The collection of conditions that interfere with the regular beat of the heart or which make your heartbeat irregular is known as “Arrhythmia.” Heart diseases known as Arrhythmias are defined by abnormalities in either the heart’s pace, rhythm, or both. Even though the vast majority of arrhythmias are harmless, there are a few that have the potential to be highly harmful to cause death.

The capacity of the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body may be impaired if it beats too quickly, too slowly, or in an irregular pattern. There are various arrhythmia symptoms, some of which can be severe and even disrupt a person’s day-to-day activities. However, a check-up by a physician is necessary. 

Adults typically have a resting heart rate that ranges from sixty to one hundred beats per minute. However, athletes might have resting heart rates that are lower than 60.

• Many arrhythmias show no symptoms and are detected during routine exams.
• Moderate coffee consumption isn’t a significant risk factor for arrhythmias.
• Some arrhythmias, like Long QT Syndrome, can be genetically inherited.
• Healthy lifestyles significantly reduce arrhythmia risk.
• Catheter ablation precisely targets and eliminates arrhythmia-causing tissue.
• ICDs detect and correct life-threatening arrhythmias, preventing sudden death

Based on the cause of the abnormal cardiac rhythm and the rate at which it causes the heart to beat, arrhythmias are sorted into one of five broad categories.

This rapid cardiac rhythm causes the heart to beat more than 100 times per minute.

A heart rate of sixty beats or fewer per minute indicates this slow heart rhythm.

Arrhythmia can take several forms, the most common of which are premature or extra heartbeats. However, these types of arrhythmia rarely cause any apparent symptoms. Most people who experience an irregular heartbeat every once in a while are otherwise healthy and do not require medical treatment. However, if you already have a cardiac condition, a premature heartbeat may induce an arrhythmia that continues for a significantly more extended period.

The heart’s upper chambers are the source of some abnormal cardiac rhythms. These irregular heartbeats, also known as tachycardias, are thought to have their roots in either the atria of the heart or the atrioventricular (AV) node. The AV node is a specialized tissue responsible for transmitting electrical impulses between the upper and lower chambers of the heart.

A few different categories can be used to classify supranuclear arrhythmias.

Atrial fibrillation, often known as AFib, is an abnormal heart rhythm characterized by a rapid and irregular heartbeat. This condition can be transient, persistent, or chronic.

Atrial flutter can be referred to as the flaccidity of the atrium. Heartbeats at a velocity that is consistent and rapid throughout. It can be

 The condition known as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia is characterized by a rapid and regular heartbeat that suddenly starts and stops (PSVT).

This condition is known as the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. A form of PSVT called an extra electrical route between the atrium and ventricles causes the ventricles to beat excessively quickly due to mistimed electrical inputs. A different electrical route between the atrium and ventricles causes this PSVT.

These are ventricle-related irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias). Patients with tachycardias that start in the heart’s lower chambers need emergency medical assistance as soon as possible. Some examples of ventricular arrhythmias include the following:

 Ventricular tachycardia is characterized by a quick and regular pulse that can last for a few seconds or much longer. It increases the likelihood that the condition will develop into ventricular fibrillation (VT).

A subtype of VT manifests in patients with long QT syndrome. This electrical disorder lengthens the amount of time it takes for the heart to recover between beats. This illness may eventually lead to ventricular fibrillation and, ultimately, death.

Sometimes, a person has a rapid and irregular heartbeat that causes the ventricles to quiver ineffectively instead of pumping blood. These beats pass away within a couple of minutes if they do not receive quick medical assistance and can lead the person to die.

If you are facing heart arrhythmia, consulting your doctor is a must. It can be an indicator of some serious problems as well. Your doctor will check your pulse, listen to the heart, and use other diagnostic procedures. Diagnostic methods can confirm arrhythmia.

Your doctor will examine your symptoms, medical history, and current state by physical examination. The doctor will also look for evidence of any heart problems in your medical history. Your doctor may also ask about your health history to rule out heart disease or thyroid difficulties as arrhythmia reasons. They could also test for such issues. After checking all this, the doctor will go for some tests and scans, including any or all of the following.

After examination, arrhythmia-detecting cardiac monitoring tests should be given, including all or any of the following.

Electrocardiograms, often called ECGs, are the diagnostic tool for unexplained irregular heartbeats (ECG). This test measures heart rate and rhythm. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are taken in hospitals. The patient’s chest, legs, and arms are patched with electrodes. Patches monitor cardiac function and display a patient’s heart rhythm. Based on the pattern, the doctor can diagnose heart problems and log the time and length of each heartbeat. The ECG is painless.

You need to get a copy of your electrocardiogram. It is recommended that a copy be preserved for future reference and brought along to each appointment with the cardiologist or cardiac rhythm specialist.

Echocardiography is a non-invasive technique to diagnose cardiac arrhythmia by examining the heart’s chambers, valves, and movements. An external transducer is placed on the patient’s chest. For diagnostic purposes, the transducer takes sound-wave images of the heart’s size, motion, and structure.

