Arrhythmia is a health disorder that occurs in the heart rhythm. This disease causes the sufferer’s heartbeat to feel irregular which can be faster or slower.
This condition can occur because the electrical impulses that function to regulate the heartbeat to remain normal, do not work properly or are disrupted.
Disorders of the heart organ should not be underestimated. Arrhythmia that is not treated immediately can trigger serious complications, even triggering heart failure.
This condition can be recognized through several symptoms, especially disturbances in heart rhythm.
Arrhythmia Symptoms
Symptoms experienced by sufferers include:
- Throbbing in the chest.
- Tachycardia or faster than normal heart rate.
- Bradycardia or slower than normal heart rate.
- Tiredness and weakness.
- Dizzy.
- Hard to breathe.
- Chest pain.
- Faint.
Causes of Arrhythmia
Here are some causes that can cause arrhythmia, among others:
- Electrolyte imbalance in the blood. Electrolyte levels, such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium can interfere with the heart’s electrical impulses, resulting in arrhythmias
- Drug use. Illegal drug use can affect how your heart works, increasing your risk of this condition.
- Medication side effects. Some over-the-counter cough and cold medications can increase a person’s risk of developing arrhythmia.
- Drinking a lot of alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption can affect the heart’s electrical impulses, increasing the risk of arrhythmia.
- Consuming a lot of caffeine or nicotine (smoking). Caffeine and nicotine cause the heart to beat faster than normal, resulting in arrhythmia.
- Thyroid disorders. An overactive or underactive thyroid gland can increase the risk of arrhythmias.
- Obstructive sleep apnea. In this condition, the breathing experienced by sufferers of this disease will be disturbed during sleep which can increase the risk.
- Diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and arrhythmias.
- Hypertension or high blood pressure. Hypertension can cause the left ventricle wall of the heart to thicken and become stiff so that the electrical flow of the heart is disturbed.
- Coronary heart disease, other heart disorders, or a history of heart surgery.
- Narrowing of the coronary arteries, heart attack, heart valve abnormalities, heart failure, and other heart damage are risk factors for almost all types of arrhythmias.
Risk Factors for Arrhythmia
Although it can happen to anyone, there are several factors that increase a person’s risk of developing arrhythmia.
The following are some of these risk factors:
- Use of drugs or certain substances. A person is at risk of developing arrhythmia if they use drugs or other substances. This is because the heart’s function can be affected, especially the use of certain types of drugs.
- Excessive alcohol consumption. A person’s risk of developing arrhythmia also increases if they consume alcohol excessively. This occurs because of the influence of electrical impulses in the heart.
- Taking certain medications. Various types of medications can cause certain side effects, one of which is medication to treat this disease. Even medications for minor illnesses, such as cough and cold medications, can also cause this abnormality in heart rhythm to occur.
- Smoking and excessive caffeine consumption. Both smoking and consuming caffeine if done excessively, can increase a person’s risk of developing this condition. This is because smoking and caffeine cause the heart rate to increase.
Types of Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia is divided into several types, including:
- Bradycardia, which is a condition where the heart beats slower than normal.
- Heart block, which is a condition where the heart beats more slowly or irregularly, and can cause the sufferer to lose consciousness (fainting).
- Supraventricular tachycardia, which is a condition where the heart beats abnormally fast.
- Atrial fibrillation, a condition where the heart beats quickly and irregularly, even when the sufferer is resting.
- Ventricular fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia that can cause sufferers to lose consciousness or die suddenly due to a heartbeat that is too fast and irregular.
Diagnosis of Arrhythmia
In addition to asking about the patient’s medical history and conducting a physical examination to see the signs.
Generally, the doctor will carry out several supporting examinations as follows.
- Echocardiogram, to evaluate the function of the heart valves and muscles and detect the cause with the help of sound waves (ultrasound).
- An electrocardiogram (ECG), to record the electrical activity in the heart by attaching electrodes to the surface of the skin on the chest.
- Cardiac exercise test, to see how regular the heart rhythm is before it is changed by the influence of physical activity.
- Holter monitors, to record heart activity while the sufferer performs their daily routine.
- Electrophysiology study, to find out the location and cause, by using the technique of mapping the spread of electrical impulses in the heart.
- Cardiac catheterization, to determine the condition of parts of the heart, such as the chambers, coronary, valves, and blood vessels, can be performed by doctors with the help of special dyes and X-rays.
Arrhythmia Treatment
Some steps that doctors generally take to treat this condition are as follows.
- Medications, such as beta blockers to keep the heart rate normal and anticoagulant drugs, to reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke.
- A pacemaker to keep the heart rate normal in certain cases.
- Cardioversion. The doctor will give an electric shock to the patient’s chest to make the heart beat back to normal. You can do this procedure if the condition cannot be cured with medication.
- The ablation method is used to treat types whose cause is already known to the doctor.
Arrhythmia Prevention
Steps you can take to prevent this condition include:
- Avoid and reduce stress.
- Eat healthy foods.
- Maintain an ideal weight.
- Do not take medication without a doctor’s instructions, especially cough and cold medicines that contain stimulants that can cause the heart to beat faster.
- Limit consumption of alcoholic and caffeinated beverages.
- No smoking.
- Exercise regularly.
When to See a Doctor?
If you experience the signs and symptoms above, talk to a doctor immediately to find out the cause and get the right treatment.