Beats - a heart rhythm disorder, characterized by extraordinary contractions of the heart or its individual chambers (atria, ventricles). These single or paired premature contraction of the heart (beats) evoke the feeling of a strong push, feeling a sinking heart, anxiety, lack of air. Arrythmia is very common - occasional sporadic beats occur in every person at least once in life, but as a violation occurs in the seventy to eighty percent of people older than fifty years.

If you checked at episodes of arrhythmia, but do not complain about health, you do not have to worry about, and no treatment is required. If the beats becomes permanent or developing against heart disease, as soon as possible to see a doctor and start treatment.

Symptoms of arrhythmias

Premature contractions of the heart are often no symptoms. However, in some cases, may cause unusual sensations in the chest, in particular:

• sinking of the heart;
• cardiopalmus;
• a strong impetus to the heart;
• "Inversion" of the heart;
• heart "skips a beat";
• heart felt stronger.

When you need to see a doctor

If you often get the feeling shock or shock to the heart, it seems that the heart "skips a beat" or there are other unusual sensations in the chest, consult a doctor. It is necessary to determine the cause of those symptoms. Perhaps these feelings are caused by premature beats, but it is possible that they may be the cause of other disorders, including arrhythmia Arrhythmia - when we hear your heart , Severe heart disease, anxiety, anemia or infection.

The mechanism of arrhythmia

The heart consists of four chambers: two upper (atrial) and two lower (ventricles). Heart rate is usually controlled by the sinoatrial node, located in the right atrium. It is the source of the physiological cardiac rhythm, which runs branches in atrioventricular node (atrioventricular node, located in the atrial septum, can generate nerve impulses when not working atrionector). From the sinoatrial node electrical pulses causing palpitation, atrial received through the ventricles, causing them to shrink and to push blood to the lungs and all other parts of the body.

Beats a premature reduction of the heart or its individual parts (usually the ventricles). These cuts are usually ahead of the next contraction of the heart, and often interfere with the normal heart rate and blood flow order (first the atria and then the ventricles). As a result, the extraordinary is not synchronized reduction lowers the efficiency of the circulation of blood throughout the body.

Causes of arrhythmia

Causes of arrhythmia are not always clear. Electrical instability of the heart may be caused by the influence of some external factors, heart disease or changes in the body. Heart failure, or scarring of the heart muscle may also be the cause of failure of passage of electrical impulses. Premature heartbeats may be related to:

• chemical changes or imbalances in the body;
• certain medications, including conventional medicines for asthma;
• alcohol or drugs;
• increased levels of adrenaline as a result of excessive consumption of caffeine, physical activity or increased anxiety Anxiety - how to distinguish normal from disease? ;
• damage to the heart muscle due to coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease Heart defects - time heals? , High blood pressure or infections (myocarditis).

Risk factors

The risk of arrhythmia increases following stimulants, disease and factors:

• caffeine;
• alcohol;
• tobacco and nicotine;
• physical activity;
• high blood pressure (hypertension);
• anxiety;
• heart disease, including congenital heart disease, coronary heart disease, heart attack, myocarditis and cardiomyopathy Cardiomyopathy - the cause of the disease is unknown .

Arrythmia Complications

Frequent or constant arrythmia or arrythmia in a specific pattern indicates a high risk of heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias). In rare cases where the disease is accompanied by heart beats, frequent premature contractions can lead to life-threatening complications - atrial fibrillation (chaotic contractions of the heart no result). Therefore it is very important to diagnose beats, identify the cause and treat the underlying disease that caused the breach rhythm.