What Is Tachycardia?
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Tachycardia is an increase in heart rate. Tachycardia is when the heart beats, at rest, at more than 100 beats per minute. At this rate, the heart cannot effectively feed the body with oxygenated blood. A normal heart rate is estimated between 60 and 90 beats per minute.
Symptoms Of Tachycardia
Accelerating heart rate usually causes difficulty breathing: shortness of breath. This is accompanied by a feeling of dizziness, lightheadedness and weakness that can lead to loss of consciousness. Tachycardia causes the impression that the heart is racing. This results in chest pain.
Types Of Tachycardia
There are several types of tachycardia:
- Sinus tachycardia: This is the most common tachycardia. It is a normal adapted response of the heart to certain stimuli such as physical exertion or anxiety. It can also be caused by dehydration or hyperthyroidism. This tachycardia takes its name from the sinus node, responsible for the electrical impulses of the heart.
- Ventricular tachycardia: It is characterized by accelerated contractions of the ventricles of the heart (pumps sending blood into the body). It is related to underlying heart disease such as high blood pressure, myocardial infarction or heart failure. Urgent care in the hospital is necessary in case of an attack.
- Bouveret tachycardia or junctional: It is linked to Bouveret's disease. This is an anomaly in the propagation of the electrical impulse of the heart. An affected person experiences a rapid and brutal speeding up of the heartbeat.
- Atrial tachycardia: It is explained by the acceleration of the rhythm of the contractions of the atria of the heart. These are cavities that receive the blood and send it back to the associated ventricle.
Treatment Of Tachycardia
The treatment of tachycardia depends on its type. If the origin is not a cardiac pathology, management aims to slow the rhythm of the heart via drugs such as betablockers or anti-arrhythmics. In cases where a heart condition is responsible for tachycardia, it is imperative to treat it. Ventricular tachycardia requires emergency hospitalization because the risk of sudden death is real. Only the cardiologist can determine the best treatment for each case of tachycardia.
