Expert Care for Abnormal Heart Rhythm Conditions

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Abnormal Heart Rhythm

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Causes and treatment for arrhythmias (Abnormal heart rhythm)

An abnormal heart rhythm, also known as arrhythmia, is a condition where the heart is beating irregularly. There are a variety of heart conditions that can cause arrhythmias, and which form of arrhythmia you experience depends on where in the heart it is found. Although not all of them are dangerous, it is still important to seek medical attention if you are experiencing an irregular heartbeat.

You may have felt your heart skip a beat or race occasionally, but what if these irregularities become frequent? An abnormal heart rhythm or an arrhythmia can range from a minor inconvenience to a serious health concern. If you’ve noticed your heart beating irregularly, feeling like it’s fluttering, or experiencing unexplained fatigue or dizziness, it’s time to consider visiting our Atlanta heart doctors for a comprehensive evaluation.

Abnormal heart rhythms occur when the electrical signals controlling your heartbeat don’t function properly. Your heart is like a finely tuned orchestra—when one instrument is off-beat, it can disrupt the entire performance. In this case, the disruption can affect how efficiently your heart pumps blood throughout your body.

You might wonder why an irregular heartbeat is cause for concern, especially if it doesn’t always cause noticeable symptoms. Even mild arrhythmias can potentially lead to more serious complications if left untreated. Some arrhythmias can increase your risk of stroke, heart failure, or sudden cardiac arrest.

The symptoms of an abnormal heart rhythm can vary widely. You might experience palpitations—a feeling that your heart is racing, pounding, or fluttering. Some people describe it as a “flip-flopping” sensation in their chest. Other common symptoms include shortness of breath, chest discomfort, dizziness, or unexplained fatigue. In some cases, you might faint or feel lightheaded.

By visiting our Atlanta heart doctors, you’re taking an important step towards protecting your cardiovascular health. Our cardiologists are experts in diagnosing and treating heart rhythm disorders. They can perform specialized tests, such as electrocardiograms (ECGs), or use Holter monitors to record your heart’s electrical activity and pinpoint any irregularities.

During your visit, you’ll receive personalized care and treatment. Our doctors will assess your symptoms, medical history, and risk factors to determine the type and cause of your arrhythmia. They’ll work with you to develop a management plan, which might include lifestyle changes, medications to regulate your heart rhythm, or, in some cases, procedures like cardioversion or ablation to restore a normal heart rhythm.

Don’t dismiss irregular heartbeats as a normal part of life. Take charge of your heart health today by scheduling an appointment with our Atlanta heart doctors. Arrhythmias can be complex, but with proper diagnosis and treatment, many people successfully manage their condition and lead full, active lives. Your heart’s rhythm is fundamental to your overall health, and our team is here to help ensure it’s beating in perfect harmony.

Type of arrhythmias

There are three types of arrhythmias which each contain a variety of different conditions. Supraventricular arrhythmias are ones that begin in the heart’s upper chambers, also known as the atria. Arrhythmias that fall under this category include paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSTV), which is a rapid but regular heart rhythm that comes from the atria and begins and ends suddenly; accessory pathway tachycardias, AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), atrial tachycardia, and atrial flutter, which are all rapid heart rhythms; and atrial fibrillation, which is a common irregular heart rhythm.

The next form of arrhythmias are known as ventricular arrhythmias, which begin in the heart’s lower chambers called the ventricles. These arrhythmias include premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), which are early, extra heartbeats; ventricular tachycardia (V-tach), which is a rapid heartbeat; and ventricular fibrillation (V-fib), which is an erratic, disorganized firing of impulses from the ventricles. The final form is called bradyarrhythmia, which is a slow heart rhythm. This includes sick sinus syndrome and conduction blocks.

Risk Factors For arrhythmias

Certain lifestyle changes can reduce your risk of developing arrhythmias. This includes avoiding or reducing nicotine and alcohol consumption, limiting caffeine intake, avoiding stimulants, managing your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and maintaining a healthy weight and diet.

