Arrhythmias Specialist

What is an arrhythmia?

An arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat, causing your heart to beat too quickly, too slowly, or in an irregular pattern.

If your heart beats too fast, the condition is known as tachycardia. If your heart beats too slow, you have bradycardia. You can also have atrial fibrillation, a condition where your heartbeat is irregular and fast.

What are the symptoms of an arrhythmia?

In addition to a heartbeat that’s too fast or too slow, you can experience arrhythmia-related symptoms like:

• Sweating
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Skipped beats
• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath

It’s important that you get an accurate diagnosis of your symptoms to confirm an arrhythmia and to rule out other underlying medical conditions.

How is an arrhythmia diagnosed?

There are several tests that can evaluate the cause of your irregular heartbeat and confirm an arrhythmia. Your Verma Health provider may request that you wear a Holter monitor, a small and portable device that records your heart’s electrical activity over the course of 24 hours or longer.

Stress testing is also helpful in diagnosing an arrhythmia. This test involves walking on a treadmill while your physician monitors your heart rate and rhythm.

To assess your heart’s size and structure, your Verma Health provider may perform an echocardiogram that uses sound waves to create a picture of your heart. This noninvasive test can provide instant information about heart health.

What treatments are available for arrhythmias?

Treatment depends on what kind of arrhythmia you have and the severity of your symptoms. For many people, a pacemaker is helpful for regulating their heartbeat. A pacemaker is an electronic device an electrophysiologist places under the surface of your skin in your chest to stimulate a regular heart rhythm. 

The pacemaker works like your natural electric system but only when your heartbeat becomes irregular. It sends electrical impulses to the heart when it begins beating too quickly or too slowly.

You may benefit from medications to manage your irregular heartbeat, or your Verma Health provider may recommend cardiac defibrillation, a quick electric shock that restores a normal heartbeat.

In some cases, surgery may be necessary to correct an arrhythmia by removing parts of your heart tissue that causes the irregular heartbeat. Verma Health also offers routine check of your loop recorder, pacemaker, or defibrillator. 

If you have an irregular heartbeat, schedule a consultation with the skilled cardiologists at Verma Health by phone or by requesting an appointment online now.