Arrhythmia

What is arrhythmia?

Arrhythmia is the medical term for an irregular heartbeat and is sometimes referred to as cardiac dysrhythmia. Your heart may beat too quickly, causing tachycardia (100+ beats per minute), or too slowly, causing bradycardia (less than 60 beats per minute).

In most cases, arrhythmia doesn’t cause any noticeable symptoms. However, you may feel like your heart pauses for too long between beats or that your heart is racing, which is sometimes called palpitations. If you have a severe arrhythmia, you may feel lightheaded, dizzy, short of breath, or have chest pain.

Arrhythmia isn’t necessarily a dangerous condition, but it can indicate a risk for a more serious issue, such as heart failure, heart attack, or stroke.

What causes arrhythmia?

Arrhythmia has many potential causes. For example, you may have a congenital defect in your heart that affects your heartbeat. You might also have an irregular heartbeat during or after a heart attack. Other factors include:

• Coronary artery disease
• High blood pressure
• Thyroid issues
• Tobacco or alcohol use
• Stress

If you have a personal or family history of arrhythmia or other heart problems, schedule a consultation with the team at Coastal Heart Medical Group and make sure you attend all your cardiovascular check-up appointments.

How is arrhythmia diagnosed?

The team at Coastal Heart Medical Group usually diagnoses arrhythmia with an electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram measures and monitors the electrical activity in your heart that stimulate your heartbeat. They offer in-office electrocardiograms as well as Holter and event monitors to gather information about your heart activity over extended periods of time.

They may also use a stress test to monitor your heart activity while you exercise. If you aren’t able to use a treadmill or stationary bike, your provider can give you a medicine to mimic the stress of exercise.

How is arrhythmia treated?

The team at Coastal Heart Medical Group offers customized treatments for arrhythmia. In many cases, you may need to have regular appointments for the team to monitor your heart health. They may prescribe medication to regulate your heartbeat. In some cases, they may recommend that you have a pacemaker implanted to keep your heart beating regularly.

If you’re concerned about an irregular heartbeat, call Coastal Heart Medical Group or make an appointment online today.