What causes tachycardia? Causes and features of manifestation. Slow atrial tachycardia

Tachycardia, tachyarrhythmia is one of the most common types of heart rhythm disturbances. Under a combination of circumstances, it can manifest itself in everyone without exception; it develops as a normal physiological reaction to certain external stimuli or as a symptom of other diseases.

Changes in heart rate are not always associated with damage to the cardiovascular system. Some forms of tachycardia associated with cardiac diseases can pose a danger to health and sometimes life. Therefore, causeless tachycardia is enough serious reason to contact a general practitioner and undergo a serious examination to look for other manifestations of a possible hidden pathological process.

Depending on the cause of tachycardia, physiological and pathological changes in heart rate are distinguished. Physiological tachycardia is a natural adaptive reaction to external influences and does not pose a danger to a healthy person.

The question of what pathological tachycardia is is still being actively studied; a single generally accepted classification does not yet exist. In the vast majority of cases, it is part of a symptom complex of a wide variety of diseases and conditions. Types of pathology are distinguished based on how tachycardia manifests itself. This mainly applies to ectopic or paroxysmal tachycardia, which some experts consider as an independent pathology.

Depending on the source of pulses of abnormal frequency, the following types of tachycardia are distinguished:

• Sinus tachycardia;
• Ectopic or paroxysmal tachycardia.

Sinus tachycardia occurs due to increased activity of the pacemaker (sinus node). This type of tachycardia often refers to normal physiological reactions. It is characterized by a smooth increase in heart rate to approximately 120 beats per minute while maintaining normal sinus rhythm. Sinus tachycardia can be adequate or inadequate. IN the latter case abnormal heart rate remains at rest, does not depend on physical activity and reception pharmacological drugs. Patients may feel strong heartbeat and lack of air. What causes tachycardia of this type is not known for certain, most probable cause considered to be a primary lesion of the sinus node of unknown origin.

The source of pathological impulses in ectopic tachycardia is an abnormal rhythm generator located outside the sinus node, namely in the atria, atrioventricular fusion or ventricles. Appears as sudden attacks rapid heartbeat with a clearly defined beginning and end. The duration of the attack varies from a few seconds to several days or more, and the normal heart rhythm may be disrupted.

Depending on the location of the focus of pathological impulses of ectopic tachycardia, several forms are distinguished:

• Atrial;
• Atrioventricular;
• Ventricular

The first two forms are often combined under the general name of supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardia. With supraventricular tachycardia, the normal heart rhythm is maintained with an increasing contraction frequency. In some cases, the heart rate may exceed 220 beats per minute.

With ventricular tachycardia, the rhythm of ventricular contraction changes, which is sometimes accompanied by atrial tachycardia. The prognosis for patients with different forms of ventricular tachycardia varies greatly and largely depends on the underlying disease. With the ventricular form of tachycardia, there is a risk of developing acute heart failure and ventricular fibrillation. Since among the varieties of this pathology there are potentially lethal ones, it is therefore very important to promptly diagnose tachycardia and possible concomitant pathologies.

An increase in heart rate above 100 beats per minute can occur without maintaining normal cardiac cycle or with its violations. Based on this feature, sinus and arrhythmic tachycardia are distinguished. With arrhythmic tachycardia, heart contractions may occur with disturbances in the sequence of atrial and ventricular systole. This entails disruption of the heart valve system and improper filling of the chambers with blood.

Cardiac tachycardia has several clinical variants:

• Atrial flutter;
• Atrial fibrillation;
• Ventricular flutter and fibrillation.

With atrial fibrillation, the frequency of their contractions increases to 400-700 per minute. Due to atrial fibrillation, the normal rhythm of heart contractions is disrupted, and the chambers are not sufficiently filled with blood. Insufficient volume cardiac output leads to insufficient oxygen saturation of tissues. Atrial fibrillation may occur due to severe lesions myocardium (infarction, myocarditis), lesions electric shock, during operations on the chest organs, against the background of severe alcohol poisoning, pneumonia, thyrotoxicosis.

About 20% of cases of atrial fibrillation are asymptomatic, approximately half of cases end with spontaneous recovery normal operation hearts.

With atrial flutter, the heart rate can exceed 300 beats per minute while the normal rhythm of myocardial contractions is maintained. Atrial flutter is short-term and, depending on the reasons that caused the tachycardia, returns to normal sinus rhythm or turns into fibrillation. The greatest danger is the possibility of disruption of the rhythm of ventricular contractions.

Ventricular flutter and fibrillation are characterized by high frequency contractions of the ventricles, in which the pumping function of the heart is severely impaired, almost no blood pumping occurs. The ECG records chaotic contractions of the heart muscle. Flutter and ventricular fibrillation can develop due to severe hypothermia, electric shock, or extensive heart attack myocardium, overdose of some medicines. This condition is life-threatening and requires resuscitation measures.

Causes of tachycardia

The resting heart rate varies from 70 to 100 beats per minute depending on the gender, age and constitution of the patient. The causes of tachycardia are divided into two large groups: physiological and pathological. It should be noted that this division is somewhat arbitrary. In the presence of chronic diseases, too violent a physiological reaction can provoke a pathological attack. The body's reaction to external stimuli also depends on age. The same causes of tachycardia in young and elderly people lead to completely different consequences. Severe stress in youth remains just a memory, but after 50-60 years, a similar event can land a person in a hospital bed.

