Arrhythmia is a condition in which an abnormal ECG or a short circuit occurs in the heart. Resulting in irregular heart rhythms Too fast or too slow, causing pumping of blood to different parts of the body is not as effective as it should be. May see symptoms that can be observed, such as palpitations, chest pain, wheezing, sweating, dizziness, fainting, like fainting, etc. Arrhythmia is more common in the elderly. People with heart disease Or people who drink large amounts of alcohol And may result in an increased risk of heart failure or stroke
The heartbeat is controlled by a natural pacemaker called the Sinus Node, located in the right atrium. Responsible for generating electricity Which is part of the heartbeat Electric current travels to the atrial fibrillation to stimulate the muscles to pump blood into the heart. From then the electricity will continue traveling to the signaling station called Atrioventricular Node before transmitting electrical current to the ventricle, resulting in consistent compression from top to bottom And pumping blood to the organs of the body
Symptoms of arrhythmia
People with arrhythmias will have different symptoms depending on the type, severity or abnormal heartbeat. Some may not see any symptoms or abnormalities, but some may have observed symptoms such as
- Palpitations
- The heart beats faster than normal (more than 100 times per minute)
- The heart beats slower than normal (less than 60 beats per minute)
- Chest pain
- Breathless
- Dizziness
- Sweating a lot
- Fainting like fainting unconscious
People with the above symptoms may not always be associated with arrhythmia. But if symptoms occur suddenly or occur frequently Should see a doctor immediately In order to diagnose and find the cause of the symptoms further
Causes of irregular heartbeats
Arrhythmias can be caused by many factors such as
- Heart problems such as coronary artery disease Congenital heart disease Leaky heart valve Abnormal heart wall Coronary artery disease Heart attack Scar tissue from the heart in the past Including heart surgery
- High blood pressure Which will make the risk of coronary heart disease And made the wall of the left ventricle thicker
- Thyroid function problems, such as hyperthyroidism or toxic thyroid And hypothyroidism or low thyroid
- Diabetes, especially those with diabetes that cannot be controlled Will result in high blood pressure And at risk of coronary heart disease
- Sleep apnea Causing abnormal respiratory rates And there is a risk of irregular heart rhythms
- Electrolyte Imbalance. The electrolyte in the blood, including potassium, sodium, calcium, and manganese, has the function of stimulating and conducting electrical current in the heart. If the level of minerals in the blood is too high or too low, it will affect the electrical activity in the heart and cause the heart to arrhythmia.
- Drinking large amounts of alcohol Will affect the electric current in the heart And increases the risk of irregular heart rhythms
- Smoking, substance abuse And drinking beverages that contain caffeine Will stimulate the work of the heart And cause the heart to beat irregularly
- The use of certain drugs such as cold medicine or cough medicine, etc. containing ingredients that stimulate the heart.
- People aged 60 years and older are at a higher risk of arrhythmia. Including the elderly who are at risk for heart disease And taking medication that regularly affects the heartbeat.
Diagnosis of arrhythmia
The doctor will diagnose the patient’s condition. Medical history And physical examination to check the initial heart rhythm Or may be tested to find factors that stimulate arrhythmia, such as heart disease, thyroid function problems, etc.
