The word arrhythmia comes from the Greek (meaning “without rhythm”) and refers to an irregular heartbeat. If you have an arrhythmia your heart may beat too quickly (what’s known as tachycardia) or too slowly (a condition known as bradycardia), or your heart may simply beat erratically. All arrhythmias occur as a result of disruption of the electrical signals that tell the heart to beat at regular intervals of 60 to 100 beats per minute.
Arrhythmia may be caused by behavioral and lifestyle factors such as stress, drinking too much caffeine, or smoking, or by medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or an electrolyte imbalance in the blood.
While some people experience no symptoms of arrhythmia, others may notice:
While some types of arrhythmias are harmless, others such as ventricular fibrillation and atrial fibrillation can significantly affect the heart’s ability to pump blood, which then affects blood flow to vital organs.
There are different tests to diagnose arrhythmia and a doctor may prescribe more than one depending on your condition and type of arrhythmia. Tests may include:
If you’re experiencing unusual sensations in your chest or have any concerns about potential arrhythmia, be sure to talk to your doctor.
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If you have certain heart-related symptoms or a condition such as arrhythmia (abnormal heart beat), but a standard electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) is unable to detect any abnormality, your doctor may recommend ambulatory cardiac monitoring.
These drugs reduce signs and symptoms of heart failure, improve heart function and help extend patients’ lives.
While walking on a treadmill, your blood pressure, heart rate and breathing will be monitored to see how your heart responds to exercise “stress.”
An echo is an imaging technique using sound waves to take pictures of your heart while it’s beating. It shows how chambers, valves and vessels move together.
An electrocardiogram, commonly referred to as an ECG or EKG testing, is a test that records the electrical activity of your heart and can help screen for heart disease.
An echo is an imaging technique using sound waves to take pictures of your heart while it’s beating. It shows how chambers, valves and vessels move together.
Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) devices such as Watchman and LARIAT offer some patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation an attractive alternative to anticoagulants like warfarin.
If you have had unexplained fainting, a tilt test is a painless test to see how your heart rate and blood pressure respond to movement, such as going from sitting to standing.
Genetic evaluation is becoming an important part of personalized care, as many health conditions have a genetic basis and genetic test results can help to guide medical decisions. Our genetic counselors provide consultations related to cancer genetics, cardiovascular genetics and prenatal genetics.
