Tachycardia is a medical term used in reference to a heart rate over 100 beats a minute. Many types of irregular hearty rhythms, called arrhythmias, can cause Tachycardia. It is important to note that a fast heart rate isn’t always a concern. For example, the heart rate usually rises during exercise or as a response to stress.
While tachycardia may not cause symptoms or complication, it’s sometimes a warning of a medical condition that calls for attention. Some forms of tachycardia can lead to serious health issues if left untreated. Such problems may include heart failure, stroke, or sudden cardiac death.
There are many different types of tachycardia you should know about. Some of the common types of tachycardia brought about by irregular heart rhythms include; atrial filtration, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and supraventricular tachycardia.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of tachycardia you should know about. Chaotic, irregular electrical signals start in the upper chambers of the heart, called the atria. These signals trigger a fast heartbeat. While atrial fibrillation may be temporary, some episodes won’t end unless treated.
Atrial flutter is similar to atrial fibrillation, but heartbeats are more organized. Episodes of atrial flutter may go away by themselves or may need treatment. People who have atrial flutter also often have an atrial flutter at other times.
As mentioned earlier, some people with tachycardia have no symptoms. The fast heartbeat may be discovered when a physical exam or heart tests are done for another reason. In general, tachycardia may cause symptoms; such as chest pain, fainting, lightheadedness, rapid pulse, and shortness of breath.
There are a lot of things that can bring about tachycardia. If you feel like your heart is beating too fast, you should make an appointment for a health checkup. You need to seek immediate medical help if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, and fainting or near fainting.
Ventricular fibrillation, a type of tachycardia, is an emergency that calls for immediate medical attention. During ventricular fibrillation, blood pressure drops dramatically. The person’s breathing and pulse stop since the heart is not pumping any blood to the body. This is also called cardiac arrest, with the person falling down, also called collapses.
In the event this happens, call 911 or start CPR. If you’re not trained in CPR or worried about giving rescue breaths, then provide hands-only CPR