Physiological causes of tachycardia:

• Physical exercise. An increase in heart rate occurs as a response to the increasing need of muscles for oxygen.
• Powerful emotions. Physiological tachycardia is caused by both positive and negative emotions.
• Stress. A consequence of strong or prolonged psycho-emotional stress. Accompanied by the release of adrenal hormones that stimulate the sinus node.
• Heat. Heart rate increases due to the need to maintain a stable body temperature.
• Pain. Any sensation of pain stimulates the release of adrenaline, also known as the “flight or fight” hormone. Adrenaline stimulates the heart muscle, which leads to a short-term attack of tachycardia.
• Climbing to great heights. Tachycardia occurs as a compensatory reaction in response to a decrease in atmospheric pressure and the resulting lack of oxygen.
• Smoking. Nicotine stimulates the nervous system and causes spasms of small blood vessels. Moderate tachycardia, provoked by the entry of nicotine into the blood, usually resolves within 10-15 minutes, but the time for restoration of normal heart rate may vary depending on the characteristics individual reaction And general condition health.
• Drinking alcohol and caffeinated drinks. Caffeine and alcohol directly stimulate sympathetic division vegetative nervous system, and indirectly lead to an increase in heart rate.
• Sexual arousal.
• Medications. Among side effects Many pharmacological drugs show changes in heart rate. The mechanism of development of reactive tachycardia, the intensity and duration of the attack depends on the characteristics of the action and dose of the drug taken by the patient.

Physiological tachycardia is always associated with external influences; changes in heart rate are temporary. After the cessation of the stimulus, the attack caused by it quickly stops, and heart function returns to normal.

If physiological tachycardia at rest does not resolve for more than 15 minutes after the inciting event, you should consult a doctor to determine possible pathologies and start treating them.

The main causes of pathological tachycardia are divided into cardiac and extracardiac. Cardiac diseases include heart pathologies of various etiologies, congenital and acquired defects, and mechanical difficulties in the functioning of the heart. The list of extracardiac factors that cause tachycardia includes:

• Injuries;
• Intoxication;
• Acute infectious diseases;
• Anemia;
• Massive bleeding;
• Hyperthyroidism;
• Pheochromocytomas;
• Core lesions vagus nerve;
• Shock conditions;
• Neurocirculatory asthenia.

Symptoms of tachycardia

Since tachycardia in adults is itself a symptom, it is more correct to talk about external manifestations that usually accompany attacks. Among them:

• Increased heart rate and pulsation carotid artery. A direct consequence of increased ventricular contractions. With supraventricular tachycardia it is usually absent. If an attack of tachycardia is accompanied by an increase blood pressure, pulsation can be felt on inner surface upper third of the thigh, in the area of ​​the Achilles tendon, in armpit or popliteal fossa.
• Cardiopalmus. At rest healthy people heartbeats are not felt. Manifestations of “heart sensation” that occur after physical activity or other stimuli that provoke changes in heart rhythm are usually not diagnosed and treated.
• Shortness of breath during exercise is a natural physiological reaction to changes in the pumping function of the heart and stagnation of blood in the pulmonary circulation. With concomitant cardiac pathologies, shortness of breath and tachycardia may develop in response to normal stress.
• Pain in the heart area occurs when oxygen starvation myocardium and indicate a developing attack of ischemia. They occur extremely rarely in healthy people.
• Dizziness most often occurs when the rhythm of ventricular contractions is disturbed and is a consequence of a lack of oxygen in the brain tissue.
• Feelings of anxiety, restlessness, even fear of death are an instinctive reaction to disturbances in cardiac activity, characteristic of heart pathologies.

In the presence of concomitant heart diseases, possible following signs cardiac tachycardia:

• Acute pain in the heart area;
• Darkening of the eyes, loss of consciousness;
• Dry cough;
• Increased blood pressure;
• Edema (with prolonged attacks of tachycardia).

With tachycardia, symptoms characteristic of concomitant diseases not related to heart pathologies may appear:

• Trembling in the muscles;
• Increased sweating;
• Muscle and headache;
• Acute pain of different localization;
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• Paleness of mucous membranes and skin;
• Severe fatigue.

The main method for diagnosing tachycardia is ECG. If it was not possible to make an electrocardiogram during an attack, the patient is prescribed daily monitoring ECG. Additionally, an ultrasound or MRI of the heart is performed. A general and biochemical blood test allows us to identify possible concomitant pathologies. If it is not clear from the findings why the tachycardia occurs, investigations may be required. hormonal levels patient.

Treatment of tachycardia

How and what to do in case of tachycardia largely depends on the reasons that provoked the attack and the general condition of the patient. Physiological tachycardia does not require treatment and goes away on its own after eliminating the provoking factor.

Treatment of tachycardia itself is not carried out if it occurs due to:

• Some types of injuries;
• Anemia;
• Massive blood loss;
• State of shock;
• Acute infectious diseases accompanied by a significant increase in temperature;
• Some heart defects.

When treating pathological tachycardia, elimination of the underlying pathology is often required. The target heart rate is selected on an individual basis, taking into account the underlying disease and the general condition of the patient. Usually they focus on 70-80 beats per minute at rest in the absence of heart disease and no more than 60 in patients with diagnosed coronary artery disease.

Attacks of supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardia in most cases are successfully stopped by vagal maneuvers that increase the tone of the vagus nerve. If there is no effect, it is recommended to take antiarrhythmic drugs. Symptoms of ventricular tachycardia are an indication for emergency hospitalization. In the absence of timely qualified assistance, tachycardia can cause an attack of coronary artery disease or myocardial infarction.

Tachycardia is a condition characterized by a noticeable increase in heart rate. This phenomenon can have any genesis. It is generally accepted that when the heart rate is 100 beats per minute or more, the patient has tachycardia. The state of tachycardia is characterized by a correct heart rhythm: the duration between heartbeats is uniform. If a person’s tachycardia develops suddenly, and later the attack ends no less unexpectedly, then in this case the state is denoted as paroxysmal tachycardia . To understand what tachycardia is and what conditions should be differentiated, there is a classification into several types of disease.

Types of tachycardia

First of all, tachycardia is divided into physiological And pathological . Manifestations physiological tachycardia may occur in people whose cardiovascular system functions without pathologies. In this case, various factors predispose to the manifestation of tachycardia environment. This could be a sudden change in body position, playing sports, or staying in uncharacteristic climatic conditions. Also, the heart rate increases after overeating and drinking stimulating drinks, as a result of treatment with certain drugs.

