Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsClassic SymptomsOther SymptomsWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Classic Symptoms
Other Symptoms
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Cardiac arrhythmias can produce a range ofsymptoms—from very mild, like lightheadedness, to life-threatening, including cardiac arrest.
But many times, much to patients' surprise, cardiac arrhythmias may not produce any symptoms at all.This is especially true for arrhythmias that produce intermittent “extra” heartbeats—namely, premature atrial complexes(PACs)and premature ventricular complexes(PVCs).
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When a patient presents with classic symptoms, a healthcare provider should look specifically for a cardiac arrhythmia as the cause.
These classic symptoms include:
While there could be another cause to blame, arrhythmia is likely.
Palpitations
Palpitationsare an unusual awareness of the heartbeat. They are commonly experienced as disturbing skips or pauses, intermittent heartbeats that feel too strong or pounding, episodes of rapid or “runaway” heartbeats, or heartbeats that are perceived to be irregular instead of steady.
Palpitations affect different people in different ways. Some people don’t find them particularly bothersome, while others find them extremely distressing and frightening.
Almost any cardiac arrhythmia can produce palpitations, including the many types ofbradycardia(slow heart rate) andtachycardia(rapid heart rate), PACs and PVCs, and episodes ofheart block.
Lightheadedness
If a cardiac arrhythmia is preventing the heart from pumping blood sufficiently to provide the body’s needs, episodes oflightheadednessmay result.
When an arrhythmia is producing lightheadedness, it is more likely to do so when you are upright, or when you are doing something active. Resting or lying down tends to improve this symptom.
Lightheadedness is a common symptom that has many potential causes.But when an arrhythmia produces lightheadedness, it is a sign that the arrhythmia itself may be dangerous.
Syncope
Syncope, or transient loss of consciousness, is a fairly common problem that (like lightheadedness) has numerous potential causes, many of which are pretty benign.
Episodes of syncope can result from either bradycardia (if the heart rate is slow enough) or tachycardia (if the heart rate is fast enough).
For this reason, an episode of unexplained syncope always requires a full medical evaluation to pinpoint the underlying cause.
Any arrhythmia that has caused syncope should be considered potentially life-threatening and should betreatedaggressively.
Cardiac Arrest
Acardiac arrestoccurs when the heart stops beating. Although there may be other causes for this, the main consideration is the function of the electrical activity of the heart and the heart’s rhythm.
Anyone who has survived a cardiac arrest should be considered to be at high risk for subsequent episodes of cardiac arrest and should receive aggressive and effective therapy.
Most of these people will be strong candidates for animplantable defibrillator.
Cardiac system without and with arrhythmia.
In addition to these classic symptoms, cardiac arrhythmias may also produce several less specific symptoms that may not necessarily point a healthcare provider toward considering an arrhythmia as the cause.
Most of these “other” symptoms are related to an arrhythmia causing a relative reduction in the ability of the heart to pump blood to the body’s organs.
These symptoms are more likely to occur when a person is upright or exerting themself and in people who have other medical conditions in addition to the arrhythmia, such as heart failure,diabetes, lung problems, orcoronary artery disease.
These symptoms include:
Any of these symptoms should prompt a visit to the healthcare provider. An episode of severe lightheadedness or unexplained syncope should be evaluated immediately and warrants a call to 911.
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While many cardiac arrhythmias are fairly common and usually benign, others are dangerous and need to be treated. This means it is important for your healthcare provider to identify whether an arrhythmia is producing your symptoms, and if so, which specific arrhythmia is causing the problem and how aggressive it should be treated.
Why Am I So Tired After My Cardiac Ablation?
An arrhythmia may be barely noticeable—like a skipped heartbeat that happens only occasionally. It may also feel like a fluttering in your chest. Because an arrhythmia prevents the heart from effectively pumping blood to the body and brain, it can also cause shortness of breath, feelings of light-headedness or faintness, or even, in the most serious cases, loss of consciousness or death.
