Tachycardia (Fast Heartbeat)

Tachycardia (fast heartbeat) is a type of abnormal heart rhythm that can be mild and sometimes life-threatening.

Tachycardia (fast heartbeat)

Tachycardia (fast heartbeat) occurs when the heart beats more than 100 beats a minute when not being active, while the normal heartbeat is 60-100 beats per minute when not being active. Tachycardia is a type of heart arrhythmia, and it has several types.

Causes and risk factors of tachycardia (fast heartbeat)

Normally, a person may have a rapid heartbeat when exercising, being emotional, or being anxious, and the heartbeat returns to normal when this ends.

Other causes of abnormal tachycardia are:

• Stress.
• High blood pressure, or hypotension.
• Heart conditions, like coronary artery disease and heart attack.
• Low blood sugar.
• Anemia.
• Pregnancy.
• Dehydration.
• Hyperthyroidism.
• Fever.
• Electrolyte imbalance.
• Alcohol and substance use.
• Certain medications.
• Smoking and nicotine use.
• Excessive caffeine consumption.
• The risk of fast heartbeat increases due to the following factors: obesity, diabetes, family history, kidney disease, lung disease, and aging.

Symptoms of tachycardia (fast heartbeat)

• Increased heartbeat.
• Shortness of breath.
• Heart palpitations.
• Chest pain.
• Dizziness and lightheadedness.
• Extreme tiredness.
• Nausea.
• Fainting.
• Rapid heartbeat can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart attack, cardiomyopathy, and cardiac arrest.

Diagnosis of tachycardia (fast heartbeat)

• Heart tests.
• Blood tests.

Treatment of tachycardia (fast heartbeat)

• Medications.
• Vagal maneuvers, which are simple actions that can help slow down the heartbeat, such as coughing, bearing down like when passing stool, and putting an ice pack on the face.
• Shocking the heart electrically.
• Certain procedures, such as catheter ablation (creating small scars in the heart that block irregular electrical signals), implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, pacemaker, maze procedure, and open-heart surgery in some cases.
• The risk of tachycardia can be reduced by keeping the heart healthy, which is done by following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing other conditions, if any.