What You Need to Know About Tachycardia and How to Treat a High Heart Rate

Illustration courtesy of Heikenwaelder HugoWe often hear about heart disease in its various forms and to help us in being heart healthy we have a lot of information on cholesterol and high blood pressure. However, tachycardia, or a rapid heart beat, is a condition that effects hundreds of people and can range from mild to severe and dangerous. Here is a brief overview of what you need to know about tachycardia and how to treat it.

What is Tachycardia?

Tachycardia is a condition in which the heart is beating at a rapid or irregular rhythm that is typically over the 100 beats per minute mark and can even climb as high as 400 beats per minute for adults. (The lower range for diagnosing tachycardia may be higher for children under the age of 15.)This accelerated rate is beyond the normal functioning parameters of the heart and does not allow for the heart to accurately circulate the blood flow and supply of oxygen through out the body as it should. Normally, an adult heart rate should be between 60-100 when at rest but may at times accelerate beyond that when under stress or heavy exercise. However, when the rate is over 100 in an at rest state, it can be a cause for concern.

Since the rapid heart rate can occur in either the upper or lower chambers of the heart, there are two types of tachycardia- supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), which occurs in the heart's upper chambers and ventricular tachycardia which is an occurrence in the lower chambers of the heart.

What Causes Tachycardia?

There are several things that can cause tachycardia including heart disease, stress, dehydration or low electrolyte levels, poor blood supply to the heart, consuming large amounts of caffeine or alcohol, infections, and certain diseases including thyroid disease or lung disease. Deficiencies in potassium can also be a related cause of the rapid heart rate. Additionally, taking certain types of drugs, such as those involved with chemotherapy treatments can negatively affect the normal functions of your heart and could possibly lead to tachycardia.

What Are the Symptoms of Tachycardia?

Patients suffering from tachycardia will often feel a rapid, fluttering sensation in their chest. Other additional symptoms also include dizziness, shortness of breath, being light headed, getting struck by sudden weakness, or fainting.

How is Tachycardia Treated?

Depending on how elevated your heart rate is and what potential danger it can be placing you in, there are several approaches to treating tachycardia which can range from lifestyle modifications or medications such as such as flecainide (Tambocor) or propafenone (Rythmol) for milder cases to surgery for those patients with a more serious degree of tachycardia. Some other ways that you can help to take care of your heart and deal with a rapid heart beat include cutting our caffeinated beverages, stress, and taking time to rest and relax. When you feel an attack or your heart rate begins to climb, slowing down and resting can be vital. Some have also suggested than cooling down can let your natural reflexes kick in that automatically begin to slow your heart rate 

Techniques called vagal maneuvers may also be recommended for treating attacks of tachycardia. This involves massaging the vagus nerve or applying ice packs among other techniques.

Eating foods rich in potassium and magnesium are also very important in having a healthy heart and regulating your heart beat. If approved by your health care provider, regular exercise can help strengthen your heart and in turn lower the at rest heart rate; however, you should consult your health care provider about the sort of exercise to be sure that is safe for you and take into consideration if you have any other conditions that may be of some concern before beginning an exercise regime.

Since tachycardia can be caused by other health problems, treating the original cause can also help to alleviate the rapid heart beat symptoms. If you or a loved one is suffering from tachycardia, consult your health care provider right away to chart the best course of treatment and to insure that you approach your rapid heart beat in a safe manner to determine an accurate cause to give you better chances of an overall, long term plan to get your high heart rate under control.