The irregular or accelerated heart rhythm is called tachycardia, it is usually when the heartbeat exceeds 100 beats per minute, and can reach up to 400. It is considered a quite dangerous problem since, at this rate, the heart it does not have the ability to pump blood with oxygen in sufficient quantities throughout the body.
This abnormality can occur both in the upper chambers of the heart in which case it would be called atrial tachycardia, while those that occur in the lower chambers of the heart are called ventricular tachycardia.
There is a wide variety of abnormal tachycardias, which are classified depending on the origin and cause of the excessively fast heartbeat. The most common variants of tachycardia are the following:
- Atrial fibrillation This is the name given to the accelerated heart rate that occurs because of the chaotic and irregular electrical impulses that occur in the upper chambers of the heart.
- Atrial flutter, in this case the atria of the heart beat rapidly, but at a regular rate. This accelerated rate generates slight contractions of the atria.
- Supraventricular tachycardia. This has its origin in an area above the ventricles. It occurs because of abnormalities in the heart's circuitry that generally occur at birth and start a cycle of overlapping signals.
If the heart beats too fast, it will most likely stop pumping blood efficiently to the rest of the body. This can be a problem since it does not allow oxygen to reach the organs and tissues, and in addition to this, it can cause the following signs and symptoms that are related to tachycardia: First, there is difficulty breathing, it may be accompanied by lightheadedness, a racing pulse, a racing, uncomfortable, or abnormal heartbeat, or a feeling of "jumping" in the chest, just to mention a few of the more common.
With regard to its prevention, this always depends on what is the reason that generates it, for that reason, in the case of tachycardias, it is to know exactly if the origin is internal or is presented by the effect of external factors that have been able to alter the normal state of the patient.
