Arrhythmia - Signs, Symptoms, and Complications - Signs, Symptoms, and Complications
An arrhythmia may not cause any obvious Signs or symptoms. You may notice something that occurs only occasionally, or your symptoms may become more frequent over time. Keep track of when and how often arrhythmia occurs, what you feel, and whether these things change over time. They are all important clues your doctor can use. If left untreated, arrhythmia can lead to life-threatening complications such as stroke, heart failure, or sudden cardiac arrest.
Signs and symptoms
- Arrhythmia - Signs, Symptoms, and Complications
You may be able to feel a slow or irregular heartbeat or notice pauses between heartbeats. If you have palpitations, you may feel like your heart skipped a beat or may notice it pounding or racing. These are all symptoms of arrhythmia.
More serious signs and symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Blurred vision
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Fainting or nearly fainting
- Foggy thinking
- Fatigue
- Sweating
- Weakness, dizziness, and light-headedness
What else will your doctor want to know about your symptoms?
Some arrhythmias tend to happen at certain times or under certain circumstances. If you notice signs or symptoms of arrhythmia, note when they happened and what you were doing. This information can help your doctor diagnose what is going on and find the right treatment. Here are questions to ask yourself.
- Did it happen at night?
- Did you stand up after sitting or lying down?
- Were you lying down?
- Were you playing a sport or otherwise exerting yourself?
- Were you swimming or diving?
Complications
- Arrhythmia - Signs, Symptoms, and Complications
Arrhythmias that are unrecognized or left untreated can cause sometimes life-threatening complications affecting the heart and brain.
- cognitive impairment and dementia. Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia are more common in people who have arrhythmia. This may be due to reduced blood flow to the brain over time.
- Heart failure. Repeat arrhythmias can lead to a rapid decline in the ability of the lower chambers to pump blood. Heart failure is especially likely to develop or to grow worse as a result of arrhythmia when you already have heart disease.
- Stroke. This can occur in some patients who have atrial fibrillation. With arrhythmia, blood can pool in the atria, causing blood clots to form. If a clot breaks off and travels to the brain, it can cause a stroke.
- Sudden cardiac arrest. The heart may suddenly and unexpectedly stop beating as a result of ventricular fibrillation.
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS can be attributed to an inherited conduction disorder that causes arrhythmia.
- Worsening arrhythmia. Some arrhythmias trigger another type of arrhythmia or get worse over time.