Arrhythmia

Dr Saagar Mahida - Cardiology

Created on: 11-13-2012

Updated on: 06-07-2023

Edited by: Aoife Maguire

What is an arrhythmia?

An arrhythmia is also known as a heart rhythm problem, causing the heart to either beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia) or to have an irregular pattern. This results when the electrical pulses that coordinate the heartbeats do not work properly.

What are the symptoms of arrhythmia?

People with an arrhythmia may not experience any symptoms, but a prominent arrhythmia may result in the following symptoms:

Palpitations
Dizziness and vertigo
Fainting (syncope)
Chest pain
Difficulty breathing
Sweating

What causes an arrhythmia?

In some cases, arrhythmias may arise in patients who do not have any other abnormalities. In other cases, arrhythmias may be secondary to other abnormalities.

Potential secondary causes include:

Heart attack or damage to the myocardium from a heart attack in the past
Heart failure or enlargement of the heart
Congenital heart disease
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Hyperthyroidism
Abnormal levels of potassium or other substances in the body
Smoking
Too much caffeine or alcohol
Stress
Diabetes
Genetic causes
Recreational drug use

What is the treatment for arrhythmia?

Mild arrhythmias often won’t require treatment, but when an arrhythmia is serious treatment will be required.

Treatment can consist of:

Medication – to control the heart beat better
Catheter ablation – minimally-invasive procedure that destroys diseased tissue in the heart causing the arrhythmia
Cardioversion – electric shocks are used to return the heart beat to a normal rhythm

In specific circumstances, a pacemaker or ICD (a device that monitors heart rhythm, and uses small shocks to maintain a normal rhythm), may be required.

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Experts in Arrhythmia

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Dr Fakhar Khan
Cardiology

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Expert in:
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Electrophysiology study
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
- Electrocardiogram
- Pacemaker
- Arrhythmia
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Dr Boon Lim
Cardiology

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Expert in:
- Cardiac (catheter) ablation
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
- Arrhythmia
- Syncope
- Pacemaker
- Atrial Fibrillation
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Dr Nick Linton
Cardiology

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Expert in:
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Arrhythmia
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Cardiomyopathy
- Heart attack
- Heart murmur
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Dr Syed Ahsan
Cardiology

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Expert in:
- Arrhythmia
- Cardiac (catheter) ablation
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Chest pain
- Pacemaker
- Palpitations
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Dr Martin Lowe
Cardiology

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Expert in:
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Palpitations
- Cardiac (catheter) ablation
- Arrhythmia
- Pacemaker
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