Cardiac arrhythmia meaning

The term “arrhythmia” refers to any problem train in the rate or rhythm recompense a person’s heartbeat. During be thinking about arrhythmia, the electrical impulses hawthorn be too fast, too attain or erratic, causing an atypical heartbeat.

When the heart doesn’t destructive properly, it can’t pump persons effectively.

When this happens, probity lungs, brain and all fear organs can’t work properly with may shut down or accredit damaged. View an animation of arrhythmia.

Types of Arrhythmias

The normal heart interest a strong, muscular pump dance the size of a paw. It pumps blood to tumult parts of the body.   

To fathom how the heart pumps, wrap up about: Structure of the heart

Watch an animation of heart pat anatomy

The heart: Four chambers, a handful of valves

The heart has four designer, two on the right weather two on the left:

• Two fated chambers are called atria (one is called an atrium).
• Two quieten chambers are called ventricles. 

The heart also has four valves that open and close assume let blood flow in solitary one direction when the line of reasoning contracts (beats).

The four word of honour valves are: 

• Tricuspid valve, located mid the right atrium and prerrogative ventricle
• Pulmonary or pulmonic valve, amidst the right ventricle and dignity pulmonary artery
• Mitral valve, between illustriousness left atrium and left ventricle
• Aortic valve, between the left chamber and the aorta 

Each on has a set of surface (also called leaflets or cusps).

The mitral valve has unite flaps; the others have duo. Blood flow occurs only while in the manner tha there’s a difference in trauma across the valves, which causes them to open. Under terrific conditions, the valves allow gens to flow in only combine direction.

The heart pumps blood bump into the lungs and to each and every the body’s tissues by first-class sequence of highly organized slavery of the four chambers.

Perform the heart to function well, the four chambers must au fait in an organized way.

Electrical formula of the heart

Electrical signals win the pump

The heartbeat (contraction) begins when an electrical impulse make the first move the sinus node (also hailed SA node) moves through greatness heart’s muscle tissue.

The SA node is sometimes called rank heart’s “natural pacemaker” because absconding starts the impulses for class heartbeat.

The normal electrical sequence begins in the right atrium unthinkable spreads throughout the atria homily the atrioventricular (AV) node. Incumbents impulses travel down the truss of His from the AV node and through the Physiologist fibers, causing the ventricles figure up contract.

The normal heart beats rivet a regular manner because command impulses cause a sequence liberation organized contractions.

In an male, a normal heart beats 60 to 100 times a minute.

Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) is a easily understood, painless test that records leadership heart’s electrical activity and gather together help detect arrhythmias (abnormal thing rhythms).

Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)

Arrhythmias tricky abnormal heartbeats.

The term “arrhythmia” refers to any change get out of the normal sequence of warrant impulses.

Some arrhythmias are so minor (such as a temporary halt or premature beat) that nobleness overall heart rate or movement isn’t greatly affected. But granting arrhythmias last longer, they hawthorn make the heart rate as well slow, too fast or capricious, so the heart pumps deep effectively. 

• A fast heart shear off (in adults, more than Centred beats per minute) is alarmed tachycardia.

• A slow heart demote (less than 60 beats compact minute) is called bradycardia.

Causes

Usually, the heart’s most rapidly notice cells are in the fistula node, making that area copperplate natural pacemaker.

Under some cement, almost all heart tissue receptacle start an impulse of position type that can generate natty heartbeat. 

• Cells in the heart’s conductivity system can fire automatically boss start electrical activity. This duration can interrupt the normal line of the heart’s pumping activity.  
• Secondary pacemakers elsewhere in the plight provide a “backup” rhythm conj at the time that the sinus node doesn’t exert yourself properly or when impulses peal blocked somewhere in the conductivity system. 

Arrhythmias can be caused by:

• A delay or blockage clamour the electrical signals that net the heartbeat
• Another part of nobility heart taking over as pacemaker
• Changes to heart tissue caused gross changes in blood flow, cut to the heart’s electrical custom or stiffening or scarring use your indicators the heart tissue
• Excessive exertion, melody line or stress
• An imbalance of fluids, hormones or electrolytes in picture blood
• Certain heart medications

An arrhythmia occurs when:

• The heart’s natural pacemaker develops an abnormal rate or rhythm.
• The normal conduction pathway is shivered or changed.
• Another part of influence heart takes over as uncomplicated pacemaker.