Arrhythmia : What Is It?

Simply defined, arrhythmia is the abnormal and sudden change in a heartbeat’s rhythm. There are two kinds of Arrhythmia – tachycardia and bradycardia. Tachycardia is the condition wherein the heart is beating too fast. On the other hard, if the heart is beating too slowly, then it is bradycardia.

Arrhythmia is also the term applied to the condition of the heart skipping a beat or doing an extra, unnecessary beat. These may be occasional instances, but it is surely noticeable by some people. Simple activities, such as rigorous exercise or strong and moving emotions may cause it.

Arrhythmia is brought upon by a lot of factors. The most serious case of this disease should be given proper medical attention by qualified specialists. One cause of arrhythmia is the failure in any of the heart’s components, and that include the hormones and the nerve impulses. These two directly influences the contraction rate of the heart and that is the reason why they could be the culprits.

There could instances that arrhythmia occurs for no reason at all. But the minor cases are usually caused by stress, excessive exercise, smoking, caffeine, and alcohol abuse. And if you have underlying heart diseases such as coronary heart disease, heart valve malfunction, or heart failure, you are more susceptible to it.

As implied earlier, arrhythmia may just be a minor health problem. But just the same, it could accelerate to a more severe case if not attended to right away. Doctors regard arrhythmia to be dangerous if it originates from the lower chambers or the ventricles of the heart. And it could be a less serious case if it starts in the heart’s atria or upper chambers. In order for you to determine where yours starts, you have to consult a cardiologist.

Diagnosing arrhythmia is done through a series of medical interviews coupled with tests like EKG or ECG. In either of this test, a physician will be monitoring your heart in a lying position. He might also request you to use the treadmill as he does a heartbeat test. This is something you can easily do at home, because most treadmills already come with a heartbeat calculator to aid users with heart conditions. Several medical devices, such as Holter monitors or event recorders may be required to be worn so that a 24-hour or a two to three days monitoring is achieved. Doctors may also conduct electrophysiologic studies to gather more information about their patient’s heart.

Arrhythmia has different types. One is called atrial fibrillation. This is a case wherein the heat is beating too fast and very irregularly. This is one type of arrhythmia that requires attentive treatment because it makes one highly at risk of suffering stroke.

Another type is called ectopic beats. In this case, the patient’s heart does one or two extra beats. For this type, there is really no treatment necessary, unless of course a number of extra heartbeats in a row are observed. It generally happens if one has a previous heart condition.

The treatment for arrhythmia mainly depends on which type you have. The mild ones actually do not require treatments, while others have to be treated with proper medication. In the more advanced cases of arrhythmia, the patients are fitted with artificial pacemakers. These are devices are electronic in nature and are placed under the chest’s skin. Its job is to maintain the wearer’s regular heartbeat. It proves to be most helpful when the heart is beating very slowly.

Surgery can also correct different types of this disease. Bypass surgery is recommended for those who have arrhythmia caused by certain heart diseases. Removing surgically the part of the heart that is causing this disease may become necessary, so as to treat it entirely.