Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is another word for a change in your heartbeat. There are two forms of arrhythmia:

Tachycardia -- heart beats too fast.
Bradycardia -- heart beats too slow.

It may also mean that you have an irregular heartbeat (e.g., skips a beat or has an extra beat). At some point in your life, you have probably noticed your heart beating ultrafast or skipping a beat. Normally, these differences are stimulated by powerful emotions or exercise, and they are by no means dangerous. On the other hand, arrhythmias that occur with regularity or cause side effects may give reason to worry and should be evaluated by a medical professional.

Causes

The heart is divided into four sections called chambers. Each time the walls of the heart contract, blood passes through the chambers. The sinoatrial node is responsible for releasing electrical pulses that regulate these contractions. The speed at which the contractions occur depends on nerve impulses and hormone levels in the blood. If any of these are abnormal, arrhythmia may result.
Slight arrhythmia can be incited by overindulgence in alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine. High stress and excessive exercise may also contribute to it. Arrhythmia is most frequently encouraged by heart disease (especially coronary artery disease), abnormal heart valve function, and heart failure. However, many cases of arrhythmia often go unexplained.

Symptoms

If you have a family history of heart disease or heart attacks, you are more at risk to develop arrhythmia. Do not hesitate to connect with a medical professional if you experience any of the following:

Palpitations or unusually fast and pounding heartbeats
Drowsiness or faintness
Passing out
Problems catching breath
Discomfort in the chest cavity

How serious is it?

Most instances of arrhythmia are so minor that they can be ignored, but a select group of people have arrhythmia that must be treated under the care of a physician. An arrhythmia may be compounded by other heart problems. Generally, an arrhythmia originating in the ventricles (lower chambers) is more concerning than one starting in the atria (upper chamber). If you are under any suspicion that you may have an arrhythmia, make an appointment to see a doctor. He or she will discuss the severity of the arrhythmia with you and determine whether treatment is necessary.

Treatment

Some types of arrhythmia can be treated with medication, while the milder kinds may not require any treatment at all. If another disorder is at the root of arrhythmia, the goal is to treat that instead. It may be necessary to treat the most severe cases of arrhythmia with:

Artificial pacemaker -- electronic device inserted beneath the skin on the chest that steadies the heartbeat, particularly when it drops to too slow of a pace.
Cardiac defibrillation -- swift electric shock that restores an abnormal heartbeat back to beating at regular intervals.
Surgery -- fixes specific types of arrhythmia such as those caused by coronary artery disease. If a certain area of the heart is continuously malfunctioning to cause the arrhythmia, it may be a possibility to remove that section.

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