Arrhythmia | Symptoms & Causes
What causes an arrhythmia?
Arrhythmias occur when there is a problem with the electrical signals that control the heartbeat. Sometimes the nerve cells that create the electrical signals don't work the way they should or don’t move normally through the heart. In some cases, other areas of the heart begin to produce electrical signals that disrupt the normal heartbeat.
Arrhythmia | Diagnosis & Treatments
How is an arrhythmia diagnosed?
In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, there are several different tests that may be used to diagnose arrhythmias, including:
- electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)
- stress/rest myocardial perfusion imaging
- exercise stress test
- holter or event monitor
- continuous recording
- electrophysiologic study (EPS)
How do we treat arrhythmias?
Not all arrhythmias need treatment, especially those that don’t cause any symptoms. When the arrhythmia does cause symptoms, there are several options for treatment, including:
- Lifestyle changes. These may include reduce stress and avoiding caffeine.
- Medications. Medications may help lower fast heartbeats or correct irregular heart patterns.
- Cardioversion. This is a small electrical shock, that can help stop certain fast arrhythmias.
- Ablation. This procedure uses a small, thin tube, called a catheter, placed into the heart through a blood vessel in the groin or arm to heat or freeze the tissue around the area of the arrhythmia.
- Pacemaker. This is a small device placed under the skin that sends electrical signals to start or regulate a slow heartbeat.
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). This is a small device similar to a pacemaker that is implanted under the skin. It senses the rate of the heartbeat and delivers a small electrical shock to the heart if the heartbeat is too fast.
If none of these treatments work, your doctor may suggest a surgical procedure, such as ablation or a Maze procedure.
How we care for arrhythmias
The Electrophysiology Service at Boston Children’s Hospital specializes in diagnosing and treating heart arrhythmias in children and young adults. Our program is one of the largest and most experienced in the country, and we treat more patients with congenital heart problems than any other hospital in the world. We perform hundreds of electrophysiology procedures annually.