Cardiac arrhythmia
What is an arrhythmia?
A cardiac arrhythmia is an abnormal heartbeat resulting from malfunctioning electrical impulses that govern your heartbeat. With a cardiac arrhythmia, your heart may be beating too slowly, too quickly, or irregularly. This can feel like your heart is fluttering or racing in your chest.
People from all over the world come to Penn Medicine for cardiac arrhythmia care. We’re home to an active research center, where innovative cardiac ablation techniques have been developed and launched. We’re also a leader in cardiac rehabilitation, helping you rebuild strength and better manage your health in recovery.
Types of arrhythmias
There are several types of arrhythmias, including:
- Tachycardia: a rapid heartbeat with a rate of more than 100 beats per minute.
- Bradycardia: a slow heartbeat with a rate of less than 60 beats per minute.
- Ventricular arrhythmias: irregular heartbeats that originate in the lower chambers or ventricles.
- Supraventricular arrhythmias: irregular heartbeats that originate in the heart’s upper chambers or atria.
- Bradyarrhythmias: slow heartbeats that may be caused by disease.
Symptoms of a cardiac arrhythmia
Many people may never notice their arrhythmias, or they may experience a slight fluttering or feeling of a skipped beat.
You could experience any of the following symptoms from an arrhythmia:
- Heart palpitations
- Chest pain or pounding in the chest
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Lightheadedness
- Weakness or fatigue
- Fainting
What causes a cardiac arrhythmia?
Many things can cause cardiac arrhythmia, including the following:
- High blood pressure
- Valve disorders
- Cardiomyopathy
- Coronary artery disease
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Heart attack injury, such as scarring
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Alcohol overconsumption
- Too much caffeine
- Some prescription medications
- Stress
- Drug abuse
- Thyroid issues (hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism)
How irregular heartbeats are diagnosed
If you’re having symptoms of an irregular heartbeat, you should make an appointment with a cardiologist or electrophysiologist. You may undergo tests to identify the type and cause of your arrhythmia and assess how it affects your heart. Testing may include heart-rhythm monitoring, imaging and exercise-based tests, or more specialized testing, such as an electrophysiology study or tilt table test. Your care team may also recommend ambulatory monitoring to record your heart rhythm over time.
Arrhythmia treatment at Penn Medicine
Medications and lifestyle changes may be all that is needed to treat and control your arrhythmia. However, if you require the next step in treatment, choosing Penn Medicine gives you access to a dedicated team of cardiologists and electrophysiologists who have pioneered and long perfected a range of surgical and nonsurgical treatments, leading the field in new research and innovation.
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