Arrhythmias are abnormal rhythms of the heart. Arrhythmias cause the heart to pump blood less effectively. Most cardiac arrhythmias are temporary and benign. Most temporary and benign arrhythmias are those where your heart skips a beat or has an extra beat. The occasional skip or extra beat is often caused by strong emotions or exercise. Nonetheless, some arrhythmias may be life-threatening and require treatment.
Causes of Arrhythmias
There are two basic ways you can develop arrhythmias:
Problems with initiating the electrical signal - either the sinus node fires abnormally, or there is a competing impulse elsewhere in the heart.
Problems with the conduction of the electrical impulse - connections from the atria to ventricles are hindered; this is often termed a heart block.
People with heart disease are particularly likely to develop arrhythmias, since damage to the heart can stop the beat signal from reaching the ventricles, or cause certain areas of the heart fire abnormally. High blood pressure and an overactive thyroid gland also increase the chances of arrhythmias. Alcohol can cause atrial arrhythmias as well. There are also inherited and congenital (present since birth) types of arrhythmia, often resulting in a weak or late signal getting to the ventricles. The ventricles can emit their own signal, but this often fewer than 40 beats a minute instead of the usual 60 to 100 with the sinus node.
Symptoms and Complications of Arrhythmias
When the heart beats faster than normal, it’s called tachycardia. Symptoms include chest discomfort, palpitations, lightheadedness, dizziness, and sometimes fainting. When it beats slower than normal, it’s called bradycardia. Bradycardia can cause fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting, as it tends to produce low blood pressure.
Everyone knows what it feels like to experience an occasional flutter of the heart, and usually it doesn’t mean anything. But if you get chest pains, feel faint, or when checking your pulse you notice it to be irregular over a prolonged period, it’s time to see a doctor.
Treatment of Arrhythmias
Treatment depends on the type of arrhythmia you have. Some mild arrhythmias require no treatment. Other arrhythmias can be treated with medicines. If another health problem is causing the arrhythmia, treatment is aimed at taking care of that problem. In more serious cases, other treatments are available:
An artificial pacemaker is an electronic device placed under the skin on the chest. It helps the heart maintain a regular beat, especially when the heart beats too slowly.
Cardiac defibrillation (very brief electric shock) can be used to stop an abnormal rhythm and restore a normal one.
Surgery can correct certain types of arrhythmias. For example, arrhythmias caused by coronary artery disease may be controlled by bypass surgery. When an
arrhythmia is caused by a certain area of the heart, sometimes that part of the heart can be destroyed or removed.