Pathological tachycardia appears as a consequence of diseases of the cardiovascular system. This condition also occurs as a result of previously suffered acute illnesses.

It is customary to distinguish between two types of tachycardia, directly related to disturbances in the functioning of the heart ( arrhythmias supraventricular And ventricular .

Supraventricular tachycardia – this is either an independent disease that occurs due to pathologies in the structure of the heart, or a consequence of other diseases, the course of which has negatively affected the functioning of the heart. With this form of cardiac tachycardia, an abnormal heart rhythm is formed no higher than the level of the ventricles, that is, at the level of the atria.

At ventricular tachycardiaAnd the source of the increased rhythm is already in the ventricles. This condition is considered sufficient serious violation in the work of the heart.

Ventricular tachycardia sometimes appears as an abnormality innate nature and a consequence of diseases affecting the heart muscle. Most often, tachycardia of this form is a consequence hearts or cardiomyopathy . Manifestations of ventricular tachycardia pose a danger to the patient due to the possibility of disruption of the heart rhythm and, as a consequence, possible sudden cardiac arrest.

Sinus tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia is a condition in which the heart rate increases due to external manifestations. So, it can be strong , physical activity, etc. In this case, it is very important to know what is the cause of this condition. It is the cause that needs to be eliminated first, therefore, if sinus tachycardia manifests itself, it is necessary to comprehensive examination body.

With sinus tachycardia, the heart rate increases from 90 to 150-180 per minute, while maintaining the correct sinus rhythm.

Cause this state- increased automatism of the sinoatrial node, which is the main pacemaker. If a person is completely healthy, then this phenomenon can occur as a result of strong physical or emotional stress.

There are several types of sinus tachycardia. Pharmacological sinus tachycardia occurs as a result of an effect on the sinus node , norepinephrine , isoproterenol , alcohol , caffeine , nicotine and a number of other substances. There are also adequate and inadequate forms of pathological sinus tachycardia. Adequate form tachycardia occurs as a consequence increase in body temperature , arterial hypertension , anemia , hypoxemia , thyrotoxicosis . The inadequate form of sinus tachycardia is characterized by a persistent, symptomatic increase in the frequency of sinus rhythm. The heart rate is more than 100 per minute, both at rest and with minimal physical activity. This condition lasts for at least three months without visible reasons.

Inadequate form Sinus tachycardia is relatively rare and is a poorly studied disease. As a rule, the disease occurs in young people, in most cases it manifests itself in women. Patients complain of persistent palpitations, a feeling constant weakness And .

Treat sinus tachycardia it is necessary only in case of manifestation of its inadequate form.

Causes of tachycardia

To understand what tachycardia is, it is important to consider that cardiac tachycardia manifests itself due to many and various reasons. So, a similar condition can arise as a natural reaction human body to emotional stress and too much physical labor. Also, tachycardia can be accompanied by an increase in body temperature, smoking, drinking large doses alcoholic drinks. Heartbeat becomes more frequent and in case of a sharp decrease , with anemia and, accordingly, a decrease in the level , as a consequence of the development of malignant tumors, purulent infections, increased function thyroid gland. Tachycardia can also occur as a result of treatment with certain medications.

There are also tachycardias that occur due to the presence of pathology of the heart muscle or due to disturbances in the electrical conduction of the heart. Cardiac tachycardia is the first sign of cardiac decompensation.

Also, such a condition is a consequence of shock or collapse (this may be fainting, bleeding, etc.), as a result of a reflex to lower blood pressure.

The tendency to tachycardia is characteristic symptom in people who are sick. As a rule, in this case these are young patients. Heart palpitations are also observed in patients .

Symptoms of tachycardia

Symptoms of tachycardia are manifested, first of all, by a sharp increase in heart rate, which is paroxysmal in nature. At the same time, the heart rhythm remains clear and correct. This phenomenon can begin very abruptly, and then suddenly stop. In addition, symptoms of tachycardia include general weakness and attacks of dizziness. A person may feel an influx of lightheadedness, as well as a feeling of lack of air. During the attack, all the described symptoms of tachycardia are clearly expressed, and sometimes the patient experiences a distinct feeling of fear. In view of this, if the indicated symptoms suddenly appear, all measures should be taken to relax and calm down.

Diagnosis of tachycardia

When diagnosing tachycardia, it is important to begin working with the patient with a thorough interview. The doctor must listen to the patient with a stethoscope, determining whether he has a heart murmur. For correct setting When making a diagnosis, it is important for a specialist to determine why the tachycardia occurs, how long the attack lasts, and whether it manifests suddenly.

The next important step in the diagnostic process is electrocardiography. Thanks to the use this method it is possible to record the electric fields that are formed during the work of the heart. In order for an attack of tachycardia to be registered in a patient, 24-hour ECG monitoring is sometimes used. This study is a permanent recording of an electrocardiogram that lasts throughout the day. At the same time, the patient goes about his usual activities and wears a special portable device. To determine the reason why a patient has tachycardia, the doctor often prescribes blood tests, echocardiography, and chest X-ray examination.

Treatment of tachycardia

When treating tachycardia, it is important to consider the reasons why this condition develops, as well as the type of tachycardia. Eat whole line conditions in which treatment of tachycardia is not required at all. To normalize your heartbeat, you need proper rest and a change in lifestyle to a more correct one. Often a person just needs to calm down.

However, often drug therapy tachycardia is still necessary. Make decisions about any medicines should only be done by a specialist after the patient has undergone a thorough examination. Therefore, if tachycardia occurs without a specific reason, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Treatment of tachycardia is aimed at treating the diseases that cause its occurrence. In most cases, tachycardia is a consequence of disturbances in endocrine system, autonomic nervous system, as well as a number of cardiovascular ailments.

To prevent an attack of tachycardia, antiarrhythmic drugs are often used. However, such drugs can cause a number of side effects.

