8 Types of Cardiac Arrhythmias That Need to be Watched Out
For the majority of people with heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias are certainly not something foreign to the ear. Cardiac arrhythmia itself is a condition where your heart beats erratically. It can also be characterized by abnormal heart rhythms. This is usually marked by a heart that will beat 60 – 100 times per minute when rest.
If your heart rate is below the normal limit or below 60 times per minute or even the pulse is above the number of 100 beats per minute, you can be sure you are experiencing an arrhythmia. However, in different conditions, if you have a normal heart rate but the rhythm of an erratic heartbeat, you may experience an ectopic heart rate disease. To ensure this, you should consult a medical professional.
As for a number of tests that can be done to ascertain whether you have cardiac arrhythmias or not by performing a blood test to check electrolyte levels in the body and thyroid function, and using an electrocardiogram to further investigate the heart condition by performing a treadmill test, CT angiogram coronary, and checks using a katataer if deemed necessary. All tests depend on the health condition and medical history of the patient.
Before we discuss the types of arrhythmias, it helps us to know in advance what the causes of arrhythmias are. The causes include:
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Heart scarring from a heart attack
- Changes in heart structure
- Coronary Artery Disease
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Cigarettes
- Alcohol
- Drug Abuse
- Stress
- Diabetes
- Sleep apnea
- Genetic factor
Symptoms that are often experienced in arrhythmia sufferers are palpitations, syncope, dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and decreased endurance during exercise. However, if the condition is severe, arrhythmia sufferers can experience several disorders such as impaired speech and vision, weakness in the legs, sudden stroke, or even sudden death.
After knowing the causes and symptoms of the arrhythmias of the heart, the following types of arrhythmias will be described below. This needs to be known so that later patients can treat the disease depends on the type of arrhythmia. Here are the types of cardiac arrhythmias:
- Tachycardia
This type of arrhythmia is the most common type of arrhythmia where there is a heart rhythm disturbance that beats faster when rest. In certain cases, tachycardia will cause serious complications including heart failure and a heart attack and can even cause sudden death in the sufferer. Even so, tachycardia tends to not have any symptoms or complications.
- Atrial Flutter
This type of arrhythmia is caused by irregular circuits in the atrial even though it is accompanied by a heart that beats very fast but at a fairly regular rate. The speed of the heartbeat produces a weak contraction of the atrial itself. Usually, atrial flutter can heal on its own, but not many need medical treatment.
- Supraventricular Tachycardia
This type of arrhythmia is usually described by an abnormally rapid heartbeat that originates from somewhere above the ventricles. This abnormal heart condition is a genetic inheritance from birth which creates overlapping electrical signals in your body.
- Ventricular Tachycardia
If supraventricular tachycardia occurs at a rapid heart rate above the ventricles, in contrast to ventricular tachycardia characterized by a rapid heart rate due to the treatment of abnormal electrical signals in the lower chambers of the ventricular heart. This causes inefficient conditions to pump blood to the body.
- Fibrate Ventricle
Arrhythmias occur when electrical impulses are confused, causing the ventricles to vibrate and change quickly, resulting in ineffective pumping of blood. Usually, the arrhythmia is immediately handled by the medical using an electric shock device. If the rhythm does not return to normal within a few minutes with an electric shock, it will be fatal to the sufferer.
- Bradycardia
This arrhythmia is characterized by the occurrence of a heart rate below a normal heart rate of fewer than 60 times per minute. Bradycardia is usually characterized by chest pain, difficulty concentrating, confusion, difficulty during exercise, dizziness, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
- Atrial Fibrillation
The condition of this one arrhythmia is characterized by the occurrence of an irregular heartbeat and rapid pulses. In this case, during a two-chamber atrial vibration, it will beat in a chaotic and irregular manner which also coordinates with the two lower chambers of the heart or ventricles. Symptoms that will occur if this type of arrhythmia attacks are shortness of breath, feeling weak, and heart palpitations.
- Heart Block
This type of arrhythmia is characterized by a condition when the heart beats slower than normal and can usually cause a person to faint.
Try to overcome cardiac arrhythmias in appropriate ways such as paying attention to lifestyle, exercising for cardiac arrhythmias, eating well by taking a healthy diet low in salt, low in fat, low in glucose, and high in fiber.
Other articles: