Heart Arrhythmia
Our electrophysiologists specialize in treating all types of abnormal heartbeats, called heart arrhythmias.
What is a heart arrhythmia?
An arrhythmia, also known as an irregular heartbeat, occurs when the heart beats too fast, too slow or unevenly. Arrhythmias occur when there’s a change to your heart’s electrical signals, which control your heartbeat. It causes your heart’s natural pacemaker function to fail, leading to an abnormal heart rate or rhythm.
Some arrhythmias are so quick they don't cause any harm. But when an arrhythmia lasts longer, your heart can’t pump blood as it should. This can cause damage to your heart, brain, lungs and other organs. Arrhythmias can raise your risk of blood clots, heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest (your heart stops).
What causes arrhythmias?
Arrhythmias can be caused by other heart problems, such as coronary artery disease, a heart attack or structural problems, including abnormalities present at birth or changes that can happen with cardiomyopathy (thickened heart muscle). Other causes can include:
- Certain medicines, such as allergy medications
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Lifestyle habits like smoking or drinking too much caffeine or alcohol
- Sleep apnea
- Stress
- Thyroid problems
Types of arrhythmias
There are different types of arrhythmias:
- Premature ventricular contractions are extra heartbeats that happen occasionally and don’t require treatment. It can feel like your heart is fluttering or skipping a beat.
- Bradyarrhythmia or bradycardia causes your heart to beat slower than normal. Your heart may not pump enough blood to your brain, which can cause dizziness or fainting.
- Supraventricular arrhythmias — such as atrial fibrillation (AFib) and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) — cause a very fast heartbeat and can be serious. AFib is the most common arrhythmia that requires treatment.
- Ventricular arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, cause a very fast heartbeat. This type of arrhythmia can cause sudden cardiac arrest, which is life- threatening and requires immediate treatment to restart your heart.
What are heart arrhythmia symptoms?
Often, arrhythmias don’t have symptoms. You might notice a pause between heartbeats, an unusually slow or fast heartbeat, or irregular heartbeats. Symptoms of a more serious heart arrhythmia can include:
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Difficulty breathing
- Fainting, lightheadedness or weakness
- Sweating
- Tiredness
If you have these symptoms, talk to your doctor.
Leading-edge heart arrhythmia treatment
Electrophysiologists at the Heart & Vascular Institute at Portsmouth Regional Hospital specialize in diagnosing and treating arrhythmias with the latest approaches. Sometimes, keeping an eye on your symptoms is all the treatment you need. But when your symptoms are severe or you’re at risk for serious health problems — like heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest — you need expert care.
Our electrophysiology team offers advanced arrhythmia treatments to relieve symptoms and keep you healthy. You get individual attention and a personalized treatment plan to help you feel your best.
Catheter ablation
This minimally invasive approach treats very fast heartbeats, such as AFib, by using heat or cold to destroy heart tissue causing the arrhythmia. Your doctor makes a small puncture in your neck, arm or upper thigh and inserts a catheter (long, flexible tube) into a blood vessel leading to your heart using a video screen for positioning. Then, we thread electrode catheters (thin tubes with wires) into your heart and send electrical impulses to find the tissue causing the arrhythmia. Once we find it, we use radiofrequency energy (heat) or cryoablation (freezing) to destroy the tissue causing rapid heartbeats.
You receive pain medicine to keep you comfortable during the procedure. Your doctor will let you know if you can go home or need to stay overnight in the hospital after catheter ablation.
Arrhythmia surgery
Our heart surgeons perform surgical ablation, also called maze surgery, to interrupt irregular electrical signals in your heart. Surgeons make tiny cuts, which are immediately closed, to create a maze pattern in your heart. The abnormal electrical signals follow this path through your heart, stopping the irregular signals from disrupting your heartbeat. Surgeons also use the WATCHMAN device to help reduce the risk of stroke in patients with AFib.
Electrophysiology (EP) studies
We use electrophysiology studies to examine your heartbeat. Your doctor inserts a thin, flexible wire into a blood vessel in your arm or upper thigh that leads to your heart to measure your heart's electrical signals. During the procedure, your doctor may give you medicine to see if it stops the arrhythmia.
Implantable cardiac devices
These devices, placed under the skin of your chest, send electrical signals to your heart to regulate your heartbeat and stop arrhythmia symptoms. Pacemakers regulate slow heartbeats and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) regulate fast heartbeats. We use the latest technology, allowing us to customize your device and give you the best results.
Nonsurgical treatments
We use various approaches to treat arrhythmias, including medicines and avoiding behaviors that contribute to arrhythmias, such as smoking, alcohol and caffeine. Some arrhythmias increase heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest risk, so we offer therapies to lower your risk. We also help you lower blood pressure and cholesterol, lose weight, and eat a heart-healthy diet to prevent heart disease.