No. In fact, sometimes you may not even know you have an arrhythmia. This is why it’s important to get regular health checkups, especially if you have risk factors for an arrhythmia or other forms of heart disease.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.Symptoms, diagnosis and monitoring of arrhythmia. 2014.January CT, Wann LS, Alpert JS, et al.2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation.Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2014;64(21):e1-e76. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2014.03.022Al-Khatib SM, Stevenson WG, Ackerman MJ, et al.2017 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death.Circulation. 2018;138(13). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000549Wexler RK, Pleister A, Raman SV.Palpitations: evaluation in the primary care setting.AFP. 2017;96(12):784-789.Kerber KA, Baloh RW.The evaluation of a patient with dizziness.Neurol Clin Pract. 2011;1(1):24-33. doi:10.1212/CPJ.0b013e31823d07b6Runser LA, Gauer R, Houser A.Syncope: evaluation and differential diagnosis.AFP. 2017;95(5):303-312.Page RL, Joglar JA, Caldwell MA, et al.2015 ACC/AHA/HRS guideline for the management of adult patients with supraventricular tachycardia.Circulation. 2016;133(14):e506-e574. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000311American Heart Association.Arrhythmia tools and resources.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.Symptoms, diagnosis and monitoring of arrhythmia. 2014.January CT, Wann LS, Alpert JS, et al.2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation.Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2014;64(21):e1-e76. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2014.03.022Al-Khatib SM, Stevenson WG, Ackerman MJ, et al.2017 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death.Circulation. 2018;138(13). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000549Wexler RK, Pleister A, Raman SV.Palpitations: evaluation in the primary care setting.AFP. 2017;96(12):784-789.Kerber KA, Baloh RW.The evaluation of a patient with dizziness.Neurol Clin Pract. 2011;1(1):24-33. doi:10.1212/CPJ.0b013e31823d07b6Runser LA, Gauer R, Houser A.Syncope: evaluation and differential diagnosis.AFP. 2017;95(5):303-312.Page RL, Joglar JA, Caldwell MA, et al.2015 ACC/AHA/HRS guideline for the management of adult patients with supraventricular tachycardia.Circulation. 2016;133(14):e506-e574. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000311American Heart Association.Arrhythmia tools and resources.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Heart Association.Symptoms, diagnosis and monitoring of arrhythmia. 2014.January CT, Wann LS, Alpert JS, et al.2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation.Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2014;64(21):e1-e76. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2014.03.022Al-Khatib SM, Stevenson WG, Ackerman MJ, et al.2017 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death.Circulation. 2018;138(13). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000549Wexler RK, Pleister A, Raman SV.Palpitations: evaluation in the primary care setting.AFP. 2017;96(12):784-789.Kerber KA, Baloh RW.The evaluation of a patient with dizziness.Neurol Clin Pract. 2011;1(1):24-33. doi:10.1212/CPJ.0b013e31823d07b6Runser LA, Gauer R, Houser A.Syncope: evaluation and differential diagnosis.AFP. 2017;95(5):303-312.Page RL, Joglar JA, Caldwell MA, et al.2015 ACC/AHA/HRS guideline for the management of adult patients with supraventricular tachycardia.Circulation. 2016;133(14):e506-e574. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000311American Heart Association.Arrhythmia tools and resources.
American Heart Association.Symptoms, diagnosis and monitoring of arrhythmia. 2014.
January CT, Wann LS, Alpert JS, et al.2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation.Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2014;64(21):e1-e76. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2014.03.022
Al-Khatib SM, Stevenson WG, Ackerman MJ, et al.2017 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death.Circulation. 2018;138(13). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000549
Wexler RK, Pleister A, Raman SV.Palpitations: evaluation in the primary care setting.AFP. 2017;96(12):784-789.
Kerber KA, Baloh RW.The evaluation of a patient with dizziness.Neurol Clin Pract. 2011;1(1):24-33. doi:10.1212/CPJ.0b013e31823d07b6
Runser LA, Gauer R, Houser A.Syncope: evaluation and differential diagnosis.AFP. 2017;95(5):303-312.
Page RL, Joglar JA, Caldwell MA, et al.2015 ACC/AHA/HRS guideline for the management of adult patients with supraventricular tachycardia.Circulation. 2016;133(14):e506-e574. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000311
American Heart Association.Arrhythmia tools and resources.
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