Arrhythmia

The Palm Beach Health Network is focused on helping get your heart into the right rhythm. As part of our high-quality heart health care, we are proud to offer our patients an advanced electrophysiology program where our team of specialists use innovative technologies to diagnose and treat interruptions and irregularities in heart rhythm.

What is Arrhythmia?

Have you ever felt like your heart’s rhythm is not normal, like your heart is beating either too fast or too slow? If so, your heart’s electrical system could be experiencing a problem called arrhythmia, or also known as irregular heartbeat. This heart issue can cause a significant burden in your health and your day-to-day activities, from simply making you feel weak to causing a total heart failure.

The good news is the Palm Beach Health Network has experienced teams who specializes in electrophysiology, a kind of test that doctors perform to help diagnose and treat different types of arrhythmia. Combining expertise and advanced technology, our cardiac electrophysiologists’ goal is to help your heart and life get back to the right rhythm as early as possible.

How Serious Is Heart Arrhythmia?

Arrhythmia usually occurs when the electrical signals that affect your heartbeat are not working properly or due to changes in your heart tissue and activity. It may also happen because of stress, blood imbalances, medicines or the cause may be unknown. If you’re living with arrhythmia, please work closely with your doctor for a treatment plan. This may help keep you from experiencing irregular heartbeat again or prevent it from getting worse.

Some of the most common heart arrhythmia symptoms include:

• Palpitations, rapid heartbeat or pounding in the chest
• Weakness or fatigue
• Low blood pressure
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Fainting or near-fainting experiences
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety
• Chest pain or pressure

What Happens If Heart Arrhythmia Is Left Untreated?

When left untreated, arrhythmia may keep the heart from pumping enough blood to the body which can eventually damage the brain, the heart and other organs to the point of becoming life-threatening. Arrhythmia can also increase your risk for stroke and heart failure.

What Are The Common Types of Arrhythmia?

In general, heart arrhythmias are categorized by the speed of heart rate they cause and where they begin in the heart.

Tachycardia (Fast Heartbeat)

This fast heart rhythm causes a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute

Bradycardia (Slow Heartbeat)

This slow heart rhythm causes a heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute

Premature Heartbeat

A premature, or extra, beat is a common, usually harmless type of arrhythmia that typically does not cause symptoms. Most healthy people who experience an occasional extra beat do not need treatment. However, if you have heart disease, a premature heartbeat can lead to a longer-lasting arrhythmia.

Supraventricular Arrhythmias

These arrhythmias are tachycardia that occur in the atria or the atrioventricular (AV) node, specialized tissue that conducts electrical signals from the atria to the ventricles. Types of supraventricular arrhythmias include

• Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
• Atrial Flutter
• Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT)
• Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is one of the most common types of arrhythmia. With AFib, the atria — the two upper chambers of the heart — fire in a fast and often uncontrolled manner. Instead of contracting normally, the atria quiver causing the electrical signals to arrive in the ventricles in an irregular fashion, and the blood may pool and/or clot. If a blood clot becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, a stroke may occur.

Learn More About A Fib

Ventricular Arrhythmias

Tachycardias that begin in the lower chambers of the heart can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Types of ventricular arrhythmias include:

• Ventricular Tachycardia (VT)
• Ventricular Fibrillation (Vfib)
• Torsades De Pointes

What Does A Cardiac Electrophysiologist Do?

A cardiac electrophysiologist, also known as a cardiac EP, is a doctor who specializes in treating heart rhythm issues. They perform tests to determine the electrical activity of a patient’s heart to diagnose arrhythmia, determine its cause and provide suitable treatment options.

In the Palm Beach Health Network, our electrophysiologists perform the following:

• Evaluation and treatment of atrial fibrillation and other types of arrhythmia
• Management of antiarrhythmic medications
• Electrophysiology studies
• Catheter ablation
• Implantation and management of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD)
• Intracardiac echocardiograms