What Is Arrhythmia? What Are The Causes And Cures?

Having an irregular heartbeat when you are about to do something out of the ordinary or when you are scared is common. However, if you notice something irregular with your heartbeat even under normal circumstances, you might have Arrhythmia.

Arrhythmia is the abnormal beating of the heart that is caused by the improper working of the electrical signals that are responsible for a rhythmic heartbeat. If you have an arrhythmia, the heartbeats may not just be fast, it could also be slower than usual or even in an irregular rhythm. They range from being harmless to potentially fatal.

One way to find out if you have arrhythmia is by simply checking your pulse. Place your fingers on your wrist or neck and count the number of beats in 10 seconds. Multiply this by 6. The total beats in 60 seconds should be between 50 and 100.

Causes of Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia can be caused due to a range of reasons like:

• Intake of alcohol, tobacco and/or caffeine.
• Unexpected emotions.
• Heart disease.
• Healing from heart surgery.
• Medications for other diseases.
• Reduced blood flow.
• Overactive thyroid gland.
• Wrong balance of electrolytes in the blood.
• Problem with electrical signals in the heart.

If you have arrhythmia from any of these reasons, it is best to consult a doctor and explore treatment options.

Treatment for Arrhythmia

Depending on the reason you have arrhythmia and the severity of the case, the treatment can also differ.

Medication: Medicines that help control the heart rate may be prescribed to you. You may also be asked to have blood thinners to avoid a chance for stroke or blood clots. Under no circumstance are you to have these medicines without the advice of a doctor.
Lifestyle changes: If the cause of your arrhythmia is due to alcohol consumption, smoking, coffee intake or other such reasons, then you will be asked to cut down on it.
Electrical cardioversion: In conditions where medicines are not enough, an electrical shock to your chest wall is delivered to help normalise the heartbeat.
Ablation: The aim of ablation is to destroy small sections of damaged tissues that may be causing arrhythmia.
Pacemaker: Since it is the electrical signals that are responsible for the rhythmic beating of the heart, a pacemaker has a pulse generator that sends electrical impulses to your heart muscle.
ICD: Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator detects abnormal heartbeats and delivers energy to the heart to perform rhythmically.
Surgery: If none of these options is suitable, your doctor might recommend different surgical methods to treat arrhythmia.

When it comes to problems that concern the human heart, it is best to consult a cardiologist so that the disease can be detected early and treated successfully. At Specialist Hospital, we have India’s leading cardiologists offering you multiple treatment options that work best for you. Consulting our expert doctors will ensure that you receive the right treatment and medication based on a precise diagnosis.