The heart is normally able to pump blood to the body without working any harder than necessary due to the electrical system that guarantees that it contracts (squeezes) regularly. During an arrhythmia, your heart beat may be: too slow (bradycardia), too fast (tachycardia) or irregular.

Definición

It is a disorder of the heart rate, such as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia) or irregularly. The most common cause of arrhythmias is coronary artery disease, abnormal heart valve function and heart failure. However, arrhythmias can also occur without cardiac abnormalities due to excessive consumption of substances or drugs like caffeine or amphetamines or due to things like stress or too much exercise or sport.

Diagnóstico

It is necessary to analyze the symptoms to make a preliminary diagnosis: heartbeat, if it is regular or irregular and duration of the arrhythmia. Symptoms can be mild or in some cases severe or even potentially fatal. Some of these symptoms include chest pain, dizziness and fainting, palpitations or difficulty breathing.

Tratamiento

Coronary problems that cause arrhythmias are treated by angioplasty or bypass. When an arrhythmia is serious, urgent treatment is needed to restore a normal rhythm, such as electrical shock therapy (defibrillation or cardioversion), implanting a temporary pacemaker to interrupt the arrhythmia or intravenous medications.