What Happens When Your
Heart Goes Into
Arrhythmia?

What Is a Heart Arrhythmia? 

The heart usually beats from 60 to 100 times each minute in healthy individuals. An arrhythmia is when the heart beats faster or slower than normal, or when the pattern of heartbeats is irregular. In both cases, the electrical signals that elicit heartbeats aren’t functioning correctly.  

Are Arrhythmias Always Dangerous? 

A person’s heartbeat will naturally speed up and slow down. For instance, heartbeats increase with physical activity and decrease with rest. Additionally, active individuals often have slower than normal heartbeats because their hearts function more efficiently when it comes to pumping blood.  

Some types of arrhythmia result from medical conditions, in which case an irregular heartbeat could pose health risks. Tachycardia, which occurs when a heart beats more than 100 times a minute, can result from: 

• Atrial fibrillation (AFib) – AFib is caused by disordered electrical signals, which throws off the pattern of heartbeats. Stroke and AFib are often associated.   

• Ventricular Fibrillation – This type of arrhythmia affects the lower heart chambers, which fail to coordinate to pump blood efficiently. Ventricular fibrillation usually results from heart disease and requires emergency treatment.  

• Atrial Flutter – Like AFib, atrial flutter can also accompany strokes. While this condition also causes abnormal heartbeat patterns, it’s often less disruptive when compared to AFib.  

Conversely, bradycardia, which occurs when the heart beats less than 60 times per minute, can be caused by: 

• Conduction Block – Conduction blocks occur when the pathways through which electrical signals flow are obstructed for some reason, which can cause the rate of beats to decrease.  

• Sick Sinus Syndrome – A dysfunctional sinus node, which is what controls the rate of heartbeats, can result in fewer beats per minute. Sinus node dysfunction is often caused by the formation of scar tissue in the heart.  

What Should You Do About Arrhythmia? 

It’s best to have any heart issues evaluated by a doctor. When irregular heartbeats are accompanied by more serious symptoms, such as shortness of breath and pain or pressure in the chest, seek out immediate medical care.