About This Condition
What is arrhythmia?
An arrhythmia refers to an abnormal heart rhythm. You can sometimes feel it yourself — your heart flutters or there’s a brief pause in its rhythm. Bradycardia is when the heart beats too slowly (less than 60 beats per minute); tachycardia is when it beats too fast (100+ bpm). If an arrhythmia is severe or lasts a long time, it can affect heart function and reduce blood flow throughout the body.
Atrial fibrillation is a sustained arrhythmia where the upper chambers of the heart quiver instead of beating effectively. It affects 2.7 million Americans. Though not immediately life-threatening, untreated AFib doubles the risk of heart-related death and is associated with a 5-fold increase in stroke risk.
Common Symptoms
Common symptoms of arrhythmia.
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Heart palpitations
Sensation of fluttering, racing, or skipping beats.
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Exercise intolerance
Difficulty exercising or shortness of breath with exertion.
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Dizziness or fainting
Lightheadedness or passing out due to reduced blood flow.
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No symptoms
Many people with AFib have no noticeable symptoms — silent AFib.
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TREATMENT
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Surgical procedure that reroutes blood around blocked coronary arteries using healthy vessels harvested from elsewhere in the body.
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