Arrhythmia - Abnormal Heartbeat In A Nutshell

by Ronit Roy Health Educator & Consultant

The heart is an impressive organ that works tirelessly 24/7, all our lives. However, sometimes while performing this heavy duty, it faces certain difficulties. Cardiac emergencies such as cardiac arrest, heart attack, and severe angina, should be treated as cardiac emergencies and the patient must be rushed to nearest best heart hospital to ensure it does not cause any fatal harm to the patient. However, many times the underlying heart condition for a prolonged period is a silent indicator of such cardiac emergencies that can onset in the future and therefore, one should keep close attention to such details. Abnormal heartbeat is one very common underlying heart condition.

Let’s understand its aspects in details.

What Is An Arrhythmia?

Abnormal heartbeat is medically known as Arrhythmia and it clearly refers to the conditions, in which the heart is not beating in the frequency that is medically considered as normal or healthy. Arrhythmia is a medical condition when the heartbeat is either too fast or too slow or often it also concerns the condition, when the heartbeat is quite irregular. Each heartbeat is nothing but a mark of 1 pumping action of the heart. Usually, a resting heart beats 80 to 90 times in a minute. A heart rate lower than 60 is called bradycardia and a heart higher than 100 is called tachycardia. Apart from these, having an ‘extra beat’ or ‘skipping a beat’ is also considered as cases of arrhythmia.

What Are The Causes Of Arrhythmia

Many a time, arrhythmia can set in action without any prior indication as well. However, most cases of arrhythmia have been found to have the following common underlying causes.

1. 1. Previous Or Recent Heart Attack
2. 2. Smoking Or Alcholol Abuse
3. 3. Diabetes
4. 4. High Blood Pressure
5. 5. Family History Of The Same
6. 6. Heart Diseases
7. 7. Blocked Or Narrow Blood Vessels
8. 8. Certain kinds Of Medication
9. 9. Certain Medication, Whether Prescribed Or Over-The-Counter
10. 10. Hyperthyroidism

What Are Tools Of Diagnosis For Arrhythmia?

Arrhythmia is usually not a very severe threat if it is properly diagnosed on time and a timely tab on heart rate is kept. Routine ECG (Electrocardiogram), Holter monitor and other heart monitoring screening are prescribed for taking note of the irregular heart rate pattern if any. For people who experience racing heart or often skip a beat, using a fitness tracker or smart band to have a proper measurement,s in fact, many of them can even be synchronized with a smartphone to an accurate reading over a period of time.

What Is The Treatment Approach Of Arrhythmia?

Most of the arrhythmia cases can be managed effectively even without any vigorous medication. They can enjoy daily life activities, with no to little difficulties. However, seeking consultation is very crucial. For those who need treatment usually are guided towards a healthier lifestyle, diet, meditation, and better stress management. For some people with many troubling symptoms, extensive treatment approach is required. It involves drug prescription, deflation implants, pacemakers. However, the correct procedure is to be chosen after extensive diagnosis. Whether or not it should be continued, is to be decided through its follow up conditions.

Is Every Heartbeat Deviation Is Arrhythmia?

Nope, daily activities like sleeping or exercising causes the heart to beat slower or faster respectively. Medically, it is considered normal to have a heartbeat anywhere between 60 to 100, without raising any red flags.

These activities usually raise no severe medical concern as these level of physical exertion and activeness increase/ decreases the supply need of the blood circulation and thereby proportionally influence the heart rate. Moreover, some medical condition, and stress, being excited or pregnancy also makes the heart beats a little faster than usual.

However, these are not truly classified under arrhythmia, as they often are subjected to medication. Palpitation and stress-induced abnormal heartbeats can be managed effectively with simple lifestyle changes and meditation etc. However, a timely consultation is must, if the patient persistently (or over a long period of time) encounter symptoms like breathlessness, chest discomfort, unconsciousness, severe palpitation.

In a nutshell, remember that Arrhythmia raises concern only when the patient’s condition does not improvise, have a prior history of some heart ailments, or discomfort gets worse over time. Thereby, it is always wise to seek timely treatment upon encountering any cardiac discomfort.