18 Jan Basic Guide to Irregular Heart Beat (Arrhythmia)
The upper and lower chambers in your heart normally beat in a specific synchronized order. When the chambers don’t beat properly or when your heart rate is not normal, most of the time an arrhythmia is to blame. There are several arrhythmias that are concerning like atrial and ventricular fibrillation and tachycardia and bradycardia. Each of these arrhythmias present with similar symptoms and treatments vary depending on the type of arrhythmia that’s diagnosed.
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is the most prevalent heart rhythm disorder in patients over 65, but can occur at any age. This arrhythmia occurs when the upper chambers of the heart don’t beat properly, like a mild shuddering rather than a strong beat, resulting in poor blood flow in to the ventricles below. The slow movement of blood creates an increased risk for blood clots and clot related illnesses.
Ventricular Fibrillation
This type of arrhythmia is very serious, often leading to cardiac arrest. When the heart’s lower chambers, or ventricles, don’t beat strongly, but instead quiver like in atrial fibrillation, the result can be deadly.
Tachycardia and Bradycardia
Tachycardia occurs when the heart beats more than 100 times in a minute. Tachycardia is more likely to occur if you are very stressed, very tired, drink too much coffee or alcohol, and smoke excessively. Bradycardia occurs when the heart beats less than 60 times in a minute. Fit people may have a resting heart rate below 60 beats per minute; often during deep sleep your heart rate can drop this low.
Symptoms of Arrhythmias (Irregular Heart Beat)
If you’ve ever felt like your heart skipped a beat or have a fluttering in your chest, you may have an arrhythmia. Some abnormal heart rhythms are merely a nuisance and don’t require treatment, where some are quite serious. When an arrhythmia persists, more prevalent symptoms develop including:
1. Tiredness
2. Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
3. Feeling faint or passing out
4. Pounding heart
5. Trouble breathing
6. Pain in the chest
7. In serious cases, cardiac arrest
Any of these symptoms that concern you or persist over a long period of time please visit to doctor. When your doctor is concerned that you may have an arrhythmia, there are several types of tests that show the heart’s rhythm and whether or not it’s abnormal. The most common test is an electrocardiogram (EEG). In many cases, patients wear a holter monitor, or a mobile, continuous EEG, for a set amount of time that records the heart’s beats for the doctor to examine and make an accurate diagnosis.
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