If you feel irregular heart beats, this is what it could mean

Arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart pulse or heart rhythm such as beating too fast
(tachycardia) or beating too slow (bradycardia), or irregular heartbeat. Premature or extra
beats are the most common type of arrhythmia. This usually feels like a fluttering in the chest
or a feeling of a skipped heartbeat. The Heart has an electrical system that instructs it when to
beat and push blood around the body. If there is a trouble with this system the person might
experience heart rhythm disorders. Arrhythmias are caused due to the problems with the
heart's electrical conduction system such as abnormal or extra signals might occur or the
electrical signals can be blocked or slowed down or can even travel in new or different
pathways through the heart.

There are four main arrhythmia types known as premature (extra) beats, supraventricular
arrhythmias, ventricular arrhythmias, and bradyarrhythmias.

Premature (Extra) Beats

This is the most common type of arrhythmia which is mostly harmless most of the time and
often don't cause any symptoms. Some arrhythmia symptoms that might occur are fluttering in
the chest or a feeling of a skipped heartbeat. Mostly this needs no treatment, especially in
healthy people. Premature beats that occur in the atria (the heart's upper chambers) are called
premature atrial contractions, or PACs. Premature beats that occur in the ventricles (the heart's
lower chambers) are called premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs. Premature beats often
happen naturally. Even though, some heart diseases can cause premature beats. Stress, too
much exercise, or too much caffeine or nicotine can also cause premature heart beats.

Supraventricular Arrhythmias
Supraventricular arrhythmias are tachycardias (fast heart rates) that start in the atria or
atrioventricular (AV) node. The AV node is a group of cells located between the atria and the
ventricles. There are different types of supraventricular arrhythmias known as Atrial
Fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), and Wolff-
Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome.
Atrial Fibrillation (AF)
This is the most common type of serious arrhythmia which includes a very fast and irregular
contraction of the atria. In AF, heart's electrical signals begin in another part of the atria or in
the closest pulmonary veins and do not begin in the SA node. The signals travel abnormally and
disorganised which causes the walls of the atria to quiver very fast instead of beating normally.
Hence the atria fail to pump blood into the ventricles properly. The two major complications of
Atrial Fibrillation are stroke and heart failure. In AF, blood can pool in the atria, causing blood
clots and if a clot breaks off and travels to the brain, it can develop a stroke. Blood-thinning
medicines that reduce the risk of stroke are an important part of arrhythmia treatment for
people who have AF. Heart failure occurs if the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the
body's needs. AF can lead to heart failure because the ventricles are beating very fast and can't
completely fill with blood. Thus, they may not be able to pump enough blood to the lungs and
the body. The damage to the hearts electrical system is mostly the result of other health
conditions such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and rheumatic heart disease.
Other problems such as an overactive thyroid gland and too much consumption of alcohol may
also lead to AF.
Atrial Flutter

Atrial flutter is similar to AF. However, the heart's electrical signals spread through the atria in a
fast and regular rhythm instead of an irregular rhythm. Even though it is less common than AF it
has almost similar symptoms and complications.
Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia

This is a very fast heart rate that begins and ends suddenly. The problems with the electrical
connection between the atria and the ventricles are the cause for PSVT. In PSVT, electrical
signals that begin in the atria and travel to the ventricles can reenter the atria, causing extra
heartbeats. PSVT is not serious and it is usually seen among the young people. Heavy physical
activity can trigger PSVT. A special type of PSVT is called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
WPW syndrome is a condition in which the heart's electrical signals travel along an extra
pathway from the atria to the ventricles. This extra pathway disrupts the timing of the heart's
electrical signals and can cause the ventricles to beat very fast. WPW can be very dangerous.
Such arrhythmia diagnosis and treatment is very important.
Ventricular Arrhythmias
This type of arrhythmia starts in the heart's lower chambers, the ventricles. They can be very
dangerous and usually require medical care right away. There are 2 types of Ventricular
arrhythmias known as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (v-fib).
Ventricular Tachycardia

Ventricular tachycardia is a fast, regular beating of the ventricles that may last for only a few
seconds or for much longer. A few beats of ventricular tachycardia often don't cause problems.
However, episodes that last for more than a few seconds can be dangerous. Ventricular
tachycardia can turn into other, more serious arrhythmias, such as v-fib.
Ventricular Fibrillation
When disorganised electrical signals make the ventricles quiver instead of pumping normally it
causes Ventricular Fibrillation. This can lead to a sudden cardiac arrest and can even lead to
death in a few minutes. This condition has to be treated without delay with an electric shock to
the heart called defibrillation. This type of arrhythmia may occur during or after a heart attack
or in people who have a weak heart due to other health conditions.
Bradyarrhythmias
A slower heart rate than the normal can lead to Bradyarrhythmia. A too slow heart rate does
not allow the blood to reach the brain. In adults, a heart rate slower than 60 beats per minute is
considered a bradyarrhythmia. Physically fit people may have a slow heart rate.For them, a
heartbeat slower than 60 beats per minute isn't dangerous and doesn't cause symptoms. But in
other people, serious diseases or other conditions may cause bradyarrhythmias.
Bradyarrhythmias can be caused by heart attacks, an underactive thyroid gland, ageing or even
due to the imbalance of chemicals such as potassium in the blood. Certain medicines such as
beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and some anti-arrhythmia medicines may also cause
Bradyarrhythmia.
Random moments of arrhythmias are usually harmless but, when arrhythmias last for a long
time serious arrhythmia symptoms might be developed such as:

fatigue
dizziness
lightheadedness
fainting
rapid heartbeat or pounding
anxiety
shortness of breath
sweating
chest pain
collapse and cardiac arrest (in extreme cases)

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