The most frequent symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias

Village Connect PH|The most frequent symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias|The arrhythmias are changes in the normal frequency of the heart. They originate from different mechanisms that interfere with the electrical conduction system responsible for contracting the muscular walls of the four chambers of the heart, following a precise sequence. Thanks to these contractions during each heartbeat , atria and ventricles expel the amount of blood necessary, 6 liters per minute, for the functioning of the human body with the least possible effort.

The resting heart rate is approximately 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). Although variations can be registered , accelerations are normal when we exercise, and when they are caused by other stimuli (pain, stress , consumption of caffeine , alcohol or drugs, fever, certain medications or emotions). There are also slowdowns when we are relaxed, for example while sleeping.

Arrhythmias and palpitations: they are not the same

It is important to distinguish between the sensation of the heart beat , which is called palpitations, and the medical arrhythmias themselves. Each person has their own perception of palpitations. There are very sensitive patients capable of identifying rapid beats or extemporaneous beats (out of rhythm) and even pauses, while others do not perceive that sensation and come to the doctor’s office complaining of tiredness and discover that their heart works at 120 beats per minute.

Causes of arrhythmias

Cardiac arrhythmias can be benign (functional), be associated with general diseases such as high blood pressure , nervousness, stress, thyroid problems ,  or be the result of cardiac processes themselves such as ischemic heart disease, heart failure, or valve disease.

When the heart rate is excessively fast (more than 100 bpm) it is called tachycardia and when it is slower than normal it is called bradycardia (less than 60 beats per minute). Abnormal rhythms can be regular or irregular.

Forecast

Both the treatment and the prognosis will depend on the origin of the arrhythmia and the involvement of  the specific electrical system of the heart.

Arrhythmias can cause anxiety when we become aware of palpitations, but not all are dangerous ( paroxysmal atrial tachycardia ).

Drugs that can treat the most troublesome symptoms are used to control arrhythmias , but certain diseases require pacemakers and even implantable automatic defibrillators . These devices will return the sinus heart rate to the patient’s heart. The presence of short circuits by supernumerary fibers requires an ablation (interruption of the conducting beam) that cures the arrhythmia.

Arrhythmia symptoms

Some types of arrhythmias cause few symptoms. Most of the time they are accompanied by other nonspecific signs, tiredness, suffocation, or even no symptoms. Having arrhythmias does not increase the risk of having a heart attack. Typically, it is the acute myocardial infarction that subsequently produces an arrhythmia and not vice versa. Among other reasons because the risk of heart attack is determined by other triggers.

In general, there is no correlation between the intensity of symptoms and the severity of the arrhythmia. Taking your pulse can help you know the number of beats per minute.

The most frequent symptoms of arrhythmias are:

• Palpitations

The palpitations are one of the most characteristic symptoms of abnormal heart rhythm. Being aware of your own heartbeat varies greatly from person to person; from people who immediately distinguish abnormal heartbeats to those who are not aware of them.

Although arrhythmias are usually intermittent, it is important to note when the pulsations occur, whether during rest, during unusual and vigorous activity, or if the increase in heart rate begins or ends suddenly, if they appear sporadically or gradually.

When the heart rate is very fast and the heartbeat is very strong, the perception of palpitations can be very annoying as in the case of extrasystoles . The causes can vary and are often due to very strong contractions that occur for different reasons. In general, the sensation of “heartbeat out of place” or “pause” or palpitations tends to repeat itself, as long as the origin that causes it has not been eliminated or corrected.

• Dyspnea or feeling of shortness of breath.
• Fatigue.

If the rate is fast, the effectiveness of the heart as a pump can cause weakness, fainting and drowning. It is more tiring working with a heart at 110-120 beats per minute than at 70-80 beats per minute as sports fans know well. This situation is aggravated especially when there is involvement such as  heart failure and the body does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients to meet its needs because the heart does not pump the amount of blood it requires.

• Sweating
• Dizziness

Bradycardia can cause vertigo, fatigue, dizziness, or fainting. Dizziness is that unpleasant feeling that everything is spinning or moving around you.

• Dizziness and fainting.

When arrhythmias are especially slow they can cause dizziness, vertigo and fainting ( syncope ). This is because the  heart has a hard time keeping pumping 6 liters per minute or because the pauses between beats are widely spaced and the blood flow is inadequate so it does not irrigate the different organs correctly, potentially damaging the brain.

Dizziness often occurs when changing positions, for example, getting up from a chair or lowering your head to adjust your shoes. It is a very common discomfort that affects people with low blood pressure.

• Discomfort in the chest.

Very fast arrhythmias or the result of a cardiac process that cause very high or ineffective heart rates, such as atrial fibrillation that can reach 300 beats per minute, can also be experienced with chest pain . Written by themesmob