What Are the Causes of Heart Arrythmias?

A heart arrhythmia is an irregular beating rhythm to your heart. The heart beats between 60 to 80 beats per minute, and anything above or below this range is an arrhythmia. There are currently (2009) four million people in the United States who suffer from arrhythmia. There are two categories of arrhythmia: ventricular arrhythmia occurs in the lower chambers called the ventricles, and supraventricular arrhythmia occurs in the upper chambers called the atria. Arrhythmias are also separated into three types: bradycardia is a heartbeat that is less than 60, tachycardia is a heartbeat that is over 100, and atrial fibrillation is the contraction of individual heart-muscle fibers.

Cardiovascular Causes

• Having a heart attack can cause bruising on the heart, which in turn can cause an arrhythmia. Prior heart surgeries or other damage to the heart that has caused scarring and bruising can create arrhythmias. High blood pressure thickens your ventricle walls and interrupts the electrical impulses of your heart. Cardiomyopathy decreases your heart's ability to pump blood, and damages the tissues of your heart. Valvular heart diseases can cause heart arrhythmias from the stress of leaking heart valves.

Age and Genetics

• Some people are born with a heart abnormality that causes them to have an arrhythmia. And as people get older, their heart muscles weaken and hearts lose their flexibility. This can affect the hearts' electrical impulses, leading to arrhythmias.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

• Abusing illegal and prescription drugs can lead to heart arrhythmias. Alcohol and drugs can affect the electrical impulses of your heart, causing arrhythmias. Regular alcohol abuse can cause a decrease in your heart's ability to beat effectively, thus causing a cardiomyopathy. Atrial fibrillation can also develop due to binge drinking.

Disorders

• Obstructive sleep apnea interrupts your breathing during sleep and can eventually led to bradycardia arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation. Thyroid disorders can also cause bradycardia and atrial fibrillation. Being obese or having diabetes can also cause heart arrhythmias.

Smoking and Caffeine

• Stimulants like nicotine and caffeine can cause your heart to have an irregular beat. They also cause your heart to beat faster, and this can eventually lead to the development of heart arrhythmias. People who use these stimulants on a regular basis are prone to more serious cases of arrhythmias.

Miscellaneous Factors

• Having an electrolyte imbalance can affect your heart's electrical impulse and cause the development of a heart arrhythmia. Electrolytes are substances found in your blood that control the electrical impulses of the heart. Continued use of over-the-counter and prescription medications that contain pseudoephrine can cause arrhythmias as well.