Educational Information About Cardiac Arrhythmias

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a cardiac arrhythmia is a problem with the rate of the heartbeat, causing the heart to beat too fast, too slow or with an irregular rhythm. While most arrhythmias are harmless, in some cases they can be serious or life threatening.

Types

• The two main categories of arrhythmias are ventricular, referring to arrhythmias that start in the ventricles; and supraventricular, referring to arrhythmias that originate in the atria. According to NHLBI, supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias can be further defined by the speed of the heartbeats: too slow (bradychardia), too fast (tachycardia) and a fast, uncoordinated beat (fibrillation).

Symptoms

• Even though some arrhythmias cause no symptoms, the most commonly experienced symptoms include the feeling that the heart has skipped a beat (palpitation), abnormal pauses between heartbeats, anxiety, chest pain, dizziness, sweating and shortness of breath.

Diagnosis

• Most arrhythmias are hard to diagnose. However, according to the NHLBI, specialized heart doctors, known as electrophysiologists, use several methods to help diagnose arrhythmias, including medical and family histories, physical examination, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and chest X-rays.

Treatment

• Arrhythmias can be treated through methods that include oral medication and medical procedures. Medicines are used to restore an erratic heartbeat back to a normal rate and are fairly effective. Medical procedures can include the installation of a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

Prevention

• According to the Heart Rhythm Foundation, it is possible to eliminate risk factors that may lead to cardiac arrhythmias. Some strategies include exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet with vitamin-rich foods, avoiding or limiting caffeine and alcohol intake, stopping smoking and successful stress reduction and management.