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    Question ID:   9448         Current Version: 1
Question: What is an arrhythmia?
Category: Diseases & Conditions > Heart Disease
Keywords: irregular rhythm, heartbeat, cause, symptom, treatment, dysrhythmia, arrhythmia, tachycardia, bradycardia
Type: what
Rating:(0 ratings)    Views: 540    Discussions: 0   In Watch Lists: 1  

 
    Answer:
An arrhythmia (ah-RITH-me-ah) is a problem with the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat. It is also called dysrhythmia. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. A heartbeat that is too fast is called tachycardia. A heartbeat that is too slow is called bradycardia.

Most arrhythmias are harmless, but some can be serious or even life threatening. When the heart rate is too slow, too fast, or irregular, the heart may not be able to pump enough blood to the body. Lack of blood flow can damage the brain, heart, and other organs.

Understanding the Heart's Electrical System

The heart has an internal electrical system that controls the speed and rhythm of the heartbeat. With each heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom. As it travels, the electrical signal causes the heart to contract and pump blood. The process repeats with each new heartbeat.

Each electrical signal begins in a group of cells called the sinus node, or sinoatrial (SA) node. The SA node is located in the right atrium (AY-tree-um), which is the upper right chamber of the heart. In a healthy adult heart at rest, the SA node fires off an electrical signal to begin a new heartbeat 60 to 100 times a minute.

From the SA node, the electrical signal travels through special pathways to the right and left atria. This causes the atria to contract and pump blood into the heart's two lower chambers, the ventricles (VEN-trih-kuls). The electrical signal then moves down to a group of cells called the atrioventricular (AV) node, located between the atria and the ventricles. Here, the signal slows down just a little, allowing the ventricles time to finish filling with blood. The electrical signal then leaves the AV node and travels along a pathway called the bundle of His. This pathway divides into a right bundle branch and a left bundle branch. The signal goes down these branches to the ventricles, causing them to contract and pump blood out to the lungs and the rest of the body. The ventricles then relax, and the heartbeat process starts all over again in the SA node.

A problem with any part of this process can cause an arrhythmia. For example, in atrial fibrillation, a common type of arrhythmia, electrical signals travel through the atria in a fast and disorganized way. This causes the atria to quiver instead of contract.

Causes

An arrhythmia can occur when the electrical signals that control the heartbeat are delayed or blocked. This can happen when the special nerve cells that produce the electrical signal don't work properly or when the electrical signal doesn't travel normally through the heart. An arrhythmia also can occur when another part of the heart starts to produce electrical signals, adding to the signals from the special nerve cells and disrupting the normal heartbeat.

Stress, smoking, heavy alcohol use, heavy exercise, use of certain drugs (such as cocaine or amphetamines), use of certain prescription or over-the-counter medicines, and too much caffeine or nicotine can lead to arrhythmia in some people.

A heart attack or an underlying condition that damages the heart's electrical system also can cause an arrhythmia. These conditions include high blood pressure (hypertension), coronary artery disease, heart failure, overactive or underactive thyroid gland (too much or too little thyroid hormone produced), and rheumatic heart disease.

For some arrhythmias, such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, the underlying heart defect that causes the arrhythmia is present at birth (congenital). Sometimes, the cause of an arrhythmia can't be found.

Signs and Symptoms

Many arrhythmias cause no signs or symptoms. When signs or symptoms are present, the most common ones are:

  • Palpitations (a feeling that your heart has skipped a beat or is beating too hard)
  • A slow heartbeat
  • An irregular heartbeat
  • Feeling of pauses between heartbeats

More serious signs and symptoms include:

  • Anxiety
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness and light-headedness
  • Fainting or nearly fainting
  • Sweating
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
Treatment

Common arrhythmia treatments include medicines, medical procedures, and surgery. Treatment is needed when an arrhythmia causes serious symptoms, such as dizziness, chest pain, or fainting, or when it increases your chances of developing complications, such as heart failure, stroke, or sudden cardiac death.

Medicines

Medicines can be used to speed up a heart that's beating too slow, or slow down a heart that's beating too fast. They also can be used to convert an abnormal heart rhythm to a normal steady rhythm. Medicines can be used to control an underlying medical condition, such as heart disease or a thyroid condition, that might be causing an arrhythmia. Medicines used to convert an abnormal rhythm are called antiarrhythmics.

Some of the medicines used to slow a fast heart rate are beta blockers (such as metoprolol and atenolol), calcium channel blockers (such as diltiazem and verapamil), and digoxin (digitalis). These medicines are often used to slow the heart rate in people with atrial fibrillation.

Some of the medicines used to restore an abnormal heartbeat to a normal rhythm are amiodarone, sotalol, flecainide, propafenone, dofetilide, ibutilide, quinidine, procainamide, and disopyramide. These medicines often have side effects. Some of the side effects can make an arrhythmia worse or even cause a different kind of arrhythmia.

People with atrial fibrillation and some other arrhythmias are often treated with blood-thinning medicines (anticoagulants) to reduce the chances of developing blood clots. Aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin®), and heparin are commonly used blood thinners.

Medical Procedures

Some arrhythmias are treated with a device called a pacemaker. The pacemaker is a small device that's surgically placed under the skin at the collarbone; wires lead from it to the atrium and ventricle(s). The pacemaker sends small electric signals through the wires to control the speed of the heartbeat. Most pacemakers contain a sensor that activates the device only when the heartbeat is abnormal.

Some arrhythmias are treated with a jolt of electricity delivered to the heart. This type of treatment is called cardioversion or defibrillation, depending on which type of arrhythmia is being treated.

Some people who are at risk for ventricular fibrillation are treated with a device called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). This device is surgically implanted in the chest and connected to the heart with wires. It continuously monitors the heartbeat. If it senses a dangerous ventricular arrhythmia, it sends an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat.

A procedure called radiofrequency ablation is sometimes used to treat certain types of arrhythmias when medicines don't work. In this treatment, a special wire is inserted through a vein in the arm or leg and threaded up to the heart. Radiowave energy is sent through the wire to destroy abnormal tissue in the heart that's interrupting the normal flow of electric signals. Radiofrequency ablation is usually done in the hospital as part of an electrophysiologic study.

Surgery

Sometimes, surgery is used to treat arrhythmia. Often this is done when surgery is already being performed for another reason, such as repair of a heart valve. One type of surgery for atrial fibrillation is called "maze" surgery. In this operation, the surgeon makes small cuts or burns in the atria, which prevent the spread of disorganized electrical signals.

Coronary artery bypass surgery may be needed for arrhythmias caused by coronary artery disease. The operation improves blood supply to the heart muscle.

Other Treatments

Vagal maneuvers are another arrhythmia treatment. These are simple exercises that sometimes can stop or slow down certain types of supraventricular arrhythmias. They stop the arrhythmia by affecting the vagus nerve, which is one factor that controls the heart rate. Some vagal maneuvers include:

  • Gagging
  • Holding your breath and bearing down (Valsalva maneuver)
  • Immersing your face in ice-cold water
  • Coughing
  • Putting your fingers on your eyelids and pressing down gently

Vagal maneuvers aren't an appropriate treatment for everyone. Discuss with your doctor whether vagal maneuvers are safe and effective for you to try.

Source: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

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