Breaking Down the 6 Most Common Arrhythmias

Have you ever had the sensation of your heart dropping, or stopping, or flip-flopping? There are lots of ways to describe the sensation of your heart beating abnormally, so it’s probably not surprising to learn that there are several reasons that can happen. 

At Cardiovascular Institute of America in Tampa and Lutz, Florida, Dr. Muthu Velusamy and his team provide a range of cardiovascular services, including heart rhythm management. If you’re diagnosed with arrhythmia, it’s helpful to understand what’s causing your heart to beat too fast, too slow, or out of rhythm.

In this post, we discuss the basics of your heart rate and rhythm, the six most common reasons for an irregular heartbeat, and how your health may be affected by arrhythmia. 

Heart rate rhythm basics

Your heart has four chambers. The two upper ones are called atria and the two lower ones are called ventricles. 

The walls of those chambers are strong muscles that contract and relax in coordination to pump blood through your heart. The chambers are separated by valves that open and close in a regular rhythm so your blood travels in the correct direction through your heart and your body. 

It all starts in a small area called the sinus node in the right upper chamber. Your sinus node is your natural pacemaker, and it sends a signal through your heart’s conduction system and regulates the coordinated contractions in the four chambers. When you listen to a heartbeat with a stethoscope, it’s this cyclical process that you can hear. 

Causes of arrhythmias

For most adults, a resting heart rate of between 60 and 100 beats per minute is normal. Here are a few common reasons your heart may beat irregularly: 

• Exercise
• Illness
• Stress
• Too much caffeine

Of course, all of those causes are associated with temporary changes to your heart rate. When you regularly notice irregularities without an outside stimulus, it can mean there’s a problem with the electrical signaling system in your heart. 

If you have a persistent arrhythmia and it’s untreated, you may end up with long-term damage and increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and other serious health issues. In fact, some arrhythmias are life-threatening and require immediate medical intervention. 

6 common arrhythmias

Here, we describe the six most common types of persistent arrhythmias: 

1. Atrial fibrillation 

Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is one of the most common types of arrhythmia, affecting millions of people in the United States. When you have Afib, the signaling in the upper chambers of your heart, the atria, is erratic. 

The result is a fast and uncoordinated heartbeat. When this happens, your heart can’t pump your blood efficiently and you have a heightened risk of stroke, heart failure, and other dangerous heart-related problems. 

2. Atrial flutter

An atrial flutter is similar to Afib in that it happens in the upper chambers of your heart. The difference is that the electrical signals are coordinated when you have an atrial flutter, but your atria are beating faster than your ventricles. An untreated atrial flutter is associated with an increased risk of heart failure. 

3. Ventricular tachycardia 

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) occurs when the electrical signals in the lower chambers of your heart, the ventricles, are abnormal. VT causes a rapid heart rate and prevents the ventricles from filling and contracting efficiently, so your heart can’t pump enough blood to your body. 

VT is a life-threatening emergency. 

4. Supraventricular tachycardia

SVT is actually a group of arrhythmias, and they all begin above the lower chambers of your heart. The condition causes a pounding heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute and can last for minutes or days. 

When you have SVT, you feel discomfort in your chest, fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness. 

5. Ventricular fibrillation

Ventricular fibrillation (Vfib) sounds as though it would be similar to Afib, but in your ventricles. This is true, but there’s a big difference: Vfib is a serious, life-threatening issue that requires treatment within minutes. 

In Vfib, your ventricles quiver rather than pump, and your heart cannot pump blood to your brain or other organs. 

6. Bradycardia

For some extremely fit individuals, bradycardia, or a slower-than-normal heart rate, isn’t a problem. If you’re an athlete, you may well have a resting heart rate below 60 beats per minute. 

For everyone else, bradycardia can indicate a problem with your heart’s electrical system. You may also feel dizzy, fatigued, lightheaded, or experience nearly fainting.

Understanding the cause of your arrhythmia is the first step to getting appropriate and effective treatment. If you have concerns about your heart rate or rhythm, schedule an appointment at Cardiovascular Institute of America.