Is arrhythmia very harmful?

Written by Liu Yong
Cardiology
Updated on January 12, 2025
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Firstly, arrhythmias, whether supraventricular or ventricular, are harmful to the human body. However, ventricular arrhythmias tend to be more damaging. Supraventricular arrhythmias, including supraventricular tachycardia and atrial tachycardia, generally have a minimal impact on hemodynamics. However, they may still cause symptoms in patients such as palpitations, chest tightness, or even fatigue, a series of discomforting symptoms, but generally do not pose a life-threatening risk. However, ventricular arrhythmias are different, as they can cause disturbances in the body's hemodynamics, leading to ischemia and failure of various organs. Therefore, the harm they cause is significant, and they may even lead to sudden cardiac death. Hence, aggressive treatment and management of ventricular arrhythmias are necessary.

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Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
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What is ventricular arrhythmia?

Ventricular arrhythmias mainly refer to disorders of the ventricular rhythm and are relatively common clinically, including premature ventricular contractions, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular flutter, and ventricular fibrillation. Premature ventricular contractions generally do not cause noticeable clinical symptoms, while ventricular flutter and ventricular fibrillation are very dangerous clinically and must be treated promptly with defibrillation. Therefore, ventricular arrhythmias must be treated promptly, actively treating the underlying disease, and managing the arrhythmia to prevent sudden death.

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Written by Chen Ya
Geriatrics
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Can people with arrhythmia eat ginseng?

Arrhythmia falls under the categories of palpitations and throbbing in traditional Chinese medicine. The common differential diagnoses are as follows: For Blood Stasis Obstruction type, the treatment focuses on activating blood circulation and resolving stasis, and regulating qi to unblock the collaterals. For Blood Deficiency type, the treatment is to nourish qi and calm the spirit, and to nourish the heart and supplement blood. For Yang Deficiency type, the treatment aims to warm and supplement heart yang, and calm the spirit and stabilize the will. For Heart Deficiency and Timid Gallbladder type, the treatment is to nourish the heart and calm the spirit, and to stabilize fright and fix the will. For Yin Deficiency and Exuberant Fire type, the treatment focuses on nourishing the heart and calming the spirit, and nourishing yin to clear the fire. For Water Dampness Overwhelming the Heart type, the treatment aims to invigorate heart yang and transform qi to promote water movement. For Qi and Blood Deficiency type, the treatment is to supplement both qi and blood simultaneously. Ginseng's main therapeutic effect is to greatly supplement the primal qi, secure and stop prolapse, generate fluids, and calm the spirit. Therefore, ginseng can be used when arrhythmia differentiation indicates qi deficiency, but it is recommended to use it under the guidance of a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.

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Written by Zhang Yue Mei
Cardiology
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Symptoms of Sinus Arrhythmia

Symptoms of sinus arrhythmia vary according to different causes, including sinus bradycardia, sinus tachycardia, sinus arrhythmia, sinus arrest, and sick sinus syndrome. Mild cases of sinus bradycardia, sinus tachycardia, and arrhythmia generally do not present noticeable clinical symptoms. However, severe cases can experience symptoms such as palpitations, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Sinus arrest and sick sinus syndrome often present more severe clinical symptoms, including not only shortness of breath but also dizziness, blackouts, fainting, and acute cerebral ischemia and hypoxia.

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Written by Liu Ying
Cardiology
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Causes of arrhythmia

There are many causes of arrhythmia, which can be physiological or pathological. Pathological causes can originate from the heart itself or from other diseases. For instance, normal individuals might experience sinus arrhythmia, and circumstances such as staying up late, emotional excitement, or excessive fatigue can lead to premature beats or sinus tachycardia, among others. Other diseases, such as hyperthyroidism or fever, can cause an increased heart rate. For example, pulmonary embolism can lead to atrial fibrillation. Heart-related diseases, like heart failure, can cause ventricular premature beats, and diseases of the sinoatrial node itself can lead to sick sinus syndrome, among others.

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What tests are done for arrhythmia?

The examinations required for arrhythmia are as follows: First, an electrocardiogram, which is the most important non-invasive diagnostic technique for diagnosing arrhythmias. Second, a Holter monitor test should be conducted, which records the electrocardiogram continuously over 24 hours to possibly capture the occurrence of symptoms such as palpitations and fainting, and whether they are related to arrhythmias. It clarifies the relationship between arrhythmias or myocardial ischemia attacks and daily activities, as well as their diurnal distribution characteristics, and can assist in evaluating the efficacy of medications and the condition of pacemakers to some extent. Third is the exercise test; if palpitations occur during exercise, an exercise test can assist in making a diagnosis. Fourth is the esophageal electrocardiogram, which is a useful non-invasive method for diagnosing arrhythmias. Fifth is the cardiac electrophysiological study, typically involving the placement of electrode catheters on the upper and lower parts of the right atrial wall, the tip of the right ventricle, the coronary sinus, and the His bundle area, with the electrical activity at these sites being simultaneously recorded using a multi-channel physiological recorder with 8-12 channels or more.