Tachycardia – A Cardiovascular Disease

Tachycardia is a type of a cardiovascular disease, which is characterized by an abnormal and very rapid beating of the heart. A person with tachycardia has a heartbeat rate of around one hundred beats in a minute more than a person who has a normal heart rate. And if the heart does this all the time, certain health problems would occur as a result.

Tachycardia is considered to be a harmful condition because if the heart beats too fast, the ventricles won’t be filled up with blood completely. When that happens, there won’t be enough blood to circulate throughout the body. And of course, if the heart beats fast, it means it is exerting too much effort. It then requires more oxygen to function. And eventually, it will work itself out until heart diseases such ischemia and infarction develops.

The Causes of Tachycardia
Tachycardia is usually associated with atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the heart’s arteries. Aside from atherosclerosis, diseases to the heart, the lungs, and the thyroid gland are considered to be the usual causes of tachycardia. Heart failure, pneumonia, and heart failures are its common examples.

But this disease may also be caused by a person’s errant lifestyle. Too much alcohol, nicotine, and even caffeine in the body from the food they eat can very much cause this disease to develop. Consequently, certain medications cause the heart to beat fast. Drug abuse, especially in the prohibited drug cocaine is another culprit. Intense and prolonged emotional stress has to be monitored as well, because studies had shown that it is also a factor as to why tachycardia develops in a person.

The Symptoms of Tachycardia
The most common symptom of this disease is palpitation. Palpitation is the abnormal awareness of your heart beating or pounding in your rib cage. Palpitations also imply that the heart is doing some extra beats or is missing a beat altogether. But for a person with tachycardia, it is the former that is always observed.

Dizziness or feeling light-headed is also common to people with this disease. Sometimes, the episode is too severe that they are either close to fainting or had actually lost consciousness. Along with this, they will also experience shortness of breath even though they are not doing any extraneous physical activities at all. Anxiety becomes a way of life and chronic chest pains occur from time to time.

The Diagnosis of Tachycardia
The first line of diagnosis conducted to a person suspected to have tachycardia is to acquire his medical history. The symptoms associated to the disease are analyzed, together with his family background. Doing so ensures that the groundwork for an accurate diagnosis is laid. After which, the actual tests take place.

The choice as to which test to perform depends upon the doctor’s initial diagnosis, requirements, and even expertise. The most common tests performed are ECG, echocardiogram, and cardiac catheterization. But some doctors would additionally request for stress tests and electrophysiologic studies on top of those tests. Alternatively, laboratory tests, which include blood tests and urine examinations, may also be requested.

The Treatment of Tachycardia
The treatment of tachycardia depends entirely on the main cause of the disease. Medicines are given to both treat the episodes currently experienced as well as to prevent the onset of new ones. Antipyretics are administered if there are instances of fever that are associated with the disease. Beta-blockers like propanolol are given for tachycadia due to hyperthyroidism. If the disease is caused by arrythmia, then drugs that prevent the occurrence of arrythmia, called the antiarrythmic drugs are prescribed.

The main principle being followed in the treatment of this disease is to make sure that the heart functions, which are affected most, are addressed properly. It is also important that any complications arising from the disease are prevented at all costs.