Heavy smoking, alcohol use, excess caffeine or other stimulants, stress, thyroid disease, and fever can result in the heart beating abnormally.

Arrhythmia is a condition when the heart beats out of rhythm. Here’s everything you need to know about the condition.

NORMAL RHYTHM vs ABNORMAL RHYTHM.

Everyone’s heart beats at a set pace. This pace is in keeping with whatever activity the body is doing. Of course, when one goes through extreme emotions, the beat may pick-up or slow down for a brief time. This is normal. If the individual has an irregular heartbeat for extended periods of time, irrespective of the work being done by the body, then it is time to call on the doctor.

ANYONE CAN GET IT

Arrhythmia can affect anyone, even those with a healthy heart. If the arrhythmia is the result of an underlying condition, then it rights itself when the underlying condition is treated.

ACTIVITIES THAT CAUSE IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT

Heavy smoking, alcohol use, excess caffeine or other stimulants, stress, thyroid disease, and fever can result in the heart beating abnormally.

SHORT TERM vs LONG TERM ARRHYTHMIA

Short term Arrhythmias, most of the time are harmless. They do not help the overall health of the body and seldom recur. However, long term arrhythmias can cause the heart to pump irregularly, weakening the heart muscles over time. This means less blood is pumped out for the healthy functioning of the body.

ABNORMAL HEARTBEAT PATTERNS.

A fast heart rate is more than 100 beats per minute (in adults) and is called tachycardia. A slow heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute and is called bradycardia. An irregular heartbeat is commonly called a flutter or fibrillation.

ARRHYTHMIA SYMPTOMS:

• Palpitations, a sensation of feeling one’s own heartbeat
• Fainting, Light-headedness, dizziness
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath, temporary inability to breathe
• Paleness

ARRHYTHMIA TYPES:

• Atrial fibrillation

  This irregular beating originates in the atrial chambers. It occurs when the chamber fibrillates, or quivers producing a rapid heartbeat instead of one strong contraction.

• Atrial flutter

  Atrial flutter usually occurs at one area in the atrium that is not conducting properly. Atrial Fibrillation is random while Atrial flutter produces a consistent pattern.

• Supraventricular tachycardia

  In this condition the individual has a rapid but rhythmically regular heartbeat which means there is a burst of accelerated heartbeats that can last for a certain period of time.

• Ventricular tachycardia

  Here abnormal electrical impulses start in the ventricles resulting in an abnormally fast heartbeat.

• Ventricular fibrillation

  This condition causes rapid, uncoordinated, and fluttering contractions of the ventricles to such an extent that they do not pump blood anymore. It can be triggered by a heart attack.

• Long QT syndrome

  This heart rhythm disorder causes rapid, uncoordinated heartbeats and can cause the person to go unconscious. Genetic susceptibility or certain medications and cause this condition.

ARRHYTHMIA MANAGEMENT

Medications, Lifestyle modification and periodic monitoring of heartbeat is more than enough in most cases to deal with even long-term arrhythmias. However, in a few cases, where medication provides unsatisfactory outcomes, it may be necessary to surgically remove any tissues that are causing the arrhythmia or to insert a device to help regularise the heartbeat.

ARRHYTHMIA DEVICES

• Electrical Cardioversion

  In this procedure an electric current is used to reset the heart’s rhythm – to take it back to its normal pattern.

• Permanent Pacemakers

  A pacemaker is a small, flat device inserted just under the skin beneath the collarbone. Thin wires from the pacemaker are attached to small blood vessels that lead into the heart. Electrical signals from the pacemaker help control the heartbeat. It also keeps record of the heartbeat’s rate and rhythm that can help the doctor adjust the settings of the pacemaker periodically. The pacemaker’s battery needs to be replaced every five to eight years.

• Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs)

  An Arrhythmia ICD is usually recommended for those with ventricular arrhythmia and for those who are at risk for developing it. It looks similar to a pacemaker but is a little larger. It is built to quickly sense an abnormal heart rhythm. The moment it does, the ICD delivers an electrical pulse to reset the rhythm of the heartbeat.

Reviewed By:

DR.ASHOKKUMAR

CONSULTANT – CARDIOLOGY

MBBS, MD (MEDICINE), DM (CARDIOLOGY)