Tachycardia – Symptoms and Causes

Heart Rate Disorders

When your heart beats faster than 100 beats per minute, doctors call this tachycardia. While sometimes normal during exercise or stress, it can also signal a health problem.

Let’s explore the different kinds of tachycardia:

Sinus Tachycardia

This is a normal increase in heart rate that happens during exercise, emotional stress, or fever. Your body needs more oxygen, so your heart beats faster. This type is usually not a concern.

Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)

This is the most common irregular heart rhythm. In AFib:

• Chaotic electrical signals start in the upper heart chambers
• These signals cause a fast, irregular heartbeat
• Episodes may come and go or need treatment
• Can increase stroke risk if left untreated

Atrial Flutter

Similar to AFib but with more organized heartbeats. Key features include:

• More organized pattern than AFib
• May resolve without treatment
• People with atrial flutter often experience AFib at other times

Ventricular Tachycardia

This serious condition starts in the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart:

• Prevents proper blood pumping
• Brief episodes (seconds) may cause no harm
• Episodes lasting longer than a few seconds can be life-threatening
• Often related to heart disease

Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)

This term covers several fast heart rhythms starting above the ventricles:

• Causes sudden episodes of pounding heartbeats
• Episodes start and stop abruptly
• May cause dizziness or shortness of breath
• Often treatable with medication or procedures

Ventricular Fibrillation

This is the most dangerous type of heart rhythm problem:

• Causes chaotic quivering of the ventricles instead of proper pumping
• Leads to cardiac arrest if not treated within minutes
• Often associated with existing heart disease
• Requires immediate emergency treatment
• May be triggered by serious injury or electrical shock

Many treatment options exist for these conditions, ranging from lifestyle changes to medication to procedures like cardioversion (controlled electrical shock to reset heart rhythm) or catheter ablation (scarring problematic tissue to stop irregular signals).

Signs and Symptoms

Tachycardia can occur without any noticeable symptoms. Sometimes, people discover they have a fast heartbeat during routine check-ups or when having heart tests for other reasons.

Common symptoms of tachycardia include:

• Racing or pounding heartbeat sensations in the chest
• Chest pain
• Fainting episodes
• Feeling lightheaded
• Rapid pulse rate
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

When Medical Help Is Needed

If you notice your heart beating unusually fast, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider for an evaluation.

Seek emergency medical care immediately if you experience:

• Pain or discomfort in your chest
• Trouble breathing
• Sudden weakness
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Fainting or nearly fainting

Ventricular fibrillation is a dangerous type of tachycardia that requires immediate emergency treatment. This condition causes blood pressure to drop severely. When this happens, breathing and pulse stop because the heart cannot pump blood. This is also known as cardiac arrest, and the person typically collapses.

If someone experiences cardiac arrest:

1. Call 911 right away.
2. Begin CPR to maintain blood flow to vital organs.
3. If untrained in CPR, perform hands-only CPR by pushing hard and fast on the center of the chest (100-120 compressions per minute).
4. Find an AED (automated external defibrillator) if one is available nearby.

No special training is needed to use an AED. The device provides instructions and will only deliver a shock when necessary.

Hands-only CPR can be done to the rhythm of the song “Stayin’ Alive” to maintain the proper compression rate until emergency responders arrive.

Causes

This section explores what makes the heart beat too fast, known as tachycardia. Many factors can lead to a racing heart that exceeds 100 beats per minute.

The heart has four main chambers that work together. The top two chambers are called atria, while the bottom two are ventricles.

A special group of cells called the sinus node sits in the upper right chamber. This node acts like the heart’s natural pacemaker by creating electrical signals that start each heartbeat.

These signals follow a specific path:

1. First, they spread across the upper chambers
2. Then they reach the AV node, where they typically slow down
3. Finally, they travel to the lower chambers, causing them to contract

In a healthy heart, this process works smoothly, keeping the heart rate between 60-100 beats per minute at rest. However, various factors can disrupt this system.

Common causes of tachycardia include:

• Fever
• Heavy alcohol use or withdrawal
• Too much caffeine
• Blood pressure problems (too high or too low)
• Imbalances in body minerals like potassium and sodium
• Certain medications
• Overactive thyroid
• Anemia (low red blood cell count)
• Tobacco use
• Illegal stimulants such as cocaine
• Heart attack

Sometimes a person might have an irregular heart rhythm called an arrhythmia. Atrial fibrillation is one example of an arrhythmia that can cause a fast heart rate.

When tachycardia happens during exercise or stress, doctors call it sinus tachycardia. This is a normal response, not a medical condition. Doctors sometimes can’t identify the exact reason for a person’s fast heart rate despite thorough testing.

Risk Factors

Several factors can increase your chance of developing fast heart rhythms, also known as tachycardia:

• Age: The risk increases as you get older.
• Family history: Having relatives with heart rhythm problems.
• High blood pressure: Uncontrolled hypertension can affect heart function.

Complications

Tachycardia (fast heart rate) can lead to serious health problems if not properly managed. When your heart beats too rapidly, it may not effectively pump blood throughout your body. This reduces oxygen delivery to vital organs and tissues.

Several factors influence how serious these complications might be:

• Type of tachycardia
• Heart rate speed
• Duration of the rapid heartbeat
• Presence of other heart conditions

Possible complications include:

• Blood clots that may trigger heart attacks or strokes.
• Frequent fainting episodes or loss of consciousness.
• Heart failure due to prolonged strain on the heart muscle.
• Sudden cardiac death (primarily associated with ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation).

Blood-thinning medications are sometimes prescribed to reduce clotting risks in people with certain types of tachycardia.

Ways to Prevent Fast Heartbeats

Keeping your heart healthy is key to preventing tachycardia (fast heartbeat). Regular health checkups are important, especially if you already have heart issues.

Always follow your treatment plan and take medications exactly as prescribed.

Here are steps to maintain heart health and prevent problems:

• Avoid smoking completely
• Choose heart-healthy foods low in salt and saturated fat
• Stay active with at least 30 minutes of exercise most days
• Keep weight in check at a healthy level
• Manage stress through relaxation techniques
• Control health conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes
• Prioritize sleep—aim for 7–9 hours nightly for adults

Be careful with medications.

Some over-the-counter cold and cough remedies contain stimulants that might trigger rapid heartbeats. Always consult with healthcare providers before starting new medicines.

Avoid illegal substances such as cocaine and methamphetamine, as these stimulants can seriously disrupt your heart’s normal rhythm patterns.