Cardiac Rhythm Disorders
Cardiac rhythm disorders, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, are heart rhythm disorders evidenced by irregularity or unusually fast (tachycardias) or abnormally slow (bradycardias) heart rates. Palpitations, which some report as the sense of "my heart flipping over in my chest" or the awareness that their hearts are pounding rapidly or slowly, are common in patients who perceive these anomalies. Other signs and symptoms include fatigue, breathlessness, lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting (syncope), and chest discomfort. When the rate is higher, the ventricular function is worse, or the arrhythmia is coupled with anomalies in autonomic tone, the symptoms are more serious. Many people with arrhythmias, on the other hand, have no symptoms, and the disorder may only be identified during a regular exam.
Cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure can result from a tachyarrhythmia that is fast enough and lasts long enough. Treatment of the arrhythmia in these circumstances can typically restore normal function to the ventricles. Although certain physical indications that occur during arrhythmias can aid in the diagnosis, electrocardiography (ECG) is the gold standard for detecting cardiac arrhythmias. When the arrhythmia occurs randomly, as it often does, prolonged electrocardiographic monitoring, often known as a Holter monitor, or an event recorder that the patient triggers when detecting an abnormality, may help confirm the diagnosis.