What is Arrhythmia?

What Causes Arrhythmia?

The causes of heart arrhythmia include genetic causes, age, high blood pressure, medications, alcohol and smoking, other heart diseases, stress and anxiety. Sometimes arrhythmia can develop for no apparent reason.

Genetic causes: Familial predisposition is very important in the development of heart rhythm disorders. For example, Brugada syndrome, Short or Long QT syndrome are caused by genetic abnormalities. They can cause ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and risk of sudden death. Hundreds of genetic mutations have been identified that can cause heart rhythm disorders.

Age: Conduction defects such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias and heart blocks increase markedly with age. The heart muscles and electrical conduction system age and degenerate. Structural heart diseases increase.

Hypertension: High blood pressure is one of the causes of many heart rhythm disorders, especially atrial fibrillation. It causes problems in the heart muscle and the vessels supplying the heart, increasing the risk of ventricular tachycardia.

Medications: Some medicines can cause heart rhythm disturbances by increasing or decreasing the heart rate. They can cause slow heart rate and heart block. There are some medications that cause significant changes in the ECG and increase the risk of ventricular arrhythmias. They may improve with a change in dose or discontinuation of the medication.

Alcohol and smoking: Alcohol and smoking can cause heart rhythm disorders. Alcohol intake is an important cause of atrial fibrillation. They increase the risk of ventricular tachycardia by causing structural heart disease.

Other underlying heart diseases: Heart attacks, heart failure and valvular diseases can affect heart rhythms and cause arrhythmias.

Metabolic disorders: Conditions such as diabetes, electrolyte imbalances and thyroid problems can also disrupt heart rhythms. For example, if your thyroid is overactive, this can lead to atrial fibrillation. To control and normalize atrial fibrillation, thyroid problems must first be treated.

Stress and Anxiety: Prolonged stress and anxiety can affect the nervous system and affect heart rhythm.

What are the symptoms of arrhythmia?

Sometimes the arrhythmia is asymptomatic. In some cases, depending on the type and severity of the disorder, the first symptom may unfortunately be cardiac arrest and sudden death. However, in general, symptoms of arrhythmia are;

• Irregular heartbeats, feeling that the heart is suddenly beating faster or slower
• Feeling of palpitations
• Dizziness, feeling faint, weakness
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• It can be listed as a feeling of misfire.

These symptoms may vary from person to person.

Which arrhythmias are dangerous?

Some rhythm problems can be life-threatening. These are

• Ventricular tachycardia (ventricular tachycardias)
• Ventricular fibrillation (a condition in which the ventricles beat too fast, or more accurately, vibrate instead of contracting.
• Long pauses in the heart, called asystole or conduction blocks, or impaired conduction between the atria and ventricles can also be life-threatening
• Pulseless electrical activity: This can be seen in people with advanced heart failure or structural heart diseases.

Can Heart Arrhythmia Go Away on Its Own?

Ventricular or atrial premature beats may sometimes diminish or disappear. Especially premature beats originating from the cardiac outflow tract, which tend to decrease with exertion and walking, are likely to disappear spontaneously.

There are rhythm disturbances that can occur with pregnancy. Some of these are very persistent and need to be treated medically or interventionally, while others may resolve spontaneously after the pregnancy ends.

If there is a factor causing atrial fibrillation, eliminating this factor can correct the arrhythmia. Such as stopping alcohol, eliminating obesity, good blood pressure control.

In general, however, arrhythmias do not go away on their own. They require treatment.

Does Arrhythmia Cause Heart Attack?

Arrhythmia is different from a heart attack. A heart attack is the death of heart tissue as a result of blockages in the coronary arteries that supply the heart. The most important symptoms of a heart attack are chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling of tightness, sweating, fainting and unconsciousness. Arrhythmia is a disruption of the heart’s rhythmic working pattern. Arrhythmia, just like a heart attack, can be life-threatening.

When is arrhythmia dangerous?

Rhythm disturbance or arrhythmia if;

• If it is of ventricular origin, i.e. ventricular tachycardia
• Severe underlying structural heart disease
• If there are genetic diseases related to the electrical system of the heart (if there is a condition such as Brugada, long or short QT syndrome)
• If rhythm disturbances, whether originating from the atria or ventricles, cause a drop in blood pressure, that is, hemodynamic deterioration
• If there is an excessive drop in heart rate and block

can be life-threatening.

