Cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiac Arrhythmia
Cardiac arrhythmia (pronounced: kahr-dee-ak uh-rith-mee-uh), also known as cardiac dysrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, is a group of conditions in which the heartbeat is irregular, too fast, or too slow.
Etymology
The term "arrhythmia" is derived from the Greek words "a," meaning "without," and "rhythmos," meaning "rhythm." Thus, arrhythmia literally means "without rhythm."
Definition
A cardiac arrhythmia is a condition characterized by abnormal electrical activity in the heart. This can result in the heart beating too quickly (tachycardia), too slowly (bradycardia), or irregularly, which can disrupt the normal flow of blood and potentially lead to serious complications such as stroke or heart failure.
Types of Cardiac Arrhythmia
There are many types of cardiac arrhythmias, including:
- Atrial fibrillation (AFib): This is the most common type of serious arrhythmia. It's a very fast, irregular contraction of the atria.
- Atrial flutter: This is similar to AFib but the rhythm in your atria is more organized and less chaotic than the abnormal patterns caused by atrial fibrillation.
- Ventricular fibrillation (VFib): This is a serious problem that occurs most often in people with serious heart disorders and can cause cardiac arrest and sudden death.
Causes
Cardiac arrhythmias can be caused by a variety of factors, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, heavy alcohol use, and the use of certain medications and supplements.
Treatment
Treatment for cardiac arrhythmias can include lifestyle changes, medications, pacemaker implantation, or procedures such as cardioversion or catheter ablation.
Related Terms
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): A test that measures the electrical activity of the heart.
- Cardiologist: A doctor who specializes in diseases and conditions of the heart.
- Defibrillator: A device that sends an electric shock to the heart to try to restore its normal rhythm.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Cardiac arrhythmia
- Wikipedia's article - Cardiac arrhythmia
This MedicineGPT article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski