Have you ever felt your heart flutter, race, or skip a beat unexpectedly? These sensations, often called heart palpitations, can be startling. While they’re usually harmless, they may sometimes signal underlying health issues. Understanding the causes and when to seek medical advice is key to staying heart-healthy. What Are Heart Palpitations? Heart palpitations are feelings of your heart racing, pounding, …
Like the chaos of a hailstorm on a tin roof comes the electrical storm of atrial fibrillation (AF). During AF, the atria are quivering (fibrillating) and firing hundreds of impulses at the same time. It’s as if the electrical circuits have gone haywire. If this rhythm problem is not diagnosed or isn’t managed properly, it can lead to strokes, heart …
A cardiac arrhythmia affects the heart’s physiological rhythm. This is basically a disease that alters the electricity of your heart. As a result, your heart can beat too fast, too slow, or too early. In some cases, it contracts erratically, which is referred to as fibrillation. According to research, up to 5% of the population may have some type of …
Let’s have a heart-to-heart about arrhythmias. Simply put, arrhythmias are irregular heart rate patterns. They can occur when the heart rate is too fast, too slow, or simply abnormal. And they tend to be caused by an electrical issue.Types of ArrhythmiasThere are two main types of arrhythmias. They’re grouped based on the speed of the heart rate (HR): Tachycardia: A …
