Overview of Abnormal Heart Rhythms

Abnormal heart rhythms are heartbeats that are:

Abnormal heart rhythms are also called arrhythmias.

Your heart rhythm is controlled by:

There are special pacemaker cells in a part of your heart called the SA node (sinoatrial node).

The pacemaker cells have their own natural rhythm of 60 to 100 signals per minute. However, nerves from your brain can send messages to the cells telling them to speed up or slow down.

Your heart's conduction system has tiny strips of tissue sort of like electrical wires.

The conduction system includes a gateway called the AV node (atrioventricular node). The AV node controls how signals pass from the upper chambers of your heart (atria) to the lower chambers (ventricles). When the conduction system is working properly, the signals get to each of your heart muscle cells at just the right time so your heart gives a good, strong beat that pumps blood properly.

Hormones, such as thyroid hormone What are thyroid hormones? Your thyroid is a gland below the Adam’s apple in the front of your neck. Glands make and release hormones. Hormones stimulate other cells or tissues into action. The thyroid makes thyroid hormones... read more made by your thyroid gland, affect your heart rhythm. Many drugs, medicines, and chemicals also affect your heart rhythm.

You also need the right balance of minerals (electrolytes Overview of Electrolytes Electrolytes are minerals that circulate in your blood. These minerals are also in your stomach juices, in your stool (poop), in your urine, and inside your body's tissues. Salt (sodium) is... read more , such as sodium and potassium) in your blood for your heart to beat properly.

Your heart rhythm can become abnormal if there's a problem with:

The most common cause of a heart rhythm problem is a heart disorder, such as:

Coronary artery disease blocks blood flow to parts of your heart. This can damage the pacemaker cells or the conducting system.

Other causes of abnormal heart rhythms include:

Sometimes doctors can't tell what's causing your abnormal heart rhythm.

Your symptoms depend mainly on whether your heart is:

If your heart is pumping enough blood, you may feel normal. Or you may feel like your heart is skipping beats (called palpitations). Some people say strong palpitations may feel like a fish flopping around in their chest.

If your heart is not pumping enough blood, you also may have:

Go to the doctor if you have any of these symptoms.

Doctors feel your pulse and do:

An ECG is a quick, painless test that measures your heart’s electrical activity using stickers and cables on your chest, arms, and legs.

If the ECG shows an abnormal rhythm, doctors usually do other tests depending on your symptoms, including:

If the ECG does not show an abnormality, it could be because your heart rhythm was not abnormal while you were having the test. Doctors then may have you:

If doctors think you have a dangerous heart problem, they'll admit you to the hospital. You'll be in a unit where your heart rate and rhythm can be recorded and seen by the nurses and doctors.

If doctors need more information about your abnormal heart rhythm, they may do:

Electrophysiologic testing is like cardiac catheterization Cardiac Catheterization Cardiac catheterization (also called cardiac cath) is a heart procedure done in a hospital. The doctor puts a thin plastic tube (catheter) through an artery and into your heart. Doctors get... read more . Doctors insert a thin flexible tube (catheter) into a large blood vessel (for example, one in your leg) and thread it up into your heart. The catheter has electrodes on its tip that record your heart's electrical activity from the inside. The catheter can also stimulate your heart electrically to see how it responds.

Some abnormal heart rhythms are harmless and don’t need treatment.

Sometimes, lifestyle changes help, such as:

Different abnormal rhythms require different treatment. Doctors may use:

Artificial pacemakers sometimes include a defibrillator so the same device can trigger a normal heart beat or stop an abnormal rhythm with a shock. This combination device is called an ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator).

Doctors do ablation if they find that one small bit of heart tissue is causing the abnormal rhythm. Getting rid of the tissue often gets rid of the rhythm problem. Often they do ablation during electrophysiologic testing. They use a catheter to deliver a high-frequency electrical current that destroys a small area of the heart.

You may need to stop driving for a while until doctors know whether the treatment is working.