Arrhythmia

What is arrhythmia?

Arrhythmia affects the electrical activity in your heart. Electrical signals within your heart make it beat, pumping blood around your body. If something interferes with the electrical signals, it changes how your heart beats.

Arrhythmia means your heart beats too quickly (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia), or irregularly. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common form that causes a fast, chaotic rhythm in the heart’s upper chambers (atria).

Some arrhythmias, like premature atrial contractions, are generally harmless. Others, like ventricular fibrillation (V-fib), are potentially life-threatening.

Palpitations, where your heart beats too fast, flutters, or pounds, are sometimes caused by arrhythmia. However, stress, excessive exercise, medication, and other causes are more likely. An accurate diagnosis is vital so you receive the most appropriate treatment.

How is arrhythmia diagnosed?

To diagnose arrhythmia, your Cardiovascular Wellness Center provider examines you and listens to your heart. They look at your medical history and ask about your symptoms. Depending on what they find, they’ll order tests to evaluate your arrhythmia, such as:

• Electrocardiography (EKG)
• Echocardiography (heart ultrasound)
• Stress testing
• Holter monitor
• Event monitor
• Tilt-table test
• Electrophysiology

These procedures assess the way your heart beats. They help your provider pinpoint the source of your symptoms.

How is arrhythmia treated?

The treatment you need for arrhythmia depends on the kind you have and how badly it affects you. Healthy living is essential for all patients. That means:

• Losing weight if needed
• Eating a heart-healthy diet
• Stopping smoking
• Regular exercise
• Lowering blood pressure
• Reducing cholesterol

Your Cardiovascular Wellness Center provider might also prescribe antiarrhythmic or anticoagulant drugs. These help regulate your heartbeat and prevent complications like blood clots.

What procedures might I need for arrhythmia?

Patients with severe arrhythmia might benefit from radiofrequency ablation. This involves passing a catheter (slender tube) along an artery to your heart. Radiofrequency energy from a wire inside the catheter heats the tissue causing arrhythmia and destroys it.

Other treatments include a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). An ICD is a small device that your provider implants into your chest. It uses electrical pulses to regulate your heartbeat.

Your provider programs the ICD to match your symptoms. For example, you get a low-energy shock as your heart beats to restore an even rhythm (cardioversion). Or, if your heartbeat is dangerously uneven or fast, the ICD sends out a higher-energy shock to reset your heartbeat (defibrillation).

If you’re experiencing arrhythmia symptoms, call Cardiovascular Wellness Center or book an appointment online today.