Causes, symptoms, causes, and therapy of irregular heartbeat
An arrhythmia is a heartbeat that is irregular. A person's heart may beat too quickly, too slowly, too early, or in an irregular rhythm if they have this disorder.
Arrhythmias develop when the electrical signals that coordinate heartbeats malfunction. An irregular heartbeat can feel like a rushing or fluttering heart.
Many cardiac arrhythmias are completely innocuous. Arrhythmias, on the other hand, can cause serious and potentially fatal symptoms and problems if they are excessively irregular or come from a weak or injured heart.
The article about irregular heartbeat Singapore at https://cadenceheart.sg/condition/cardiac-rhythm-disorders/ (Abre numa nova janela) is written by doctors who specialize in heart conditions and defines arrhythmia and discusses its causes and symptoms. We also go over the various treatments and sorts.
What exactly is arrhythmia?
Cardiac arrhythmia is a group of conditions in which the heart beats irregularly, too slowly or too fast.
Arrhythmia is classified into numerous types, including:
A sluggish heartbeat is referred to as bradycardia.
tachycardia, or a quick heartbeat, irregular pulse, often known as flutter or fibrillation, premature heartbeat
The majority of arrhythmias are not severe and do not result in problems. Some, on the other hand, can raise the chance of a stroke or cardiac arrest.
Some patients may hear clinicians use the term "dysrhythmia" to describe their irregular heartbeat. The terms arrhythmia and dysrhythmia mean the same thing, however arrhythmia is more commonly used.
What exactly is a regular heartbeat?
A healthy heartbeat is determined by counting the number of times the heart beats per minute (bpm) while at rest. This is referred to as the resting heart rate.
The range for a healthy resting heart rate varies by individual, but the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that it be between 60 and 100 beats per minuteTrusted Source.
The lower a person's resting heart rate becomes, the better. Olympic athletes, for example, will typically have a resting heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute due to their highly efficient hearts.
The heart should beat in a regular rhythm, with double "ba-bum" beats separated by even gaps.
One of these beats involves the heart contracting to supply oxygen to previously circulated blood, while the other involves the heart moving oxygenated blood across the body.
A person's pulse can be used to calculate their heart rate. They can feel the heartbeat through the skin at this point. The ideal places on the body to do this are:
the hands' wrists
the inside surfaces of the elbows
the tip of the foot the side of the neck
Types
As mentioned here, there are numerous forms of arrhythmia:
Atrioventricular fibrillation
This is the irregular beating of the atrial chambers, which almost invariably results in tachycardia. Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is a prevalent condition that primarily affects persons over the age of 65.
Instead of a single, forceful contraction, the chamber fibrillates or quivers, frequently resulting in a fast heartbeat.
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial flutter, unlike fibrillation, is usually caused by a single region of the atrium that is not conducting adequately. This results in a continuous pattern of faulty cardiac conduction.
Some people have both flutter and fibrillation.
Without therapy, atrial flutter can be dangerous and lead to fibrillation.
Tachycardia supraventricular
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is characterized by a fast but rhythmically regular heartbeat. A person may experience a burst of rapid heartbeats that lasts anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours.
Atrial fibrillation and flutter are classified as SVTs by doctors.
Tachycardia of the ventricle
This disorder is characterized by aberrant electrical impulses that originate in the ventricles and result in an excessively fast heartbeat. This is common when the heart has a scar from a previous heart attack.
Ventricular tachycardia
This is an irregular heart rhythm characterized by fast, uncoordinated, and fluttering ventricular contractions. The ventricles do not pump blood, but rather quiver.
Ventricular fibrillation can be fatal and is frequently associated with cardiac disease. It is frequently precipitated by a heart attack.
QT prolongation syndrome
This condition is a heart rhythm issue that can result in fast, disorganized heartbeats. This can result in fainting, which can be fatal.
It can also occur as a result of genetic predisposition or the use of certain drugs.
Causes
Arrhythmia can occur when the electrical impulses that stimulate cardiac contractions are disrupted.
