Why does arrhythmia occur? You need to know this

Everyone must be familiar with electrocardiograms. A piece of paper records a bunch of ups and downs of waveforms, which may have prompts such as "sinus rhythm", "sinus arrhythmia", "occasional premature beats", etc. Does such an electrocardiogram mean that your heart activity is normal? What is arrhythmia? In this issue, Dr. Cui Xiaoyun from the Department of Cardiology of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Oriental Hospital will share with you the relevant knowledge of arrhythmia.

What is arrhythmia?

We can imagine the heart as a company, and the heart rhythm is the rhythm of its work. The leading department of the heart is the sinoatrial node, which directs the interatrial bundle, the His bundle, the left and right bundle branches, and the Purkinje fiber network to transmit messages to other departments. After receiving the message, other departments start working, and the heart can beat rhythmically. We call the heart rhythm directed by the sinoatrial node sinus rhythm, which is the normal heart rhythm. When a problem occurs in a certain department of the heart, causing the whole to not work normally, it is arrhythmia.

What are heart rhythm disorders?

Common arrhythmias include sinus tachycardia, sinus bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia, premature beats, paroxysmal tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, conduction block, etc. According to the principle of its occurrence, it can be divided into abnormal impulse formation and abnormal impulse conduction; according to the speed of the heart rate when the arrhythmia occurs, it can be divided into rapid arrhythmia and slow arrhythmia. Simply put, when the sinoatrial node is sick and the command is slow, sinus bradycardia will occur; when the sinoatrial node is too excited and the command speed becomes faster, it is tachycardia; when there is a problem with the conduction department such as the atrioventricular node, it is conduction block; if other departments want to seize the position of the sinoatrial node and start to command the lower-level departments, premature beats, atrial fibrillation and other manifestations will appear.

What are the symptoms of arrhythmia?

The heart is a blood pumping organ. Abnormal working rhythm will inevitably lead to abnormal blood supply and distribution in the human body. Patients may experience symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, dizziness, fatigue, and even syncope in severe cases. If the above symptoms occur, it is best to go to the hospital for treatment in time.

What tests should I do at the hospital?

The first thing is the electrocardiogram, which is the most important non-invasive examination technology for diagnosing arrhythmias. It can determine whether the patient has arrhythmia and myocardial ischemia.

The second is cardiac ultrasound and Holter (24-hour dynamic electrocardiogram) and other examinations. Cardiac ultrasound can help us understand whether the structure and function of the heart are normal, so as to further clarify the cause of arrhythmia; Holter can monitor the electrical activity of the heart for a day, which is more comprehensive than electrocardiogram and can detect various types of arrhythmia and myocardial ischemia.

Do arrhythmias need treatment?

It should be noted that arrhythmia does not necessarily require treatment. In addition to pathological factors, mental stress, staying up late, excessive smoking, drinking, strong tea, and coffee may also cause arrhythmia. Therefore, if we find that we have arrhythmia, we should first determine whether we have organic heart disease, such as coronary heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, etc., and then see if there are any correctable predisposing factors, such as myocardial ischemia, electrolyte disorders, thyroid dysfunction, etc., and then give appropriate treatment.