease or a heart condition that causes scarring in the tissues of the heart
Low blood flow to the heart due to the narrowing of the heart’s blood vessels
Genetic condition
Electrolyte imbalance (ex: Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium)
Medication side effects (ex: Digoxin)
Using illegal drugs (ex: Cocaine, Methamphetamine)
Electrocardiogram (a simple test to examine the rhythm and electrical activity of the heart using skin-attached sensors to detect the electrical signals produced by the heart during each beat). This may be done at the doctor’s clinic, or he may ask you to use a portable one for monitoring throughout the day.
Echocardiogram (a type of ultrasound scan that is used to examine the heart valves and how it pumps blood to the body).
Stress test (a test in which a treadmill is used to walk on it while doing an ECG to examine the state of the heart during exercise or making effort).
Computed tomography (an imaging technique in which several images are taken to get a detailed picture of the heart).
Coronary angiography (a test that uses x-ray imaging to examine if there’s narrowing in the heart’s blood vessels).
Laboratory tests (a blood sample is used to measure the levels of potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphate).
If the case is due to an underlying cause (ex: Electrolyte imbalance, narrowing of the heart’s blood vessels, or medication toxicity), this cause should be treated first.
Treatment options:
Medications: The Cardiologist may prescribe medications such as Sotalol, Amiodarone, Verapamil, Diltiazem, or others to slow the fast heart rate.
Catheter ablation: A procedure in which a catheter is used to remove the small parts in the heart tissues that cause extra electric signals and beats.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: A small device implanted under the skin to give an electric shock to return to the normal rhythm of heartbeats if the heart rhythm was disturbed.
Cardioversion: A procedure in which patches on the chest are used to give the heart an electric shock to restore normal heartbeat rhythm.
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