Sometimes, lifestyle changes such as avoiding stress, and cutting out alcohol and caffeine coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and some over-the-counter pain medicines may be helpful. There are many other important lifestyle changes you can make that can improve your condition including eating a healthy diet and becoming more physically active.
Talk to your doctor about the most beneficial lifestyle changes for you. Find someone you can turn to for emotional support like a family member, friend, doctor, mental health worker or support group.
Talking about your challenges and feelings could be an important part of your journey to recovery. To find useful services to help you on your journey with heart disease, see our services and resources listing. How a healthy heart works Living Well with Heart Disease. Donate now. Heart disease Conditions A-Z Arrhythmia. What is arrhythmia? Types of arrhythmia Arrhythmias are defined by the speed of the heartbeats: slow and fast.
Slow heartbeat - bradycardia Bradycardia occurs when your heart beats so slowly that it cannot pump enough blood for your body's needs. Bradycardia can be caused by: Sick sinus syndrome This is a malfunction in the heart's natural pacemaker the sinus node , which makes it fire too slowly. This condition may be caused by growing older or by disease. Some medications can also cause or aggravate a slow heartbeat. The resulting arrhythmia may be temporary or permanent.
It can be treated with medication or with an electronic pacemaker. Heart block This is the slowing down or interruption of the electrical signal to the lower chambers of the heart which cause the heart muscle to contract. The heart's electrical system normally sends signals from the upper chambers of the heart atria to the lower chambers ventricles in a pattern that causes a heartbeat, a coordinated contraction of the heart muscle. Rapid heartbeat - tachycardia Tachycardia occurs when your heart beats too fast.
Tachycardia above a ventricle supraventricular These are rapid heartbeats in the atria the top chambers of your heart or in the AV atrioventricular node — the electrical connection between the atria and the ventricles the lower chambers of your heart. Atrial flutter In atrial flutter, an extra or early electrical impulse travels around and around the atria in a circular path rather than down along its normal path. This electrical signal causes the atria to "flutter," contracting at a much higher rate than normal.
Atrial flutter is usually not life threatening, but can cause chest pain, faintness or other more serious problems. Atrial fibrillation Afib This common form of tachycardia occurs when the electrical activity in the atria is disorganized and very rapid. The pattern of electrical activity stimulates the atria randomly and at a high speed, which causes a series of very rapid contractions of the heart's upper chambers, preventing them from pumping effectively.
Though not usually life-threatening, the rapid, irregular and uncoordinated beating of the ventricles may cause light-headedness or palpitations. If it goes on for several days or longer, it may increase your risk of stroke, because blood trapped in the atria can clot and travel from your heart to your brain, causing a stroke.
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia PSVT This type of tachycardia produces heart rates between and beats per minute. PSVT usually occurs in people who are born with an extra electrical circuit or pathway between the atria and the ventricles. PSVT often starts when you are young, but it may also start later in life. It may be distressing, but it is rarely life-threatening.
The abnormality is present at birth congenital , but WPW is usually diagnosed in adolescence or early adulthood. View an animation of tachycardia. Atrial or supraventricular tachycardia SVT is a fast heart rate that starts in the upper chambers of the heart.
The disruption results in a faster than normal heart rate. Atrial or SVT is less commonly associated with heart attack or serious mitral valve disease. Some people with atrial or supraventricular tachycardia may have no discernible symptoms. Others may experience:. But if the episodes are prolonged, or recur often, your doctor may recommend treatment, including:. Your gift helps raise awareness about tachycardia and how you can lower your risk.
Sinus Tachycardia Sinus tachycardia is a normal increase in the heart rate. Your doctor should consider and treat the cause of your sinus tachycardia, rather than just treating the condition. Simply slowing the heart rate could cause more harm if your rapid heartbeat is a symptom of a more serious or long-term problem.
This type of arrhythmia may be either well-tolerated or life-threatening, requiring immediate diagnosis and treatment. The seriousness depends largely on whether other cardiac dysfunction is present and on the degree of the ventricular tachycardia. These disorders can include:. Atrial or supraventricular tachycardia is an accelerated heart rhythm that starts in the upper chambers of the heart. It is the most common heart rhythm problem in children and young people. Many people first experience it between the ages of 25 and 40 years.
An episode may last from a few minutes to several hours. It is not usually serious, but, in extreme cases, it can lead to unconsciousness and cardiac arrest. This causes the chambers to contract rapidly and irregularly.
This is known as atrial fibrillation A-fib. Most people with A-fib also have another heart condition. It is more likely to affect those over the age of 65 years. Consuming alcohol and smoking tobacco may contribute, as might hypertension and sleep apnea. How can diet help with A-fib? Find out here. This is similar to A-fib, but the rhythms are more organized.
Many people have both A-fib and atrial flutter. Abnormal electrical signals in the lower chambers result in a rapid heart rate. This can result from cardiovascular problems, such as a previous heart attack, and the use of certain drugs. The speed of the heartbeat does not allow the ventricles to fill and contract properly, thereby reducing blood supply to the body. Ventricular fibrillation V-fib is a serious cardiac disturbance.
The ventricles quiver instead of beating, resulting in poor blood supply to the body. V-fib is a medical emergency. If a normal heart rhythm does not return quickly, blood circulation can cease, which can lead to death.
These tests may include:. Some of the complications of tachycardia can include :. Tachycardia refers to rapid heart rhythms. Some causes include heart disease and various lifestyle factors.
It is possible to have tachycardia without symptoms, but it can lead to complications, such as heart attack or stroke. Anyone who has concerns about their heart health should seek medical advice, as early treatment can help prevent long-term and possibly life threatening complications.
QT prolongation occurs when the heart takes longer to contract and relax than it usually does. Learn more about the effects of QT prolongation here. Dysrhythmia and arrhythmia are both terms doctors use to describe an abnormal heart rate. Types include bradyarrhythmia or supraventricular arrhythmia. Ventricular tachycardia VT causes the heart to beat at a rate of over beats per minute. VT causes include underlying heart disease.
Learn more. Bradyarrhythmia means a slow heart rate with an arrhythmia.
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