Arrhythmias are irregular heartbeats that cause the heart to beat faster or slower than normal. Ventricular arrhythmias affect the lower chambers of the heart, which can negatively impact the organ’s ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. While not always harmful, ventricular arrhythmias can sometimes require treatment to avoid more serious health effects.
Under normal circumstances, the heart will beat from 60 to 100 times each minute when a person is at rest. With ventricular arrhythmia, the lower chambers of the heart may beat much faster than normal, which is known as ventricular tachycardia. Another form of the condition called ventricular fibrillation causes the lower chambers to twitch instead of fully expanding and contracting as they typically would.
Ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation cause similar symptoms, including:
With ventricular fibrillation, a person may also experience nausea in addition to the other symptoms listed here.
Ventricular arrhythmias are often linked to medical conditions and diseases, including:
While some ventricular arrhythmias are considered benign, those linked to major health conditions can lead to severe effects. This includes a risk of cardiac arrest, which requires immediate medical attention.
When arrhythmias are caused by another medical condition, controlling that condition may stop the irregular heartbeat from occurring. Doctors can also treat arrhythmia directly using medication and surgical procedures. For instance, ablation involves using a catheter to alter areas of the heart to stop irregular heartbeats. Surgeons can also implant a defibrillator to correct problematic electrical impulses.
It is not always possible to prevent ventricular arrhythmias, but maintaining good heart health can limit ill-effects. This entails eating a nutritious diet (and avoiding fatty, salty foods), exercising on a regular basis, and limiting your intake of alcohol. And if you smoke, quitting can make a major difference to your heart health.