Cardiac arrhythmia is an irregular or abnormal heart rate that can be life-threatening. Bradycardia is when the heart rate falls below 60 bpm, while tachycardia is when it exceeds 100 bpm. Fibrillation is a fatal form of arrhythmia that affects the atrium or ventricle. Any form of arrhythmia requires medical attention.
Sometimes referred to as cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrhythmia is the accurate medical term for an irregular or abnormal heart rate. It occurs when the average adult heart rate falls below or rises above the normal range of 60-100 beats per minute. An irregular heartbeat can be life-threatening.
When the heart rate drops below 60 beats per minute, this condition is known as bradycardia. This is generally not a life-threatening form of arrhythmia, but it can cause aggravating symptoms. If symptoms persist, it can be treated by implanting a pacemaker.
The opposite spectrum is when the heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute. This condition is called tachycardia. Tachycardia occurs when the electrical impulses that control the heartbeat become abnormally fast. Exercise, stress, adrenaline, and stimulant sources like caffeine can all cause this condition. Generally, tachycardia is not life-threatening unless it becomes so fast that it causes a drop in blood pressure and interferes with the pumping action of the heart.
Fibrillation is a form of cardiac arrhythmia that can be fatal. It occurs when the heart starts shaking rather than pumping at its normal, healthy rate. This problem can affect the atrium or the ventricle. Atrial fibrillation is an irregular shaking of the upper chambers of the heart and can indicate a problem with the organ. While this problem isn’t necessarily immediately life-threatening, the condition should be evaluated by a doctor.
Ventricular fibrillation affects the lower chambers of the heart. This form poses an immediate risk of death, as the heart stops pumping blood effectively. Ventricular fibrillation is a form of cardiac arrest and is always a medical emergency that responds only to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation to return the heart to a more normal pumping.
While some forms of cardiac arrhythmia are not emergency situations, any form requires medical attention. Even arrhythmias that are not emergency situations can be indicators of a more serious underlying cause and should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Symptoms can often be felt through a change in heart rate or pulse and sometimes the arrhythmia can be discovered during routine physical exams, but the only way to determine a specific diagnosis and heart rhythm assessment is with an EKG (ECG or ECG).
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