Causes of Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias can be caused by coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, valve disorders, electrolyte imbalances in the blood, injury to the heart muscle due to previous heart attacks, or healing from heart surgery. This condition may also be caused due to certain medications or genetic abnormalities, as well as diabetes, sleep apnea, COVID-19, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, and stress or anxiety.

Testing For Arrhythmias

Since not everyone with an arrhythmia experiences symptoms, the best way to determine whether you are suffering from this condition is to make an appointment with your doctor so that they can conduct tests. Your doctor will start with a physical exam and ask whether you are experiencing any symptoms. Tests they may conduct after this to detect the presence of an irregular heart rhythm include electrocardiograms (EKG), ambulatory monitors such as the Holter monitor, stress tests, echocardiograms, cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology study, and a tilt table test.

Treatment For Arrhythmias

Treatment depends on the type and severity of the abnormal heart rhythm, but treatment options include medications, lifestyle changes, invasive therapies, electrical devices, or surgery. Medications that can be used to treat arrhythmias can include heart rate control drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs to change the arrhythmia back to sinus rhythm or to prevent an arrhythmia, anticoagulant or anti platelet drugs to reduce the risk of blood clots or stroke, and medications that can treat underlying conditions that may be causing the arrhythmia.

Symptoms of Arrhythmias

In some cases, arrhythmias do not display any noticeable symptoms. If symptoms do occur, you will typically experience heart palpitations, pounding in your chest, dizziness or lightheadedness, shortness of breath, chest pain and discomfort, weakness or fatigue, and weakness of the heart muscle. Other symptoms may include anxiety, sweating, or fainting.

Why Choose CVG?

At CVG, our cardiologists offer extensive experience caring for patients using state-of-the-art techniques. Their compassion adds so much to your care because our doctors understand how heart issues can affect you physically and take an emotional toll. Trust is the #1 factor in the doctor/patient relationship. You can trust your CVG cardiologist with every aspect of heart care.

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Board-certified Doctors

CVG’s twenty board-certified heart doctors will guide you through your healthcare journey with the utmost compassion and individual attention. We aim to provide you with state-of-the-art cardiac care that includes the full spectrum of services, from testing to diagnosis and treatment. The doctor/patient relationship is built on trust. Through our combined efforts, we can conquer any challenge that comes our way.

Invasive therapies may also treat an abnormal heart rhythm, such as electrical cardioversion, which sends electrical impulses through your chest wall and allows normal heart rhythm to restart, or catheter ablation that disconnects the abnormal rhythm’s pathway. Suppose your doctor determines that electrical devices are the best course of action. In that case, you may be given a permanent pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or biventricular (B-V) pacemakers and defibrillators.

How CVG Can Help

CVG offers multiple services that can discover an enlarged heart or conditions that will lead to it. At CVG, we perform stress tests that will observe blood flow and test for various forms of heart disease. There are three types of stress tests that we perform:

A treadmill test is a test in which you will walk on a treadmill that gets faster and steeper every 3 minutes. This will stress your heart so that our nurse or doctor can determine your heart rate and blood pressure.
An echo test is performed before and after your treadmill test to determine how well your heart pumps blood.
A nuclear stress test is a treadmill test that is prefaced by an injection of medicine that shows the flow of blood to your heart.

We also offer cardiac catheterization to diagnose and treat several heart issues. If any of these tests determine a problem, we offer treatment solutions such as atrial fibrillation testing and catheter ablation. Learn more about our services here, or schedule an appointment to talk to our doctors.

Schedule Your Appointment with a CVG Atlanta Area Cardiologist

Expertise, experience, and compassion are the pillars of CVG’s patient-centered cardiac care. Please schedule your appointment with CVG today. Call (770) 962-0399 or 678-582-8586. You may also request an appointment online. If you have an emergency, don’t contact us online; please call 911.