An arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. It occurs when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart’s rhythm do not function correctly, causing the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or erratically. While some arrhythmias are completely harmless, others can be life-threatening if they disrupt the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively to the rest of the body.
Main Types of Arrhythmia
Arrhythmias are primarily classified by the speed and pattern of the heart rate:
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Tachycardia: A fast heart rate, typically exceeding 100 beats per minute at rest.
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Bradycardia: A slow heart rate, usually dropping below 60 beats per minute at rest.
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Fibrillation: Uncoordinated, rapid quivering of the heart muscle. The most common type is Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), which occurs in the heart’s upper chambers and significantly increases the risk of blood clots and ischemic strokes.
Symptoms and Causes
Many people with arrhythmias experience no symptoms at all. When symptoms do occur, they often include a fluttering sensation in the chest (palpitations), dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, or fainting.
These rhythm disruptions can be triggered by a variety of factors:
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Active heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease or a previous heart attack.
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High blood pressure, diabetes, or thyroid problems.
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Lifestyle factors, including high stress, smoking, heavy alcohol use, or excessive caffeine consumption.
Treatment depends entirely on the severity of the condition. Mild cases may require simple lifestyle changes or medication, while more serious disruptions might need an implantable pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or a catheter ablation procedure to scar the tiny areas of heart tissue causing the bad signals.