Signs and Symptoms
Every heart has an electrical system running throughout its muscle tissue. The sinus node, often called the heart's natural pacemaker, contains the most active electrical cells, and it initiates heartbeats. Other nodes are responsible for transmitting signals to different sections of the heart. For instance, the atrioventricular node's function is to transmit signals from the upper chambers, called atria, to the lower chambers, called ventricles. A problem in a node or anywhere along the electrical path can disrupt the regular beating of the heart and cause an arrhythmia. The heartbeat can become too fast or too slow and can be chaotic or steady. Symptoms vary based on the rhythm change.
- Palpitation or a Skipped Beat —Although it may seem as if the heart missed a beat, really the heart has a premature heartbeat, almost an extra beat happening too soon, which may result in a pause – the "skipped beat." Learn more »
- Rapid Heartbeat (Tachycardias) — Tachycardia can cause the heart to beat faster than 100 beats per minute, in some cases racing up to 400 beats per minute. Learn more »
- Fainting – Syncope — Fainting is a sudden loss of consciousness. It most often occurs when the blood pressure is too low (hypotension) and the heart does not pump a normal supply of oxygen to the brain. Learn more »
- Fluttering — A fluttering sensation is usually due to a series of "skipped beats" that occur in quick succession.
- Slow Heartbeat (Bradycardias) — A diagnosis of bradycardia means that your heart rate is slower than 60 beats per minute, either occasionally or all the time. Learn more »
Heart Tests
Diagnosing heart arrhythmias can be difficult and requires special expertise as well as unique testing equipment. To diagnose the problem, a physician will carry out a thorough physical exam. Taking into account a number of factors, including symptom patterns, the physician will then order specific cardiact tests.
Learn more about Heart Tests »
It's Important to Know:
- Many arrhythmias come and go. The fleeting nature of arrhythmias makes it difficult to actually capture an event during any single test. Sometimes it's necessary to monitor the heart over time. Sometimes specialists provoke abnormal rhythms in a safe environment to evaluate and diagnose a problem.
- Symptoms can be hard to identify. People with arrhythmias may not feel any symptoms, or they may have symptoms that seem unrelated to the heart, such as lightheadedness, fainting or shortness of breath. Cardiac Electrophysiologists conduct special tests to determine if nonspecific symptoms are related to problems in the heart's electrical conduction system or other types of heart disease.
- Some arrhythmias are caused by factors unrelated to the heart. Medications, metabolic diseases, substances in the environment, diet and stress can contribute to abnormal heart rhythms in people who are otherwise healthy. Specialists take all of these factors into account as they select tests best able to uncover the true cause of an arrhythmia.
