What if your heart rate is too high?

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Do Nguyen Thuy Doan Trang - Head of Extracorporeal Circulation Team - Cardiovascular Center - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Too fast or too high a heart rate is a common health condition, which can be caused by a number of factors such as exercise, drinking a lot of alcohol, smoking, and other health problems. Sometimes, a heart beat that is too fast has many serious health complications if not treated promptly. Therefore, preventing tachycardia will mainly focus on making changes to your lifestyle, diet, and medication use.

Tachycardia is a condition in which your heart beats too fast, for adults >14 years of age more than 100 beats per minute. Tachycardia can be caused by many different types of arrhythmias (also called arrhythmias).
Under certain circumstances, heart palpitations are quite normal, such as after exercise, stress, injury or illness. However, with tachycardia, your heart beating faster than usual may result from conditions unrelated to physiological stress.
Tachycardia may not show certain symptoms but if left untreated it can disrupt the normal functions of your heart and lead to serious complications for your health , including:
Heart failure . Sudden cardiac arrest. Stroke . Dead. Currently, to treat tachycardia, doctors can prescribe medication or recommend procedures and surgery. These measures will help the patient control the tachycardia as well as other factors that cause this problem.

Here are some common types of tachycardia, including:
Atrial fibrillation: The most common type of tachycardia, which causes irregular and chaotic electrical impulses in the upper heart chambers (atria). These signals lead to rapid, uncoordinated, and weak contractions of the atria. Atrial fibrillation is a temporary condition, however, some episodes may not go away unless treated. Atrial flutter: For this type of tachycardia, the atria of the heart beat very fast but at a steady rate. When beating at a fast rate, it causes the atria to contract weakly. Atrial flutter occurs due to irregular conduction in the atria. Atrial flutter episodes may resolve on their own or require treatment. People with atrial flutter also often have atrial fibrillation at certain times. Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT): This is an abnormally fast heart rate that occurs in several locations above the heart's lower chambers (ventricles). This is because abnormal conduction in the heart is present at birth and creates a loop of overlapping signals. Ventricular tachycardia: A rapid heartbeat that begins with abnormal electrical signals in the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles). A heartbeat that is too fast makes it difficult for the ventricles to fill with blood and contract effectively to pump enough blood to the body. Episodes of ventricular tachycardia are usually short-lived and last only a few seconds and are not life-threatening. However, if the ventricular tachycardia is more complicated and lasts longer, it can become a life-threatening medical emergency. Ventricular fibrillation: This condition occurs when electrical impulses show signs of chaos, causing the lower heart chambers (ventricles) to vibrate instead of pumping the blood needed to the body. This condition can be fatal if the heart is not restored to a normal rhythm within minutes with an electrical shock (defibrillation). Ventricular fibrillation is more likely to occur during or after a heart attack. On the other hand, most people with ventricular fibrillation have underlying heart disease or have experienced a serious traumatic event, such as being struck by lightning.

When the heart beats too fast, it can't pump enough blood to the rest of your body, causing a lack of oxygen to your organs and tissues and leading to the following signs and symptoms associated with tachycardia. here:
Floating. Short of breath. Heart palpitations, irritability, irregularity, or a feeling of tightness in the chest. Faint. Some people with tachycardia do not have any symptoms of the disease and the condition is only discovered until they have a physical exam or an electrocardiogram test.

Tachycardia occurs because the normal electrical impulses that control the heart's pumping rate are disrupted. The leading causes of tachycardia usually include:
Drinking too much alcohol. Anemia. Do exercise. Drink a lot of things that contain caffeine. Fever. High or low blood pressure. Electrolyte imbalance. Side effects of medications. Smoke. Hyperthyroidism is caused by an overactive thyroid gland. Sudden stress, eg fear. Use of stimulants, such as methamphetamine and cocaine.

Understanding how the heart's electrical system works will help you understand what causes heart rhythm problems.
Our heart is made up of 4 chambers, including two upper chambers (atria) and two lower chambers (ventricles). The body's normal heart rhythm will be controlled by a natural pacemaker, called the sinus node, located in the right atrium of the heart. The sinus node will be responsible for generating the electrical impulses to start each heartbeat.
From the sinus node, electrical impulses will pass through the atria, causing the atrial muscles to contract and continue to pump blood into the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). The electrical impulses then reach a cluster of cells, called the atrioventricular (AV) node. This is considered the only way for signals to travel from the atria to the ventricles.
The AV node slows down the electrical signal before it reaches the ventricles. This delay allows blood to be filled into the ventricles. When the electrical impulse reaches the muscles of the ventricles, they contract and pump blood to the lungs or to the rest of the body. When the electrical system of the heart is disrupted, it causes the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly.

Older age, a family history of tachycardia or certain other heart rhythm disorders can increase your risk of developing tachycardia. In addition, any condition that puts stress on the heart or damages heart tissue can increase the likelihood of this problem. These risk factors include:
Heart disease. Anemia. Diabetes . Use a lot of caffeine. Heavy alcohol use. High Blood Pressure. Certain thyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Psychological anxiety or stress. Sleep apnea syndrome. Smoke. Use stimulants. To reduce your risk of tachycardia, you should make lifestyle changes or take certain treatments for other health conditions that are associated with tachycardia.

Complications of tachycardia will depend on the type of tachycardia, how long it lasts, and whether you have any other heart conditions.
Some complications of tachycardia include:
The formation of blood clots that lead to a stroke or heart attack. The heart is not pumped enough blood can cause heart failure. Frequent fainting and unconsciousness. Sudden death due to complications of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.

The most effective tachycardia prevention is to maintain a healthy heart and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. If you already have heart disease, you need to monitor your condition regularly and follow your doctor's treatment plan to help prevent tachycardia from occurring.
Ways to prevent heart disease: First, to reduce your risk of developing a fast heart rate, you need to eliminate or treat the causes that can lead to heart disease. Here are some effective ways to help you prevent heart disease, including:
Exercise and healthy eating: The heart also needs a healthy lifestyle to maintain and perform its functions well. me. You should try to exercise regularly every day, combined with a healthy diet, low in fat, high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Maintain a healthy weight, as being overweight is considered the leading cause of increased risk of developing heart disease. Control blood pressure and cholesterol levels: You should make some small changes to your daily lifestyle and take medications to regulate blood pressure and cholesterol as directed by your doctor. Quit smoking: Smoking is considered a major cause of cardiovascular problems, including tachycardia. Drink in moderation: You should drink alcohol in moderation and in moderation. For women, limit yourself to one drink per day and two for men. Under certain conditions, you may have to avoid alcohol altogether. Avoid using stimulants: Stimulants like cocaine often cause many unpredictable health effects, including cardiovascular problems. Use caution with over-the-counter medications: Some over-the-counter medicines, such as cough and cold medicines, can contain stimulants that can lead to your heart beating faster than normal. Ideally, before using any over-the-counter medication, you should also consult your doctor thoroughly. Limit caffeinated beverages. Stress management. Get regular check-ups and report to your doctor any signs or symptoms you're experiencing. Monitor and treat existing heart disease: If you already have heart disease, there are some steps you can take to help prevent tachycardia and other arrhythmias:
Treatment and use medication according to the schedule prescribed by the doctor. Monitor and report to your doctor immediately if any changes or new symptoms appear after using the drug.