Cardiac arrhythmias
Cardiac Arrhythmias
Cardiac arrhythmias (pronounced: kahr-dee-ak uh-rith-mee-uhs), also known as heart arrhythmias, are conditions characterized by abnormal heart rhythms. They occur when the electrical impulses that coordinate heartbeats don't work properly, causing the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly.
Etymology
The term "arrhythmia" is derived from the Greek words "a," meaning "no," "not," or "without," and "rhythmos," meaning "rhythm." Thus, it literally means "without rhythm" or "no rhythm."
Types of Cardiac Arrhythmias
There are several types of cardiac arrhythmias, including:
- Atrial fibrillation (AF)
- Atrial flutter
- Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)
- Ventricular tachycardia (VT)
- Ventricular fibrillation (VF)
- Premature contraction
- Bradycardia
- Tachycardia
Symptoms
Symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias may include:
Causes
Cardiac arrhythmias can be caused by several factors, including:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Alcohol abuse
- Drug abuse
- Stress
- Smoking
- Caffeine
- Certain medications
Treatment
Treatment for cardiac arrhythmias depends on the type and severity of the arrhythmia. Treatment options may include:
- Lifestyle changes
- Medications
- Cardioversion
- Ablation therapy
- Pacemaker
- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)
- Surgery
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Cardiac arrhythmias
- Wikipedia's article - Cardiac arrhythmias
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