How is Arrhythmia Diagnosed?

Arrhythmia or arrhythmia is usually diagnosed by ECG (electrocardiography). If we cannot catch the moment of arrhythmia with ECG, we can diagnose it with rhythm holters, event recorders or smart watches.

Heart Arrhythmia Treatment?

Treatment for arrhythmia is individualized depending on the underlying causes. Not all arrhythmias require treatment. When needed, procedures such as medications, pacemaker implantation and ablation can be used to treat the arrhythmia. Some untreated arrhythmias can lead to potentially serious and life-threatening complications. It is therefore important for people with symptoms to talk to a health professional and seek treatment if necessary.

What Can Heart Arrhythmia Lead to?

Arrhythmia can be harmless, but in some cases it can cause serious problems. Untreated arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and atrial tachycardia) can lead to stroke or stroke. Extrasystoles – premature ventricular beats – can also cause heart failure without causing any symptoms.

Stroke or embolism: Some types of arrhythmia, especially in cases such as atrial fibrillation, can cause irregular pumping of the blood. This can increase the risk of blood clots forming. The clots can be dragged into the blood vessels where they can cause blockages and damage organs. The risk of stroke can increase, especially if blockages occur in the brain vessels.

Heart Failure: Prolonged and untreated arrhythmia can cause the heart chambers to work quickly and irregularly, leading to heart failure. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body. Heart failure may improve with arrhythmia treatment.

Low Blood Flow: Ventricular tachycardias, more rarely supraventricular tachycardias and severe low heart rate can cause the heart to beat irregularly, causing it to fail to pump enough blood to various parts of the body. This can lead to insufficient oxygen and nutrient transportation to the organs and organ damage.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Some serious arrhythmias can cause sudden cardiac arrest. This is when the heart stops beating suddenly and regularly. Sudden cardiac arrest is an emergency and requires immediate intervention.

Which Arrhythmia is Dangerous?

Some heart rhythm disorders can be life-threatening. These include

Ventricular tachycardia, tachycardias originating in the ventricles.

Ventricular fibrillation, when the ventricles beat too fast or, more accurately, vibrate instead of contracting.

Long pauses in the heart, called asystole or conduction blocks, or impaired conduction between the atria and ventricles.

Pulseless electrical activity is a condition in people with advanced heart failure or structural heart disease in which the heart is unable to pump blood even though there is electrical activity in the heart.

Atrial arrhythmias in people with severe structural heart disease can also pose a risk of death, especially if they cause low blood pressure.

Is Arrhythmias Progressive?

Some arrhythmias are progressive. The most important of these is atrial fibrillation. From the moment of diagnosis, lifestyle changes should be made to slow and stop its progression. Earlier ablation also means a higher success rate.

In ventricular arrhythmias (such as ventricular tachycardia), if the underlying disease progresses, the arrhythmia may also progress.

Does Arrhythmia Go Away Over Time?

Ventricular or atrial premature beats may sometimes decrease or disappear. Especially in premature beats originating from the cardiac outflow tract, which tend to decrease with effort and walking, there is a possibility of spontaneous disappearance.

There are rhythm disturbances that can occur with pregnancy. Some of these are very persistent and need to be treated medically or interventionally, while others may resolve spontaneously after the pregnancy ends.

If there is a factor causing atrial fibrillation, eliminating this factor can correct the arrhythmia. Such as stopping alcohol, eliminating obesity, good blood pressure control. This is commonly called risk factor modification.

In general, however, arrhythmias do not go away on their own. They require treatment.

Does Arrhythmia Cause a Heart Attack?

Arrhythmia and heart attack are different from each other. A heart attack is the death of heart tissue as a result of blockages in the coronary arteries that feed the heart. The most important symptoms of a heart attack are chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling of tightness, sweating, fainting and unconsciousness. Arrhythmia is a disruption of the heart’s rhythmic working pattern. Arrhythmia, just like a heart attack, is a disease that can pose a risk of death.

Reference: Arrhythmia

Update: Feb 13, 2024