Under normal circumstances, average heart rates for non-athletes fall within a relatively narrow range of roughly 60 to 100 beats per minute. Temporary elevations of these rates commonly occur during exercise and other forms of physical activity. However, consistent elevations may indicate significant medical problems and produce several notable symptoms.
Basics
Consistent elevations of your heart rate are commonly referred to as tachycardias. Depending on your circumstances, you can develop tachycardia in the upper chambers of your heart, called atria, or in the lower chambers of your heart, called ventricles. Major forms of atrial tachycardia include a medically harmless condition called paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, or PSVT, as well as the medically serious disorders atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The major form of tachycardia in the lower heart is simply referred to as ventricular tachycardia. Depending on its severity, this disorder can either cause little harm or trigger much more serious heart problems.
Tachycardia Symptoms
If you develop tachycardia, the rapidity of your heart beat can actually decrease the effective pumping of blood to your body and significantly decrease the oxygen levels in your tissues and organs. While not all people with tachycardia develop clear physical problems, potential symptoms of the disorder include chest pain, fainting, shortness of breath, dizziness, an obviously rapid heartbeat or pulse and irregular, racing or flopping sensations in your heart called heart palpitations.
Severity and Treatment
If you develop symptoms of tachycardia, see your doctor as soon as possible for a proper diagnosis. If those symptoms include breathing difficulties, fainting or chest pain that persists for more than several minutes, seek emergency help immediately. Potential treatments for the disorder include medications, a restorative shock to your heart called cardioversion and a series of actions called a vagal maneuver, which require you to cough, exert your muscles as you would during a bowel movement and place a cold source on your face. Your doctor may also be able to manage or prevent tachycardia with surgery, implantation of a special defibrillator or a procedure called radiofrequency catheter ablation.
Considerations
Since tachycardia can occur without symptoms, some cases of the disorder are only found during the course of a hands-on examination or through the administration of a specialized heart test called an electrocardiogram. Be aware that tachycardia has a wide array of potential causes and accurate diagnosis of the cause in your case requires a doctor's assessment. Consult your doctor for detailed information of tachycardia's causes and potential treatments.
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