Abnormal Heartbeat (Arrhythmia) – Causes and Symptoms

Irregular Heartbeat (Arrhythmia): Is your heartbeat too slow, too fast, too early, and irregular? If yes, then you could be suffering from arrhythmia. It is a condition in which your heart may beat irregularly, too slowly, or too quickly.

Though many arrhythmias are harmless, the ones manifesting due to a damaged or weak heart are abnormal. Such arrhythmias can be potentially damaging and life-threatening and are associated with fatal symptoms. They may lead to cardiac arrest and stroke.

When electrical signals that govern heartbeat do not work properly or go haywire, they cause abnormal or irregular heartbeats. Racing heart, fluttering, irregular heartbeats – are the manifestations of such a condition (arrhythmia).

Symptoms of Arrhythmia

The signs and symptoms of heart arrhythmia include the following:

Slow heartbeat or bradycardia
Quick or racing heartbeat tachycardia
Fluttering in the chest
Near fainting or Fainting (syncope)
Dizziness
Shortness of breath, breathlessness, and palpitations
Discomfort in chest or chest pain

Note: Some arrhythmias have no symptoms. A slow heartbeat doesn’t always mean an illness or arrhythmia. Even if someone experiences symptoms it doesn’t necessarily mean that the person has some serious problem. Some persons having typical symptoms of an

arrhythmia may not have any serious problem or arrhythmia, but some with life-threatening arrhythmias may not have any symptoms at all.

Irregular heartbeat (Arrhythmia) Causes

The causes of arrhythmia are many including mental stress, smoking and diabetes. The other factors that can cause the heart to work abnormally include the following:

• Structural changes in the heart
  Congestive heart failure
  Hyperthyroidism
  Some medicines
  Diabetes
  High blood pressure
  Alcohol abuse
  Excessive caffeine consumption
  Some herbal and dietary supplements
  Stress
  Depression
  Drug Abuse
  Smoking
  Defects of the adrenal gland
  Scarring of heart due to heart attack

Types of Arrhythmias

Tachycardia: When your heart beats too fast or quicker, the condition is known as Tachycardia. If you have this condition, you may experience the following symptoms:

Chest pain
Sudden weakness
Light-headedness
Fluttering in the chest
Dyspnea (breathlessness)
Nearly fainting or fainting (syncope)
Dizziness

Bradycardia: When your heart beats slower than normal, the condition is known as Bradycardia. If you have this condition, you may experience the following symptoms:

Chest pain (Angina)
Fatigue (extreme tiredness)
Dizziness
Sweating or Diaphoresis
Trouble concentrating
Shortness of breath
Palpitations
Light-headedness
confusion
difficulties when exercising
Fainting or nearly fainting (syncope)

Atrial fibrillation

In this condition of the heart, the upper chambers of the heartbeat abnormally in a pattern which is asynchronous with the lower chambers (Fast tremulous movements in the atrium). Symptoms may manifest rapidly, but in some cases, there are no symptoms. If you have this condition, you may have the following symptoms:

Chest pain
Nearly fainting experience or fainting (syncope)
Palpitations
Dizziness
Breathlessness
Weakness
Atrial flutter

In atrial flutter, one area in the atrium doesn’t conduct properly – owing to which, there is abnormal conduction with a consistent pattern – which is not suitable for pumping blood through the heart. Atrial flutter may lead to abnormal heartbeats numbering up to a few hundred times per minute. Untreated atrial flutter may lead to fibrillation.

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)

An individual with this condition may have a burst of accelerated heartbeats which are irregular and abnormally rapid heartbeats. The condition can last for a few seconds to a few hours. The patient with this condition has 160 to 200 heartbeats per minute. Flutter and atrial fibrillation come under SVTs.

If you think you are suffering from irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), then meet me for a complete and thorough medical evaluation.