If a patient experiences a pronounced attack of tachycardia, it is recommended to immediately stop physical activity. You can use sedative sedatives prescribed by your doctor. There are also some methods that help eliminate attacks of tachycardia on your own. That's it special techniques holding the breath, during which the patient must lightly press his fingers on the eyeballs. In some cases, non-traditional methods are effective, for example, the breathing system according to the Ayurveda method.

In the treatment of cardiac tachycardia, folk remedies are also used, namely decoctions of calendula, blue cornflower, lemon balm, periwinkle and other herbs and herbal remedies.

The doctors

Medicines

Tachycardia during pregnancy

Often, women who have not previously had problems with the functioning of the cardiovascular system experience attacks of tachycardia during . Tachycardia during pregnancy is a consequence of changes in female body. To understand what tachycardia is in this case, it is important to consider that during the process of bearing a child, the entire body as a whole functions with double load.

However, the direct causes of tachycardia are quite diverse and are still being studied by specialists. Thus, the main factor provoking heart palpitations should be considered a high level of hormones that exhibit sympathomimetic activity and, as a result, increase the heart rate. Other factors that cause tachycardia during pregnancy include weight gain in the pregnant woman, high metabolic rate, insufficient amounts of minerals and vitamins important for the body, anemia, and low blood pressure. Severe conditions often result in negative changes in water and electrolyte balance, which can also provoke periodic attacks tachycardia. Displacements of the heart due to anatomical changes in the body, the use of a number of medications can affect the condition of the heart muscle and provoke tachycardia.

Tachycardia in pregnant women is usually called a condition when the heart rate at rest is more than 90 beats per minute. In this case, the woman does not feel pain. The attack stops on its own. However, with a frequent increase in heart rate to 120 beats or more and associated unpleasant symptoms a woman should charmingly turn to specialists and undergo examinations. In this situation it is prescribed conducting an ECG, as additional studies, echocardiography and thyroid hormone testing are used.

Treatment of tachycardia during pregnancy involves taking herbal sedatives, as well as vitamins, preparations containing potassium and magnesium. It is important to adjust water balance, prevent anemia.

Prevention of tachycardia

To avoid attacks of tachycardia, it is important, first of all, to consult a doctor in time and treat the diseases that cause this condition. At the first manifestations of an accelerated heartbeat, you should take care of adequate and complete rest. It is equally important to stop abusing products containing caffeine and alcohol. Strong coffee and tea can be replaced herbal teas using herbs that have a sedative effect.

No need to eat a lot of sweets fatty foods, at the same time it is important to respect the principles healthy eating. Parosysmal tachycardia often occurs as a result of taking stimulants and diet pills. No less important principle prevention of tachycardia is protection from constant stress, a stable emotional state.

An effective method for preventing heart palpitations is to take the trace element magnesium, which regulates the effects of calcium in the muscle cells of the heart. The consequence of this effect will be rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the heart muscle. Another element important for the proper functioning of the heart is potassium.

An active lifestyle and lean, reasonable physical activity stimulate the heart and also increase the body's resistance to the release of excess adrenaline. As a result, irritability decreases and the emotional background stabilizes.

Attacks of tachycardia occur less frequently in those people who regularly spend a lot of time on fresh air. It is important to walk outside for at least half an hour every day.

Very often after 40 years, people complain of rapid heartbeat. Tachycardia is a rapid heartbeat that occurs spontaneously, without external factors. Typically, the heart rate with tachycardia is 100 beats per minute. But like any disease, tachycardia is treatable, even in old age. You can also recover from tachycardia at home.

Causes of tachycardia

Tachycardia can occur at any age. It does not matter whether the patient has a history of other heart diseases. The main causes of tachycardia are:

• Hypertonic disease.
• Myocardial hypoxia (tachycardia develops if there is a history of ischemic disease or heart failure).
• Thyroid diseases.
• Myocardial infarction or post-infarction scar.
• Cardiomyopathy.
• Imbalance of electrolytes in the blood.
• Structural defects in the structure of the heart (for example, valve defects, accessory pathway, etc.).
• Frequent consumption of caffeinated drinks (coffee, cocoa, energy drinks).

Symptoms of tachycardia

The disease manifests itself depending on the causes of its occurrence. In most cases, when tachycardia occurs, patients describe the following symptoms:

• Pain in chest or behind the sternum.
• Dizziness.
• Rapid heartbeat, interruptions.
• Cold sweat.
• Darkening in the eyes.
• Spontaneous feeling of fear.
• Fainting.
• Shortness of breath, even while sitting.
• General weakness.

How to treat tachycardia at home

If you experience symptoms of tachycardia, you can help yourself " ambulance" But it’s worth self-medicating if you are 100% sure of the diagnosis and the reasons for its occurrence. Otherwise, you risk worsening your health. Let's consider the main methods of combating tachycardia at home.

Cold water

Cold water has been shown in several studies to slow down your heart rate. During an attack of tachycardia, you can go to the bathroom and wash your face several times with cold water. In addition, you can wipe your body with a wet towel, paying special attention to the chest and face.

Eyeball massage

You can relieve an attack of tachycardia with the help of a special massage of the eyeballs. It is performed as follows: close your eyes and begin to press your fingers on the eyeballs (without causing pain and discomfort).

"Cocktail"

Simple exercise helps fight tachycardia folk way. You will need to add 10 drops alcohol tincture hawthorn, motherwort, valerian and peony. Dilute the “cocktail” with a small amount of water and drink. The effect is achieved within 10-15 minutes. You can drink this healing “cocktail” during severe attack tachycardia or for the purpose of disease prevention. If desired, you can also add drops of “Valocardin” or its cheap analogue “Corvalol” to the “cocktail”.

Herbal infusions

You should drink it daily to prevent the possibility of an attack of tachycardia. You will need the following herbs:

• Mint – 100 g.
• Chamomile – 50 g.
• Melissa – 100 g.
• St. John's wort – 50 g.
• Linden – 50 g.

