Medical Video: Anxiety and Tachycardia Symptoms or Fast Heart Rate (MUST SEE)
Very normal if a rapid heartbeat occurs after exercise or when you are nervous and panic. However, a rapid heartbeat that occurs at rest and normal conditions turns out to refer to certain health problems known as tachycardia.
What is tachycardia?
The heart usually pulses at speeds of 60 to 100 times per minute. But when the heart rate shows a number of more than 100 beats per minute in a state of rest, this condition is called tachycardia.
So it can be concluded that tachycardia is a condition of rhythm disturbance in the heart that makes the porch and cubicle beat faster than usual in resting conditions.
When the heart beats faster, the heart muscles (myocardium) need more oxygen than usual. In addition, the heart that beats too fast is also less efficient in pumping blood flow throughout the body including the heart itself.
If this continues then the heart muscle cells that lack oxygen can die and cause a heart attack.
But in some cases tachycardia does not cause any complications or symptoms. It's just that if left continuously and not handled then this can interfere with normal heart function and lead to serious complications such as heart failure and sudden heart attacks that can cause death.
Source: Mayo Clinic In tachycardia, abnormal electrical impulses originating from the upper or lower chambers of the heart are disturbing enough to cause the heart to beat faster.
Get to know the type of tachycardia
Quoted from WebMD, tachycardia consists of three types, namely:
1. Supraventricular
Occurs when an electrical signal in the room above the heart organ is jammed, making the heart rate increase. In this condition the heart beats so fast that it cannot be filled with blood before contracting. This can reduce blood flow throughout the body.
2. Ventricular
This condition occurs when a rapid heartbeat comes from an electrical signal that is not norlam in the heart chamber. As a result the heart cannot be filled and pumps enough blood to flow throughout the body.
This condition usually only lasts a few seconds without causing damage. But if it lasts longer then this condition can be life threatening.
3. Sinus tachycardia
Occurs when the body's natural pacemaker sends electrical signals faster than usual.
Symptoms that accompany tachycardia
When the heart beats too fast, the main task of pumping blood throughout the body becomes ineffective. As a result, you will feel several other symptoms such as:
Hard to breathe
Mild headache
Fast pulse
Heart palpitations, fast and irregular heartbeat.
Chest pain
Fainted
However, keep in mind that not everyone with tachycardia has accompanying symptoms. Usually people who feel these other symptoms are those whose causes of tachycardia are caused by certain diseases.
Causes of rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
Tachycardia is generally caused by a disruption in the electrical signal that controls the action of the heart pump. Some things that can cause electrical signal interference, namely:
The body's reaction to certain drugs
Eating too much alcohol
Electrolyte imbalance in the body
Hypertension
Overactive thyroid gland
Heart disease such as coronary arteries, heart valves, heart failure, and heart muscle disease
Smoke
Certain lung diseases
Eating cocaine
Eating too much caffeinated drinks
Treatment options for tachycardia
Treating a rapid heartbeat needs to be adjusted to the type, cause, age, and health conditions of the person concerned. The doctor will try to slow down the heart rate and prevent recurrence and reduce risk complications. Here are some ways you can use, namely:
Vagal maneuver
Vagal maneuvers are one of the methods used to slow down the heart by stimulating the vagal nerve, the part of the nerve that helps regulate the heartbeat.
This maneuver can be done by coughing which can stimulate the vagal nerve to slow down the pulse and also provide cold stimulation to the face by placing a bag of ice on the face for a few seconds.
Drug
Antiarrhythmic drugs are used to restore normal heart rhythms that can be given orally and injected. These drugs are for example digitalis (Lanoxin), beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, or amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone, generic versions).
Cardioversion
This procedure is used to restore the heart rhythm back to normal both with drugs and electric shock devices. First the doctor will "force" the heart to beat normally using special medicines.
If this step fails, the doctor will give an electric shock to the heart to affect the electrical signal in the heart and restore the heart rhythm back to normal.
If you find a heart rate that is too fast during normal conditions, immediately consult a doctor to get the right diagnosis and treatment.
Feeling a Fast Heartbeat at Rest? Maybe You Have Tachycardia
