What Is Ventricular Tachycardia Without a Cause?

Ventricular tachycardia is a type of arrhythmia of the heart. If the cause is unknown, it's known as idiopathic. Many times arrhythmias have no known cause. While many arrhythmias are mild and require no treatment, most ventricular arrhythmias are serious in nature.

Identification

• An arrhythmia is a change in the normal pattern of heartbeats, and is caused by a problem in the heart's electrical system. A normal heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute, while in tachycardia, the rate is above 100.

Ventricular tachycardia

• When the faster beats begin in the ventricles of the heart, it is called ventricular tachycardia. Symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting.

Emergency Treatment

• With serious arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia, sometimes emergency treatment is required. If so, it includes electrical shock therapy, a temporary pacemaker, and medications via IV, or through a vein.

Treatment

• According to the National Institute of Health, most ventricular tachycardia cases are now treated with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), which sends a shock or a burst of pacing activity to interrupt and alter the arrhythmia.

Causes

• Causes for ventricular arrhythmias include abnormal levels of magnesium and potassium in the blood, electrocution, heart attack and angina, or chest pain; however, sometimes a cause for ventricular arrhythmias cannot be determined.