Understanding Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm, and can feel like the heart is racing or a brief pause. It can cause the heart rate to be too slow or too fast.

An electrical impulse in your heart starts each heartbeat. Abnormal heart rhythms happen when those impulses don’t fire at the right time. Some abnormal heart rhythms don’t cause any symptoms. Others can mean your heart isn’t pumping adequate blood to your body, which can make you feel dizzy.

The two categories of abnormal heart rhythms are:
1. Bradycardia – when the heart rate is too slow — less than 60 beats per minute.
2. Tachycardia is when the heart rate is too fast — more than 100 beats per minute.

Signs of an arrhythmia

– Some patients have no symptoms

– It can feel like a skipped heartbeat

– May feel like a fluttering in the chest or neck

– When abnormal heart rhythms are severe, this affects the heart function such that not enough blood is pumped to the body

– This can cause you to experience dizziness and may cause fainting

– Bradycardia can cause fatigue, dizziness, fainting or near-fainting spells

– In extreme cases, it can cause cardiac arrest

– Tachycardia can reduce the heart’s ability to pump, causing shortness of breath, chest pain, light-headedness or loss of consciousness

– If severe, it can also cause heart attack or death

How are arrhythmias diagnosed?

– An electrocardiogram (ECG) is often used to diagnose an abnormal heart rhythm

– You may be asked to wear a Holter monitor. It’s a portable device that measures and records your heart’s activity for 24 to 48 hours

Other tests used to diagnose an abnormal heart rhythm include:

– Exercise stress test

– Tilt table test

– Electrophysiology study

How are arrhythmias treated?

– Lifestyle changes

– Medicine to prevent and control abnormal heart rhythms

– Pacemaker or implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), to help your heartbeat more regularly

What is ablation?

– A Minimally invasive procedure that fixes an abnormal heart rhythm.

– During this procedure, a thin tube (catheter) is inserted in a vein in your groin or wrist and guided to your heart. The tip of the catheter delivers a burst of energy that treats the areas of heart tissue that are causing the abnormal electrical signals.