Pour boiling water over it and let it brew. The decoction should be drunk 2-3 times a day. But do not forget to take into account that when you achieve the desired result, you cannot immediately stop taking the decoction. Quit it gradually, reducing the dose.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is one of the effective methods, in the fight against rapid heartbeat. It is not necessary to go to special sessions in specialized medical institutions. In the absence of allergies to essential oils, you can perform an aromatherapy session yourself at home. For the session you will need: an aroma lamp, essential oils (for example, lavender, lemon balm, lemongrass, etc.) and soothing music. Having closed the curtain, removing all external irritants from yourself, turn on the music and light the aroma lamp. The maximum effect can be achieved by combining aromatherapy and auto-training.

In general, if you want to get rid of tachycardia and the risk of its occurrence, you should reconsider your lifestyle. You need 8 hours of sleep, long walks in the fresh air and sufficient physical activity. When taking medications, you should not expect an immediate effect. As a rule, treatment of tachycardia takes 2-3 months.

Tachycardia is a pathological increase in heart rate from ninety beats per minute. Tachycardia is considered as a sign of disease when it occurs at rest. The development is based on increased automatism of the sinus node, which normally sets the pace and rhythm of heart contractions, or ectopic centers of automatism.

Doctors consider tachycardia as a symptom, which is most often caused by strong emotional experiences, increased physical activity of a person, the use of certain foods and medications, as well as a number of diseases of the cardiovascular, endocrine and other systems.

What is cardiac tachycardia?

Cardiac tachycardia is not a separate disease, but a symptom or condition in which additional unpleasant manifestations from the body may occur, in addition to rapid heartbeat.

Typically, tachycardia refers to abnormalities such as heart rhythm disturbances. Most often, during attacks, patients experience more than 90 beats per minute, while a person may feel increased heartbeats, pulsation in the temples, and dizziness. Fainting occurs less frequently, and pulsation in the vessels of the neck may be observed.

A person's feeling of their heartbeat ( increased and increased heart rate) does not always indicate a disease.

Tachycardia appears in healthy people during physical activity, stressful situations and nervous excitability, with a lack of oxygen and elevated temperature air, under the influence of certain medications, alcohol, coffee, with a sudden change in body position from horizontal to vertical, etc.

ICD code:

• ICD-10: I47-I49, R00.0;
• ICD-9: 427, 785.0.

Classification

Due to the occurrence:

• physiological – sources that stimulate an increase in heart rate are processes in the body and reactions to external stimuli;
• pathological - when the causes of tachycardia are diseases of organs and systems; is a rather negative state.

By duration of symptoms:

• acute - this form of arrhythmia occurs from time to time, in paroxysms, and can last a few moments or several days;
• chronic - increased heartbeat accompanies a person constantly.

Depending on the characteristics of the pathologically accelerated heart rate, tachycardia can be divided into sinus, paroxysmal and ventricular fibrillation.

Sinus tachycardia

This is a condition in which an increase in heart rate occurs due to external manifestations. Yes, it could be severe stress, physical activity, etc. In this case, it is very important to know what is the cause of this condition.

It is a normal reaction of the body to stress. It appears during fast walking, climbing stairs and other physical activity. The cause of tachycardia can be strong negative and positive emotions. After the cessation of stress, such tachycardia quickly (within a few minutes) disappears.

Sinus tachycardia is characterized by a gradual onset and end. A decrease in cardiac output is accompanied by impaired blood supply to tissues and various organs.

Ectopic (paroxysmal) tachycardia

What it is? The rhythm generator is located outside the sinus node, in the ventricles or atria. Most often, the disease occurs in the form of attacks that begin and stop, lasting from several minutes to several days with a constant high heart rate.

Paroxysmal tachycardia includes 3 forms:

• Atrial (supraventricular, or supraventricular) tachycardia - most often, the cause of rapid heartbeat is the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which usually occurs during fear, stress, shock, etc.;
• Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is the most common cause are dystrophic changes cardiac muscle, for example - about 85-95% of this form of heart rate is observed in patients with coronary heart disease or;
• Nodal. This kind increased heart rate classified as physiological. It occurs during physical exertion and strong psycho-emotional outbursts.

Normal heart condition on ECG

Sinus tachycardia on ECG

Supraventricular tachycardia of the heart

Ventricular tachycardia

Causes

Sinus tachycardia occurs in different age groups, more often in healthy people, as well as among patients with heart and other diseases. The occurrence is promoted by intracardial (cardiac) or extracardiac (extracardiac) etiological factors.

In approximately 30% of patients with rapid heart rate, this disease was caused by panic attacks and other psychopathological reasons.

The causes of tachycardia are:

The causes of tachycardia allow us to distinguish 2 forms of the disease:

• Physiological;
• Pathological.

A physiological acceleration of the heart rate occurs in young people due to hormonal changes.

Pathological tachycardia is a dangerous syndrome that leads to disruption of the heart. The nosology leads to an acceleration of hemodynamics, an increase in cardiac output, and a weakening of blood flow to tissues. Against the background of pathology internal organs do not receive oxygen. Poor blood supply is the cause of coronary heart disease, cerebral stroke, and myocardial infarction.

Symptoms of tachycardia

Most often, an attack of tachycardia develops very quickly and without warning. A person may not even notice it until the heart rate reaches extremely high numbers. For the vast majority of people, a certain malaise is felt already at 110 beats per minute.

Feeling a frightening heartbeat does not allow you to concentrate on work, and at the slightest physical exertion occurs severe shortness of breath and dizziness.

Other common symptoms characteristic of different types tachycardia is considered:

• dizziness, loss of coordination of movements, lightheadedness and fainting;
• shortness of breath, feeling of lack of air, inability to take a full deep breath;
• general feeling of lightheadedness and weakness;
• increased sweating;
• pain in the heart area, as well as behind the sternum; heaviness in the chest area;
• nausea;
• problems with appetite;
• and other problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
• mood swings.

