Racing heartbeats could be a sign of much more than nervousness

Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : March 30, 2015 6:04 PM IST

A recent study has found that one of the most common causes of a stroke is a rarely found heart rhythm disorder and according to experts this condition is becoming more prevalent at any age, because of a rise in three leading risk factors - high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. So, the next time you experience a rapid and irregular heart beat in carrying out not so stressful activities like climbing stairs, time may be ripe for you to visit the doctor to check for atrial fibrillation. (Read: Stroke causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention)

What is atrial fibrillation?

Artial fibrillation is a common type of arrhythmia where the electrical impulses become uncoordinated, making your heart beat as fast as 300 times per minute. Atrial fibrillation can also be dangerous as the blood pools in the atrium because it doesn't pump all the blood into the ventricle. This causes a blood clot (thrombus) to form. The clot can break off and travel to another part of the body leading to severe complications like a stroke. (Read: What is arrhythmia and why it is a cause for concern)

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Signs and symptoms of arrhythmia:

Arrhythmia is fairly subjective and so are the symptoms. That being said, the common symptoms of arrhythmia are, bradycardia (slow heartbeat), tachycardia (fast heartbeat), or fluttering, shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness or dizziness, fainting or feeling faint.

One might feel these symptoms intermittently and it might not mean that something is gravely wrong, but if these symptoms occur suddenly and frequently, you should see a doctor immediately. (Read: Expert tips to prevent heart disease)

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.

More serious forms of this condition are:

One of the most deadly types of arrhythmia is ventricular fibrillation. Here, the ventricles begin to quiver instead of pumping blood. Because there is no effective heartbeat, blood pressure drops drastically cutting off blood supply to the organs leading to collapse and cardiac arrest. Death ensues if the person does not get medical attention immediately.

Another complication of atrial fibrillation is heart failure. It occurs when the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Fatigue, shortness of breath, and fluid retention are common symptoms of this condition. (Read: Heart disease kills one in three women)

Know the triggers

Certain cardiovascular disorders such as CAD (coronary artery disease), cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure, a previous heart attack, and a recent heart attack, can all lead to arrhythmia. Apart from that, arrhythmia can also be caused due to diabetes, hyperthyroidism, stress, alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, certain medicines, dietary supplements and herbal treatment, air pollution and electric shock.

The steps to diagnosis

Before treating your arrhythmia, the doctor will first ask about any triggers you might have like heart disease or thyroid problem. After that he/she will try to find out where the arrhythmia starts in the heart and whether it's abnormal through some diagnostic tests such as and ECG(electrocardiogram), Holter monitor, echo electrocardiogram, stress test where you will be asked to exercise on a treadmill or stationary bicycle while your heart activity is monitored), tilt table test (where you are asked to lie flat on a table and the table is then tilted as if you were standing up. Your doctor will observe how your heart responds to the change in angle) and electrophysiological testing and mapping (where your doctor will insert catheters in various parts of your body. At the tip of these catheters are electrodes that will collect information about your heart's electrical impulses).

Getting better

The method of treatment will depend on your age, if you have any pre-existing conditions, your family history, medications you might be taking, as well as the severity and symptoms of your arrhythmia.

There are a number of treatment options:

Your doctor will ask you to make lifestyle changes that will keep your heart healthy. You may be advised to eat heart-healthy foods, exercise regularly, increase physical activity and cut down on stress, alcohol and caffeine.
You may be advised to have certain medication, that when taken exactly as per prescription can help prevent heart attack, stroke, and prevent the progression of coronary artery disease. There are 4 types of medicines to treat arrhythmia: anti-arrhythmic drugs such as lidocaine, propranolol, etc. calcium channel blockers such asamlodipine and diltiazem beta blockers such as acebutolol and metoprololto decrease heart rate anticoagulants or blood thinners (in addition to other medicines) such as aspirin and warfarin to make it harder for the blood to clot and to prevent stroke.
Apart from the medication, there are minimally invasive methods such as cardiac ablation which can treat many types of arrhythmias. The procedure destroys or ablates specific cells in your heart that cause your arrhythmia.
In case you suffer from atrial fibrillation, defibrillation is a procedure for you. In this, a mild electric shock is given to the heart to re-establish normal contraction rhythms of the heart.
Implantable devices such as pacemaker for bradycardia and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for ventricular arrhythmias may also be used for treatment.
Apart from all this there are surgeries to help ease your troubles, namely the maze procedure (here a number of incisions are made on the walls of the left and right atrium. These incisions form scar tissues that disrupt the uneven electrical impulses) and coronary bypass surgery. (Read: Take the natural route to heart health home remedies that work!)

Some arrhythmias may be life-threatening if not treated right away, so do not ignore your symptoms even if they seem harmless. Let your doctor be the judge of it.

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of stroke.