What is cardiac arrhythmia? Cardiac arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. Irregular in the sense the heart can beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia) or have an abnormal rhythm. There is a wide variety of cardiac arrhythmia and some are harmless while others could be life-threatening. Arrhythmias are concerning because they can potentially reduce the amount of blood being pumped through the body. Because blood carries oxygen to all the tissues in the body, a reduction in blood flow could lead to organ damage. How is the heartbeat generated? The heart consists of 4 chambers: two upper chambers called the atria and two lower chambers called the ventricles. A heartbeat is initiated by an electrical signal generated in a group of cells at the top of the right atrium called the sinus node or sinoatrial (SA) node. The signal travels down through the atria which causes them to contract and pump blood into the ventricles. The signal moves down to a second node between the atria and ventricles called the atrioventricular (AV) node. Once the ventricles are full of blood, the signal travels down the ventricles on a pathway called the bundle of His. This causes the ventricles to contract and pump blood to the lungs or other areas of the body.

What are the symptoms of cardiac arrhythmia? Symptoms of cardiac arrhythmia conditions depend on disease type, frequency and severity. Common symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias include:        Sensation of fluttering the chest        Rapid heartbeat        Slow heartbeat        Chest pain        Shortness of breath        Lightheadedness        Dizziness        Sweating        Fainting How is cardiac arrhythmia diagnosed? Several factors and test results are used to diagnose cardiac arrhythmia including personal and family medical histories, physical examination, and results of various tests. These conditions may be diagnosed by the primary care physician or specialists such as cardiologists or electrophysiologists (cardiologists specialized in arrhythmias). Diagnostic tests include Electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG) An EKG is a non-invasive test to record the heart’s electrical activity. It shows the speed and rhythm at which the heart is beating and the strength and timing of the electrical signals in the heart. A standard EKG records the heart beat for a few seconds. An irregular heartbeat can only be detected while the heartbeat is being recorded. Thus, to detect infrequent episodes of AF, portable EKGs are often used. These include Holter and Event Monitors. A Holter monitor records electrical activity for 1 to 2 days continuously. It involves where electrodes on the chest that are connected to a portable recorder that can be worn around the neck or on a belt.

What treatments are available for cardiac arrhythmia? There are several different types of treatments for cardiac arrhythmias. Blood Clot Prevention Some cardiac arrhythmic conditions run the risk of inducing stroke (such as A Fib). Thus, blood-thinning mediations may be recommended such as warfarin, dabigatran, heparin and aspirin. Rate Control (Beta and Calcium Channel Blockers) Medication Rate control medicine may also be prescribed to reduce the heart beat rate of the ventricles. These medications are recommended for most individuals with A Fib. While they may not bring the heart beat to a normal level, they significantly reduce the work the heart has to do. Heart rate is typically controlled with beta blockers (such as metoprolol and atenolol), calcium channel blockers (diltiazem and verapamil) and digitalis (digoxin). Cardio sinus massage This form of massage is provided by a trained professional. It involves putting pressure on the neck where the carotid artery divides into two sections, causing it to release chemicals that slow down the heart. Rhythm Control Procedures Medications Rhythm controlling medications include the new generations; amiodarone, sotalol, flecainide, propafenone, dofetilide, ibutilide and older therapies; quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide. Cardioversion The procedure entails shocking the heart using electrodes placed on the chest and possibly the back.

What are the different types of cardiac arrhythmias? Originating in the Atria Atrial Fibrillation (A Fib) Atrial Fibrillation (also known as Auricular fibrillation, A Fib or AF) is the most common form of arrhythmia. A Fib is a rapid, irregular heartbeat. A Fib causes Causes of A Fib It is caused by quick, disorganized electrical signals sent to the atria causing them to beat quickly and abnormally. In a normal heartbeat, the electrical signals originate from the SA node. However, in the case of A Fib, the electrical signals originate in another region of the atria or in the pulmonary veins and spread throughout the atria causing them to fibrillate. The signals then move to the AV node causing the ventricles o also beat abnormally fast. Overall, this disorganized signal results in the atria and ventricles to beat out of sync causing an abnormal heart beat. Not only does this cause the atria to flood with blood, preventing all the blood from pumping into the ventricles, A Fib causes the ventricles to pump out random amounts of blood to the body. Types of A Fib There are three types of A Fib:        Paroxysmal A Fib: In the case of paroxysmal A Fib, the abnormal symptoms begin and end suddenly.