Complications

Except fatigue, unpleasant, sometimes painful sensations any tachycardia causes heart failure - the heart wears out. In addition to conduction disturbances and heart rhythm, tachycardia can cause complications such as:

• cardiac asthma,
• arrhythmic shock,
• pulmonary edema,
• thromboembolism of cerebral vessels,
• acute cerebral circulatory failure,
• pulmonary embolism.

Ventricular tachycardia in combination with acute tachycardia can cause death.

Tachycardia in pregnant women

Tachycardia is one of the most common pathologies in pregnant women. The main cause of this condition is changes in the cardiovascular system.

In addition, there are a number of other main causes:

• overweight;
• diseases associated with changes in blood composition ();
• overdose of vitamin and mineral complexes;
• infections in the pulmonary tract;
• abnormalities in the functioning of the thyroid gland;
• dehydration of the body;
• heart failure;
• ectopic pregnancy;
• placental abruption;
• various injuries;
• heavy bleeding.

Symptoms of tachycardia in pregnant women, in addition to general malaise, sleep disturbances, chest pain and dizziness, include gastrointestinal upset, numbness different parts body, increased nervousness/anxiety.

An increase in heart rate in pregnant women is considered a physiological norm, but you should consult a doctor if you experience the following symptoms:

• pain in the heart or chest;
• nausea, vomiting;
• frequent dizziness, fainting;
• unreasonable fatigue;
• excessive anxiety.

Numbness may also occur individual parts bodies.

With absence organic reasons disease, a pregnant woman is advised to remain at rest. Limiting physical activity and taking herbs sedatives, as well as preparations containing potassium and magnesium.

Diagnostics

When diagnosing, it is important to begin working with the patient with a thorough interview. The doctor must listen to the patient with a stethoscope, determining whether he has a heart murmur. To make a correct diagnosis, it is important for a specialist to determine why the tachycardia occurs, how long the attack lasts, and whether it appears suddenly.

To detect cardiac pathology causing tachycardia, in-depth diagnostics are performed, which includes:

• echocardiography
• MRI of the heart
• electrophysiological study of impulse migration in the heart muscle
• load test.

Since tachycardia is not necessarily a consequence of cardiac pathology, if there is uncertainty in the diagnosis, additional research, including:

• Blood analysis
• Thyroid hormone analysis
• Electroencephalogram of the brain.

When should you consult a doctor?

• One or more episodes of loss of consciousness (fainting)
• Having chest pain
• Attacks of dizziness, darkening of the eyes
• If palpitations appear for no apparent reason and do not go away within 5 minutes
• If tachycardia occurs against the background of other existing heart diseases.

An individual examination plan will be prescribed by the attending physician during a face-to-face appointment; self-diagnosis cannot be performed if there are complaints of palpitations.

Treatment of tachycardia in adults

When treating tachycardia, it is important to consider the reasons why this condition develops, as well as the type of tachycardia. There are a number of conditions for which treatment is not required at all. To normalize your heartbeat, you need proper rest and a change in lifestyle to a more correct one. Often a person just needs to calm down.

The main methods of control are:

• maintaining a diet;
• abstaining from smoking and drinking alcohol;
• visiting a specialist and taking sedative medications;
• taking medications;
• carrying out a massage in the form of pressing movements on the eyeballs;
• surgical intervention.

If ventricular tachycardia occurs, the patient requires immediate hospitalization and high-quality health care. Preventive measures include diagnosing the disease early stages And timely treatment pathology.

The following medications are used in the treatment of tachycardia:

1. Herbal sedatives(Novo-passit, valerian, Persen, etc.) and synthetic drugs (Diazepam, Phenobarbital, etc.) are used to treat tachycardia. These drugs normalize the functioning of the nervous system, reducing the frequency of attacks.
2. Antiarrhythmic drugs- This large group medicines, including medications with different mechanisms of action. The prescription of one or another antiarrhythmic drug is carried out only by the attending physician based on the data available to him.

Medicines perform the following functions:

• control heart rate;
• restore normal heart rhythm;
• control heart rate.

The choice of antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of tachycardia depends on the following factors:

• type of tachycardia;
• other diseases of the patient;
• side effects of the chosen drug; patient's response to treatment.

In some cases, taking several antiarrhythmic drugs is indicated.

Lifestyle

Any type of tachycardia, especially ventricular, in combination with heart disease, requires a more careful approach to lifestyle management. This concept includes:

• adherence to the principles of rational nutrition - exclusion of fatty, salty, spicy foods, consumption of cereals and cereal products, lactic acid products, low-fat varieties meat, fish and poultry, natural juices, vegetables and fruits.
• compliance with the work and rest regime with limitation of significant psycho-emotional and physical stress, long stay in the fresh air.
• adherence to treatment is the key to preventing frequent attacks and complications.

It is necessary to visit a doctor promptly for additional methods studies, regularly take antiarrhythmic drugs and other medications prescribed by your doctor for other heart diseases.

Surgery

Surgical intervention is indicated for frequently occurring ventricular tachycardias(more than 2 paroxysms per month), as well as in all other cases when conservative treatment methods were not effective. Purpose of surgery– destruction of closed impulse pathways in the heart – is achieved by resection of the myocardial scar and reconstruction of the left ventricular cavity. In some cases of scar localization, prosthetics are required mitral valve hearts.

An attack of cardiac tachycardia: what is the danger and what to do?

An attack of tachycardia always begins unexpectedly. This phenomenon can be recognized by a sharp increase in the number of heart contractions. The duration of the attack varies from a few minutes to hours.

Attacks of tachycardia negatively affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system, since due to an increase in the speed of the heart beat, it is not provided with blood supply in the required volume. As a result, the blood supply to the ventricles decreases, which in turn negatively affects the functioning of the heart muscle and can lead to myocardial infarction.

There are several simple techniques that help normalize heart contractions by reducing their intensity. You can do these techniques yourself.

• Start coughing violently, clearing your throat.
• Wash your face and hands with very cold water.
• Lightly press on the eyeballs and massage them.
• Hold your breath and exhale with effort.
• Try to tense all the muscles of the body, then relax them. Repeat the exercise several times. When straining, it is advisable to hold your breath.
• Inducing vomiting may reduce the number of heartbeats.

