Arrhythmia  Signs and Symptoms

An abnormal heart rhythm is a change in either the speed  or the pattern of the heartbeat -- the  heart may  beat too slowly, too rapidly  or irregularly. When the heart beats too slowly, too little blood  is pumped out to the rest of the body. When the heart beats  too quickly, it cannot fill completely so the body doesn't receive the blood volume it needs to function properly. Slow heart rates are called bradycardias. Fast heart rates are called tachycardias. 

The heart is made up of four chambers. The upper chambers, called the atriums, receive and collect blood. The lower chambers, called the ventricles, pump blood to the body. Working together, the chambers of the heart move life-sustaining blood throughout the body. Please see Normal Hearts to learn more about how the heart works. 

There are several types  of abnormal heart rhythms, some occur in one of the atriums and are called atrial, others occur in the ventricles and are called ventricular. Click on the links below for more information about these abnormal heart rhythms including animated diagrams: 

• Atrial Flutter 
• Atrial Fibrillation 
• Atrial Tachycardia 
• Supraventricular Tachycardia 
• Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome 
• Complete Heart Block
• Ventricular Tachycardia 
• Ventricular Fibrillation 

Symptoms 

A heart that beats too fast  or too slow can cause: 

• Lightheadedness or dizziness 
• Palpitations (skipping, fluttering or pounding in the chest) 
• Fatigue 
• Chest pressure or pain 
• Shortness of breath
• Fainting spells 

Sometimes there are no symptoms at all. Left untreated, certain abnormal heart rhythms can cause death. On the other hand, some arrhythmias are common and not associated with any untoward conditions, so-called benign arrhythmias. One of the goals of evaluation is to sort out the serious from the benign forms of heart beat disturbances.