Doctors can also diagnose arrhythmias with blood tests. Diagnostic testing discloses the heart’s potassium, calcium, and magnesium levels. Additional testing includes cholesterol and blood carbon dioxide levels.

Some people can have arrhythmia from stress. A stress test stresses the body. During a stress test, a patient walks, jogs, or runs on a treadmill while doctors monitor their heart rate and other vitals. When a patient has problems breathing due to arrhythmia from coronary artery disease, the doctor may stimulate the heart (using a drug).

Specialized monitoring and equipment can detect cardiac arrhythmias. Diagnostic techniques sometimes miss irregular heartbeats. Due to the unpredictable nature of arrhythmias, it’s vital to monitor a patient’s heart rate throughout time. Heart arrhythmias are often diagnosed with event monitoring and technology by using the following techniques:

A Holter monitor is a portable electrocardiogram (ECG) device worn for 48 hours to record a patient’s heart activity during everyday activities. This instrument is used to diagnose arrhythmia when a regular ECG is uncertain. A Holter monitor may be helpful for irregular heartbeats that are hard to “catch” at the doctor’s office.

An implanted loop recorder can detect heart arrhythmia. If symptoms occur once or twice a month, a device may be put under the skin (in the chest) to monitor heart activity and detect abnormal cardiac rhythms.

Implantable loop recorders are implanted in an outpatient procedure. Doctors can program the device to record irregular heartbeats. Device records are evaluated to help clinicians diagnose uncommon arrhythmias.

A doctor may recommend wearing an event monitor to monitor and record heart rhythm information when experiencing arrhythmia symptoms like heart pounding, dizziness, etc. When a patient experiences a sign, he presses a button to record and analyze his heart rhythm.

If these tests don’t detect arrhythmia, the doctor may try others:

This test diagnoses heart arrhythmia in fainting patients. The doctor takes vital signs while the patient rests flat on an adjustable bed or table to evaluate how the body reacts to being tilted. A tilt table exam takes one hour.

Thin catheters (flexible tubes) with electrodes are put into the patient’s arteries and directed to the heart. This evaluation is minimally invasive, like a cardiac catheterization. Electrodes are used to trace electrical impulses through the heart. An Electrophysiologist can diagnose an arrhythmia’s origin, location, and optimum treatment by stimulating the heart with electrodes.

Here’s how to identify and diagnose heart arrhythmia. Your doctor may use one or more of the above methods before diagnosing. After a diagnosis, your doctor will suggest therapy.

Keeping a healthy lifestyle helps minimize the possibility of having this cardiac disease, although it is not always possible to avoid the beginning of this condition altogether. Reducing the risk of recurrence is the primary objective of the treatment. Alterations to your way of life can assist you in avoiding the factors that contribute to your heart rhythm issue.

From the physiological standpoint, your heart’s electrical system is responsible for your heartbeat regularity. The heart is capable of self-regulation because electrical impulses stimulate it. The heartbeat may be irregular, too slow, or too fast. Another possibility is that the heartbeat is abnormally slow. The effects of these aberrations could range from a mild inconvenience or discomfort to a condition that poses a severe risk to one’s life.

How quickly or slowly your arrhythmia is beating and whether or not you have heart block will decide the arrhythmia treatment you receive. If heart failure or another problem that lies under the surface is to blame for your arrhythmia, then the underlying condition must also be treated.

Therapies for arrhythmia include one or more of the following.

Medications: Medicine is used to treat irregular heartbeats, prevent them, or slow them down.

Electrical Cardioversion can shock the heart back into a regular beat while the patient is under anesthetic or sedation. This treatment is termed electrical cardioversion.

Catheter Ablation: Catheter ablation is a keyhole surgery performed while the patient is under a local or general anesthetic. It involves the exact removal of the faulty heart tissue responsible for the arrhythmia. The technique is performed through a catheter.

Pacemaker: A pacemaker is a small battery-operated device that can be implanted in the chest under local anesthesia to replace the heart’s natural pacemaker and maintain a regular heartbeat. Pacemakers are used to treat a variety of cardiac conditions, including arrhythmias and heart failure.

Implanted cardioverter defibrillator: Similar to a pacemaker, an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) can detect irregular cardiac rhythms and give a shock to restore a normal rhythm if necessary.

Arrhythmia can be dangerous in activities of life. Especially when you are driving or walking on busy routes, it can bump you into some accident. Once faced with a severe condition, you should only return to work once your arrhythmia has been correctly diagnosed and treated. Mainly, if the nature of your job puts you in danger owing to the use of dangerous equipment or heights, you must not show any negligence. Talk to your primary care physician or a cardiologist specializing in chest surgery.

Keeping a healthy lifestyle and staying away from stress also helps reduce the likelihood of a cardiac ailment such as arrhythmia. If your symptoms do not improve or there is a history of unexpected death in your family, it is imperative to see a cardiologist as soon as possible.