Folk remedies

1. Healing mixture for tachycardia. Grind 2 walnuts, mix with 1 tbsp. l. honey, add lemon zest. Eat a portion of this paste before bed every day for a month, then take a 10-day break and repeat the course.
2. Decoction of lemon balm and mint also recommended for attacks of tachycardia. To prepare it, 2 tbsp. l. dry herbs are poured with boiling water and infused for several hours. After this, you need to strain the broth, you can add 1 tsp. honey Drink half a glass 2-3 per day.
3. Sedative drug, prepared from the following herbs: motherwort – 50 grams; peppermint – 100 grams; lavender – 50 grams; lemon balm - 100 grams. Mix all ingredients. Pour the collection with cold water (a liter of liquid per tablespoon of raw material). Place on low heat and leave after boiling for 8 minutes. Strain after cooling. You need to drink three glasses of decoction a day. Herbalists claim that with such folk remedies it is possible to cure tachycardia in a few months.
4. Take a teaspoon of motherwort herb, a tablespoon of hawthorn fruit and a tablespoon of rose hips. a teaspoon of large leaf green tea. Pour the herb into a thermos, pour 500 milliliters of boiling water into the thermos, leave for about 30 minutes. Then we filter and drink this tea in two doses, morning and evening, dividing the amount in half. Take 20 days, then 10 days off.
5. You need to grind the chicory roots and pour a glass of boiling water over a tablespoon containing the already crushed product. After it has been infused for one hour, you can take it three times a day after meals, a tablespoon.

Folk remedies can be an effective addition to drug therapy, accelerating the healing process.

Forecast

For a healthy body, the occurrence of physiological tachycardia does not pose a serious threat to the patient’s life. For people with heart disease, the prognosis can be serious because sinus form disease can worsen the course of chronic heart failure.

Prevention

1. To stay healthy you need to eat right. Healthy food provides the body with important elements and substances, which has a good effect on the functioning of all organs, especially the digestive and cardiovascular systems.
2. Excess weight provokes the development of many dangerous diseases, especially the blood vessels.
3. Smoking provokes vasospasm and negatively affects the functioning of many organs. Very often, tachycardia is a consequence of this bad habit.
4. Self-medication with various drugs can cause an increase in heart rate.

Tachycardia means increased heart rate. This condition is a type of arrhythmia. Physiological norm heart rate (HR) is 60-80 beats/minute. Indicators recorded above 90 indicate the development of cardiac tachycardia. What is it and how to get rid of it serious complications, both older and younger people should know.

It can be caused by serious pathologies or physiological reasons. But tachycardia is never considered as separate disease. It is perceived solely as a symptom of a disease or the body’s reaction to certain factors. Based on this, medicine distinguishes between physiological and pathological forms of tachycardia. The first occurs against the background of physical or strong psycho-emotional stress.

Pathological tachycardia is caused by various diseases. It may also be related to nervous disorder, alcohol poisoning, abnormal functioning of the thyroid gland. This condition is often a consequence of malfunctions in the functioning of the heart muscle. In this regard, it appears high risk occurrence of heart failure.

When making a diagnosis, it is very important to understand what kind of tachycardia is inherent in the patient. It can be chronic and paroxysmal. This can be determined by listening to the heart and measuring the heartbeat. After confirming the diagnosis, appropriate treatment is selected, which should be aimed at eliminating the factors that caused the problem.

Causes

Moderate tachycardia may be caused by different mechanisms. When they are activated, the heart rate increases. Moreover, these mechanisms can manifest themselves even in a healthy person. Therefore, the causes of tachycardia are usually divided into two groups: physiological and pathological. The first includes:

Consequently, only external stimuli can provoke physiological tachycardia. It is temporary and does not pose a danger to humans. It is extremely rare that its presence aggravates the course of chronic diseases, increasing the risk of certain complications. Normally, with this tachycardia, heart rate indicators quickly stabilize.

If we talk about the pathological form, it is usually the result of diseases associated not only with cardiovascular system. The degree of its severity and duration depend on the underlying pathology. It can accompany the following diseases:

• infection of the body;
• state of shock;
• inflammatory processes occurring in the heart;
• injuries;
• congenital developmental pathologies;
• hypertension with persistent increase in blood pressure;
• large-scale bleeding;

• pheochromocytoma;
• hyperthyroidism;
• anemia;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD);
• neurocirculatory asthenia.

When the body is infected, tachycardia occurs against the background of an increase in body temperature. In this way, pathogenic microorganisms are combated. But many of them also release specific toxins that cause harm to the body. Cardiomyocytes and the nervous system responsible for the functioning of the heart can suffer from them. Some of them are pyrogens, which contribute to the activation of a complex biochemical chain. Because of this, temperature regulation is triggered in the human body, causing the temperature to rise.

A febrile state can cause tachycardia. Even with a slight increase in temperature, the heart rate can rise by 9 beats, and in children - by 15. But at the same time, the sequence of contractions of the heart chambers remains normal.

There are generalized and focal infectious process. The first type manifests itself in diseases when there are viruses in the blood that affect important systems. The focal form is diagnosed in abscesses and other conditions in which pus accumulates. Plays an important role in this pain syndrome, often accompanying diseases with suppuration. Stabilization of heart rate and a decrease in temperature is achieved after removal of purulent contents and disinfection of the inflammatory focus.

In inflammatory conditions of the heart, damage to its parts is noted. Based on the location of inflammation, pericarditis, endocarditis and myocarditis are distinguished. When this process covers all layers of the heart, then we can talk about pancarditis. Due to inflammation, the contraction of cardiomyocytes is disrupted, the condition of the conduction system deteriorates, and nerve fibers, responsible for the work of the heart. Such problems can cause tachycardia. As a rule, it is unstable.

