My Vedic Life

Tachycardia is a fast or irregular heart rhythm, usually more than 100 beats per minute and as many as 400 beats per minute. At these elevated rates, the heart is not able to efficiently pump oxygen-rich blood to your body.

A fast heart rate can have causes that aren't due to underlying disease. Examples include exercise, fear, anxiety, stress, anger or love.

In some cases, tachycardia may cause no symptoms or complications. But if left untreated, tachycardia can disrupt normal heart function and lead to serious complications, including:

• Heart failure
• Stroke
• Sudden cardiac arrest or death

• Types of tachycardia

  There are many different types of tachycardia. They're grouped according to the part of the heart responsible for the fast heart rate and cause of the abnormally fast heartbeat. Common types of tachycardia include:

  • Atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a rapid heart rate caused by chaotic, irregular electrical impulses in the upper chambers of the heart (atria). These signals result in rapid, uncoordinated, weak contractions of the atria.

    Atrial fibrillation may be temporary, but some episodes won't end unless treated. Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of tachycardia.

  • Atrial flutter. In atrial flutter, the heart's atria beat very fast but at a regular rate. The fast rate results in weak contractions of the atria. Atrial flutter is caused by irregular circuitry within the atria.

    Episodes of atrial flutter may go away themselves or may require treatment. People who have atrial flutter also often have atrial fibrillation at other times.

  • Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). Supraventricular tachycardia is an abnormally fast heartbeat that starts somewhere above the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). It's caused by abnormal circuitry in the heart that is usually present at birth and creates a loop of overlapping signals.

  • Ventricular tachycardia. Ventricular tachycardia is a rapid heart rate that starts with abnormal electrical signals in the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). The rapid heart rate doesn't allow the ventricles to fill and contract efficiently to pump enough blood to the body.

    Ventricular tachycardia episodes may be brief and last only a couple of seconds without causing harm. But episodes lasting more than a few seconds can become a life-threatening medical emergency.

  • Ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation occurs when rapid, chaotic electrical impulses cause the lower heart chambers (ventricles) to quiver instead of pumping necessary blood to the body. This can be deadly if the heart isn't restored to a normal rhythm within minutes with an electric shock to the heart (defibrillation).

Symptoms

When your heart is beating too fast, it may not pump enough blood to the rest of your body. This can starve your organs and tissues of oxygen and can cause the following tachycardia-related signs and symptoms:

• Shortness of breath
• Lightheadedness
• Rapid pulse rate
• Heart palpitations — a racing, uncomfortable or irregular heartbeat or a sensation of "flopping" in the chest
• Chest pain
• Fainting (syncope)

Causes

Tachycardia is caused by something that disrupts the normal electrical impulses that control the rate of your heart's pumping action. Many things can cause or contribute to a fast heart rate. These include:

• Anemia
• Drinking too many caffeinated beverages
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Exercise
• Fever
• High or low blood pressure
• Imbalance of electrolytes, mineral-related substances necessary for conducting electrical impulses
• Medication side effects
• Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
• Smoking
• Sudden stress, such as fright
• Use of stimulant drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine

Treatment options vary, depending on the cause of the condition, the age and general health of the person with tachycardia, and other factors.

The aim of treatment is to address the cause of the tachycardia. When clinically applicable, the doctor may try to slow the rate, prevent subsequent episodes of tachycardia, and reduce risk complications.

In some cases, all that is required is to treat the cause. In other cases, no underlying cause is found, and the doctor may have to try out different therapies.

Prevention

The most effective way to prevent tachycardia is to maintain a healthy heart and reduce your risk of developing heart disease. If you already have heart disease, monitor it and follow your treatment plan to help prevent tachycardia.

Prevent heart disease

Treat or eliminate risk factors that may lead to heart disease. Take the following steps:

• Exercise and eat a healthy diet. Live a heart-healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly and eating a healthy, low-fat diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of developing heart disease.
• Keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control. Make lifestyle changes and take medications as prescribed to correct high blood pressure (hypertension) or high cholesterol.
• Stop smoking. If you smoke and can't quit on your own, talk to your doctor about strategies or programs to help you break a smoking habit.
• Drink in moderation. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men. For some conditions, it's recommended that you completely avoid alcohol. Ask your doctor for advice specific to your condition.
• Don't use recreational drugs. Don't use stimulants, such as cocaine. Talk to your doctor about an appropriate program for you if you need help ending recreational drug use.
• Use over-the-counter medications with caution. Some cold and cough medications contain stimulants that may trigger a rapid heartbeat. Ask your doctor which medications you need to avoid.
• Limit caffeine. If you drink caffeinated beverages, do so in moderation (no more than one to two beverages daily).
• Control stress. Avoid unnecessary stress and learn coping techniques to handle normal stress in a healthy way.
• Go to scheduled checkups. Have regular physical exams and report any signs or symptoms to your doctor.

Monitor and treat existing heart disease

If you already have heart disease, you can take steps to help prevent tachycardia or another arrhythmia:

• Follow the plan. Be sure you understand your treatment plan, and take all medications as prescribed.
• Report changes immediately. If your symptoms change or get worse or you develop new symptoms, tell your doctor immediately.

Treatment options

The cause of your ventricular tachycardia will inform your treatment options. Possible approaches include:

• Medication
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Surgery
• Immediate electrical defibrillation, in extreme cases