ARRHYTHMIA

Irregular and abnormal beating of the heart is called arrhythmia. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast or too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. It occurs when the electrical impulses which regulate the heartbeat don’t function normally.

Tachycardia is when the heart beats too fast while bradycardia is when the heart beats very slowly. They can arise from the upper chamber of the heart/ atria – Supra ventricular/ Atrial arrhythmias or from the lower chambers/ventricles- Ventricular arrhythmias.

  • Paroxysmal Supra-Ventricular Tachycardia (PSVT)
  • Atrioventricular Nodal re-entrant tachycardia (AVNRT)
  • Atrioventricular Re-entry Tachycardias (AVRT)
  • Accessory pathway tachycardia
  • Atrial Fibrillation
  • Atrial flutter
  • Ventricular Tachycardia
  • Ventricular Fibrillation

There may be no noticeable symptoms at all. Some may notice palpitations (feeling of pounding or racing in the chest), feeling a slow or irregular heartbeat or may feel pauses between heartbeats.

Few patients may also develop chest discomfort, difficulty breathing, giddiness and light headedness, blurred vision, and fainting attacks.

Several factors can cause the heart to beat abnormally:

  • Scarring of the heart due to a heart attack (ischaemic heart disease)
  • High blood pressure
  • Valvular heart disease
  • Cardiomyopathies
  • Sinus node disease
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
  • Stress
  • Smoking
  • Alcohol and substance abuse
  • Diabetes
  • Excessive caffeine intake
  • Certain dietary and herbal supplements
  • ECG and 24 Hour Holter monitoring help to diagnose and determine the type of arrhythmias in most cases.
  • Some patients may require an Electrophysiological Study (EP Study) to locate the origin of the rhythm disorder better and to determine the treatment.
  • Blood tests to rule out electrolyte disturbances and thyroid abnormalities are also done.
  • Implantable loop recorder is implanted when the arrhythmias are infrequent. This continuously monitors the heartbeat and records infrequent arrhythmias.
  • How to manage arrhythmias?.
  • Avoid triggers which cause the irregular rhythm. Avoid smoking, stress, excessive caffeine intake, alcohol, and drug abuse.
  • Anti-arrhythmic medications are prescribed to control the heart rate and revert the abnormal rhythm.
  • Electrical shocks are given to the chest wall to get the rhythm in control in some cases and is called Cardioversion.
  • Radiofrequency ablation is performed when medications or electrical cardioversion are not effective. A thin tube (catheter) is inserted into the patient’s blood vessels and is guided to the heart. Once the tissue which causes the arrhythmia is identified, radiofrequency energy is delivered, and the tissue is destroyed to prevent further arrhythmias. 
CONDITIONS & TREATMENTS