What is the cause of arrhythmia?

Arrhythmia, also known as cardiac arrhythmia, means that the heart rate is not within the normal range. A very common cause is heart disease. There are many types of arrhythmia, and it is very common among middle-aged and elderly people. If it is caused by pathological heart disease, it must be treated promptly.

1. Causes

1. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is the most common type of sinus arrhythmia. It mostly occurs in children, young people and the elderly, and is less common in middle-aged people.

2. Non-respiratory sinus arrhythmia: Non-respiratory sinus arrhythmia is rare and the specific cause is not very clear. Some people believe that it is related to anger, emotional instability, or the use of certain drugs (such as digitalis, morphine, etc.).

3. Migratory rhythm within the sinoatrial node: the point of occurrence of excitement moves within the sinoatrial node.

4. Sinus arrhythmia related to ventricular contraction and blood ejection: Sinus arrhythmia related to ventricular contraction and blood ejection is due to abnormal ventricular contraction and blood ejection, which leads to uneven blood supply to the sinoatrial node, thereby causing changes in the autonomy of the sinoatrial node.

5. Sinus arrhythmia induced by ectopic heart rhythm: Ectopic excitation, especially ectopic excitation originating from the atrium, can sometimes cause the excitation of the sinoatrial node to occur prematurely, followed by inhibition of the sinoatrial node, thus causing sinus arrhythmia induced by transient ectopic excitation. Respiratory arrhythmia, caused by the expansion and contraction of the chest cavity during breathing, is common in children and young people. It usually has no pathological significance and does not require treatment. It is also seen in heart patients.

2. Symptoms and Signs

The clinical manifestations of hemodynamic changes caused by arrhythmia mainly depend on the nature, type, cardiac function and the degree of impact on hemodynamics of the arrhythmia. For example, mild sinus bradycardia, sinus arrhythmia, occasional premature atrial contractions, first-degree atrioventricular block, etc. have little effect on hemodynamics and therefore have no obvious clinical manifestations. More serious arrhythmias, such as sick sinus syndrome, rapid atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, sustained ventricular tachycardia, etc., can cause palpitations, chest tightness, dizziness, hypotension, sweating, and in severe cases, syncope, Adams-Stokes syndrome, and even sudden death. The clinical manifestations vary depending on the type of arrhythmia.