What does a faster than normal heartbeat indicate?!
Question:
What does a faster than normal heartbeat indicate?
Answers:
This article will help you out in understanding your condition:
Definition
Ventricular tachycardia is a rapid heart beat initiated within the ventricles, characterized by 3 or more consecutive premature ventricular beats.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Ventricular tachycardia is a potentially lethal disruption of normal heartbeat (arrhythmia) that may cause the heart to become unable to pump adequate blood through the body. The heart rate may be 160 to 240 (normal is 60 to 100 beats per minute).
Ventricular tachycardia can occur in the absence of apparent heart disease. It can also develop as an early or a late complication of a heart attack, or during the course of cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, myocarditis, and following heart surgery.
Healed heart attacks form scar tissue which can lead to ventricular tachycardia. This can occur days, months, or years after the heart attack.
Ventricular tachycardia can also result from anti-arrhythmic medications (an undesired effect) or from altered blood chemistries (such as a low potassium level), pH (acid-base) changes, or insufficient oxygenation.
A common mechanism for ventricular tachycardia is reentry (re-stimulation of the electrical conductive pathway from a single initial stimulus). Ventricular tachycardia is classified as nonsustained (often defined as lasting less than 30 seconds) or sustained.
"Torsade de pointes" is a form of ventricular tachycardia with a specific variation in the conduction of the ventricular stimulus.
Ventricular tachycardia occurs in approximately 2 out of 10,000 people.
Symptoms
* Sensation of feeling the heart beat (palpitations)
* Light-headedness or dizziness
* Fainting
* Shortness of breath
* Chest discomfort (angina)
Note: Symptoms may start and stop suddenly. In some cases, there are no symptoms.