Atrial tachycardia Symptoms and causes
Overview
Atrial tachycardia is an irregular heartbeat, called an arrhythmia. It's a type of supraventricular tachycardia.
During an atrial tachycardia episode, the heart beats more than 100 times a minute. Then it returns to a heart rate of around 60 to 80 beats a minute. An episode may start slowly, or it may start suddenly and quickly. It can cause a pounding or racing heartbeat, lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting.
Atrial tachycardia is common. It may happen in people who have had heart surgery or who are pregnant. Infections, stimulant medicines or alcohol use may trigger it.
Symptoms
The main symptom of atrial tachycardia is a very fast heartbeat. Typically during atrial tachycardia, the heart beats 150 to 200 times a minute. The fast heartbeat may come and go suddenly, or it can be ongoing.
Other symptoms of atrial tachycardia may include:
- Pounding or fluttering feelings in the chest or neck, called palpitations.
- Chest pain.
- Fainting or almost fainting.
- Lightheadedness or dizziness.
- Shortness of breath.
- Sweating.
- Weakness or extreme tiredness.
- Nausea.
Some people with atrial tachycardia do not notice symptoms.
Atrial tachycardia symptoms may be hard to see in infants and young children. Symptoms of atrial tachycardia in children can include:
- Poor feeding.
- Sweating.
- Irritability.
- Changes in skin color.
If your infant or young child has any of these symptoms, talk with a healthcare professional.
When to see a doctor
Symptoms of atrial tachycardia may be related to a serious health condition. Call 911 or your local emergency number if you have a very fast heartbeat that lasts for more than a few minutes or if a fast heartbeat occurs with these symptoms:
- Chest pain.
- Dizziness.
- Shortness of breath.
- Weakness.
Make an appointment for a healthcare checkup if you have:
- A very fast heartbeat for the first time.
- An irregular heartbeat that lasts longer than a few seconds.
Causes
Atrial tachycardia is caused by faulty electrical signals in the heart. These electrical signals control the heartbeat.
In atrial tachycardia, a change in these signals makes the heartbeat start too early in the heart's upper chambers. This causes the heart to beat too fast. Then the heart is not able to fill with blood properly.
Risk factors
Anyone can get atrial tachycardia. But some health conditions or treatments can increase your risk. Atrial tachycardia risk factors include:
- Heart conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart valve disease and other heart diseases.
- Heart failure.
- Heart condition present at birth, called a congenital heart defect.
- Previous heart surgery.
- Sleep apnea.
- Thyroid disease.
- Lung disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Diabetes.
- Some medicines, including those used to treat asthma, allergies and colds.
Other things that may increase the risk of atrial tachycardia include:
- Emotional stress.
- Too much caffeine.
- Heavy alcohol use. If you choose to drink alcohol, limit how often you drink and keep the amount small. That often means less than two drinks a day on any specific day.
- Smoking and nicotine use.
- Stimulant drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamine.
Complications
Atrial tachycardia isn't usually life-threatening. However, it can be a concern if you have heart damage or another heart condition. If the very fast heartbeat continues, it may weaken the heart muscle.
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