Several factors can cause the heart to malfunction, including:
Diabetes is a drug use disorder that is exacerbated by alcohol abuse.
excessive coffee consumption
Congestive heart failure is a type of heart disease.
high blood pressure hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland) stress heart scarring, typically as a result of a heart attack smoking certain dietary and herbal supplements
a few medications
Heart structural modifications
A healthy heart will almost never have long-term arrhythmia unless there is an external cause, such as a substance abuse disorder or an electric shock.
However, an underlying heart disease might cause electrical impulses to pass incorrectly via the heart. This raises the likelihood of arrhythmia.
Symptoms
Arrhythmia may not cause obvious symptoms. However, cardiac arrhythmia might be detected by a doctor during a routine examination or after obtaining an ECG (EKG).
Even if a person detects symptoms, this does not always imply that they have a serious arrhythmia.
Some patients who have life-threatening arrhythmias have no symptoms, while others who have symptoms may not have a severe arrhythmia.
The following symptoms vary depending on the type of arrhythmia:
Tachycardia Symptoms
Rapid heartbeat symptoms include:
breathlessness
dizziness
fainting or nearly fainting chest fluttering chest pain
lightheadedness
unexpected weakness
Bradycardia Symptoms
Bradycardia may result in the following symptoms:
angina (chest discomfort)
difficulty concentrating consternation finding exercise more harder than usual
dizziness
tiredness
lightheadedness
palpitations
breathing difficulty
excessive sweating, fainting or nearly fainting
A-fib Symptoms
When A-fib symptoms appear, they frequently appear suddenly and may include:
angina
breathlessness
dizziness \spalpitations
weakness caused by fainting or nearly fainting
Complications
Because to arrhythmia, some people may not feel active symptoms. However, medication is still required to avoid future consequences such as stroke and heart failure.
Stroke: Atrial fibrillation indicates that the heart is not working properly. Blood can pool and clot as a result of this disorder.
If a clot breaks free, it may move to a brain artery, resulting in a potentially fatal blockage, or stroke. Strokes can cause brain damage and necessitate immediate medical attention.
Heart failure can occur as a result of prolonged tachycardia or bradycardia. When the heart fails, it is unable to supply enough blood to the body and its organs. Usually, treatment can help improve this.
Treatments
Arrhythmia treatment is only required if the condition increases the risk of more severe arrhythmia or a complication, or if the symptoms are severe.
Different arrhythmias necessitate different therapies.
Bradycardia treatments
If bradycardia is caused by an underlying ailment, a doctor must first treat that problem. If no underlying disease is discovered, the doctor may recommend implanting a pacemaker.
A pacemaker is a tiny device implanted beneath the skin of the chest or abdomen by a specialist to help control irregular heart rhythms. Pacemakers employ electrical pulses to stimulate the heart to beat at a consistent minimum rate.
Tachycardia treatments
Tachycardia can be treated in a variety of ways, including:
Vagal maneuvers: Specific motions and exercises that can be performed at home may help to stop some types of arrhythmia that begin above the bottom half of the heart.
Medications will not cure an arrhythmia, but they will usually reduce the amount of tachycardia events. Some drugs also increase electrical conductivity through the heart.
Cardioversion is a procedure in which the doctor uses an electric shock or medicine to return the heart to its normal rhythm.
A surgeon inserts one or more catheters into the inner heart for ablation therapy. They insert catheters into parts of the heart where they suspect arrhythmia is occurring. The surgeon will then utilize them to destroy small pieces of diseased tissue, which often results in the arrhythmia being corrected.
A surgeon places an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) near the left collarbone. The heart beat is then monitored by the gadget. It stimulates the heart to return to normal speed if it detects an exceptionally fast rate.
Maze process: A surgeon makes a series of surgical incisions in the heart during the maze procedure. These scars then form barriers that guide electrical impulses, allowing the heart to beat more efficiently.
Ventricular aneurysm surgery: An aneurysm, or bulge, in a blood vessel leading to the heart can occasionally induce arrhythmia. If other therapies fail, a surgeon may be required to remove the aneurysm.
Coronary bypass surgery involves grafting arteries or veins from other parts of the body onto the coronary arteries. This allows the circulation to bypass any narrowed areas and improves blood supply to the heart muscle. To get an in-person consultation you can visit Cadence Heart at 3 Mount Elizabeth, Medical Centre, #14-13, Singapore 228510 or call 65 6369 8789.