What is cardiac arrhythmia?

Cardiac arrhythmias are irregular heartbeats that occur when electrical signals don’t properly coordinate heartbeats. They often feel like fluttering in the chest or a racing heartbeat. Heart arrhythmias can be harmless, but could also lead to more serious conditions.

• Anxiety
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Fluttering in the chest
• Lightheadedness
• Racing heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Slow heartbeat
• Sweating

There are many possible causes of cardiac arrhythmia. Common causes include:

• Blocked arteries
• Drug usage
• Excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeine
• Genetics
• High blood pressure
• Over or underactive thyroid
• Scarring and other side effects of heart attack
• Smoking
• Stress

Each type of arrhythmia falls into one of two categories: Tachycardia (a faster than normal heart rate) and bradycardia (a slower than average heart rate).

• Types of tachycardia include:
  • Atrial fibrillation: rapid, uncoordinated beating of the heart
  • Atrial flutter: a fluttering feeling similar to A-fib, but with a more organized beating
  • Supraventricular tachycardia: abrupt episodes of a pounding heartbeat
  • Ventricular fibrillation: quivering in the lower heart chambers
  • Ventricular tachycardia: rapid heart rate
• Types of bradycardia include:
  • Sick sinus syndrome: a heartbeat alternating between too slow and too fast
  • Conduction block: slow or stopped heartbeats

• Congenital heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Previous heart surgeries
• Thyroid disease

• Avoid smoking and nicotine consumption
• Eat a heart-healthy diet
• Limit caffeine intake
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Reduce stress

The type of treatment given for heart arrhythmias depends on whether you have a fast heartbeat (tachycardia) or slow heartbeat (bradycardia). Some arrhythmias do not require treatment but might be monitored closely by your physician. If the condition is serious, treatment options might include medication, cardiac therapies, or surgery like ablation, pacemaker implant, or coronary bypass surgery.