Forms of tachycardia

In medicine, there is no classification of tachycardia, since it is not regarded as a separate disease. But despite this, in many countries there are several types of this condition, which depends mainly on the symptoms. This applies mainly to the pathological form, called paroxysmal. Some experts classify it as a group of independent diseases, due to the fact that it can manifest itself without good reason even in healthy people. The duration of such an attack can be several minutes or days.

Based on the location of tachycardia, the following types are distinguished:

Depending on the systematicity of the heart rhythm, sinus and arrhythmic tachycardia are distinguished. In the presence of the first, the generation of the impulse occurs in the area of ​​the sinoatrial node at the same interval. Symptoms do not always appear, which is due to the absence of disruptions in the sequence of the cardiac cycle. That is, blood delivery to all systems occurs as usual, so the body receives oxygen in a normal volume.

With arrhythmic tachycardia, a rhythm disturbance is noted. In such a situation, not only do heart contractions become more frequent, but their sequence is also disrupted. Very often there is an imbalance between the parts of the heart, which causes valve dysfunction and loss of the ability to fill the chambers with blood.

Clinical types of tachycardia include fibrillation and flutter of the atria or ventricles. They can occur for the following reasons: alcoholism, severe pneumonia, acute myocarditis, serious electric shock, heart attack, overdose of certain drugs (diuretics, glucocorticoids).

Even in medical practice, there are cases of bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome, which is a form of sinus node weakness. This may be due to atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.

Symptoms and signs

The clinical picture depends solely on the severity of tachycardia, duration and nature of the causative disease. Symptoms may be absent or appear as follows:

The severity of symptoms is determined by the causative disease and the level of susceptibility of the nervous system. Some heart pathologies can, along with an increase in heart rate, initiate attacks of angina pectoris and aggravate the course of heart failure.

Diagnostics

To identify the cause of tachycardia, the patient is sent to undergo a series of diagnostic measures, among which:

• Blood donation. Required to determine the number of red blood cells, check hemoglobin levels, and analyze hormonal levels.
• Electrocardiogram. When using this method, electrical impulses arising during the work of the heart are recorded. In some cases, a Holter ECG is prescribed, which involves checking cardiac activity throughout the day.
• Ultrasound of the heart. Thanks to this study, it is possible to evaluate the functioning of the heart and valves, detect pathologies, and examine signs of chronic diseases.

After receiving all the results, the doctor makes a diagnosis and selects treatment tactics for tachycardia. Great importance at the same time, it depends on the patient’s age, his well-being, and the presence of concomitant ailments. Self-medicating in this case is not the best solution.

Treatment

If it comes to physiological tachycardia, treatment consists only of compliance special food and eliminating bad habits. Pathological form requires a more serious approach in terms of therapy. Usually her treatment occurs on an outpatient basis. But there are also situations where urgent hospitalization sick. This decision is made by the attending physician after determining the diagnosis.

Medication

To prevent the development of serious complications, the patient is recommended to take antiarrhythmic drugs. They moderate cardiac activity and minimize the risks inherent in tachycardia. The most popular remedies are included in the following list:

Treatment is not complete without combination drugs, which include Persen, Novo-Passit and Corvalol. Heart failure caused by frequent attacks of tachycardia is recommended to be treated with diuretics and medications designed to supply the body with oxygen. “Anaprilin” perfectly relieves morning attacks. But it is worth noting that it can lower blood pressure, so it must be taken with extreme caution.

Folk remedies

Decision regarding use of prescriptions traditional medicine must be agreed with a cardiologist. Otherwise, there is a high probability of deterioration of health due to the development of complications of the disease. You cannot treat with folk remedies at home without determining the cause of tachycardia.

In order to get rid of an attack, you can use the following methods:

• Herbal infusion of calendula. To prepare, take 5 small spoons of the inflorescences of this plant and pour a liter of boiling water. After an hour of infusion, you should drink half a glass three times a day.
• Adonis decoction. You need to take one small spoon of herb, pour boiling water over it and put on fire for 5 minutes. The resulting decoction still needs to sit for a couple of hours, after which it is taken one tablespoon three times a day.

You should not combine the use of antiarrhythmic drugs with in unconventional ways treatment. Some plants contain chemical substances, which can enhance or weaken the effect of medications.

Surgical

If drug correction does not help relieve attacks and does not bring the desired effect, treatment of tachycardia is carried out surgically. Its essence lies in the introduction of small electrodes into the affected parts of the heart, capable of producing bioelectric impulses, thereby stabilizing the rhythm. The device is installed in a minimally invasive manner through large blood vessels.

Another common treatment option is cardiac ablation. To do this, through an opening in the groin or femoral vein A catheter is inserted into the patient's heart. After identifying the pathological area, treatment is carried out with radiofrequency waves (radiofrequency ablation) or freezing of the affected tissue (cryoablation). This allows you to reduce cell activity, as well as permanently eliminate the cause of arrhythmia.

Correction of lifestyle and physical activity

You can only be cured if you remove factors that can influence the increase in heart rate. These include:

• caffeinated drinks;

• alcohol and nicotine;
• excessive physical activity;
• spicy food;
• chocolate;
• psycho-emotional overload.

It is also advisable for the patient to avoid high physical activity. Regarding exercises physical therapy, then this issue should be discussed with your doctor. Prevention is also important, which will reduce the number of attacks of tachycardia and quickly cure the underlying disease.

Prevention is the basis of health. First of all, you need to make adjustments to your diet. You should also not use a large number of animal fats, since they lead to the development of atherosclerosis, increasing the risk of a heart attack during an attack of tachycardia.

Patients who are addicted to smoking should give up their habit. Nicotine impairs the performance of the heart and increases the risk of complications in the presence of cardiac pathologies.

In addition, the patient needs to ensure peace and tranquility, avoid anxiety and prevent the occurrence of neurosis.

The prognosis for this diagnosis is predominantly positive. It may be unfavorable if tachycardia is a consequence of myocardial damage. High probability fatal outcome at acute heart attack, which is combined with hypotension and heart failure.

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