Heart Rhythm Irregularities

The pace and pattern of the heart's electrical system are the expertise of the Cardiac Rhythm Management Program at Morristown Memorial Hospital.

Heart rhythm problems may include:

• Syncope - A sudden brief loss of consciousness or fainting spell. The most common type of syncope (vasovagal or neurally mediated syncope) is caused by an abnormal interaction involving the brain, the heart, and blood vessels.
  
  
• Light-headedness - This state of altered consciousness may be associated with a slow heart rate or low blood pressure.
  
  
• Palpitations - The sensation of extra or rapid heart beats.
  
  
• Asymptomatic Ventricular Premature Beats - Extra heart beats originating in the heart's lower chambers. These beats may carry significance if associated with a weakened heart muscle.
  
  
• Non-sustained Ventricular Tachycardia - This condition arises when several premature beats occur continuously for a short time. This rhythm may be felt as very rapid heartbeats. Some patients may experience weakness, shortness of breath, or fainting episodes. If premature beats are severe and continuous, the condition is referred to as sustained ventricular tachycardia.
  
  
• Supraventricular Tachycardia - Although rarely life threatening, this rapid heart beat condition may be persistent and frightening. The rapid, irregular heartbeats may cause breathlessness, dizziness, or weakness. The condition often interferes with a person's quality of life by producing undesirable psychological problems such as anxiety. This condition may rarely lead to syncope or cardiac arrest.
  
  
• Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome - A condition in which an extra pathway connects the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart) and the atria (upper chambers of the heart). Signals from the extra pathway make the heart beat faster.
  
  
• Family History of Sudden Cardiac Death or Syncope - Heart rhythm problems may be genetic. Patients frequently seek testing from the Program after someone in their family has had a sudden cardiac-episode.
  
  
• Long QT Syndrome - A disorder that involves the "recharging" of the heart's electrical system after each heart beat. When this process takes too long, patients are vulnerable to a very fast, abnormal heart rhythm.
  
  
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) - HCM is a complex and often familial cardiac disorder. The disease thickens the heart walls, primarily on the left side of the heart. In some cases, serious rhythm problems may result.
  
  
• Atrial Fibrillation - The atria (upper chambers of the heart) may develop extra electric signals, making the chambers beat very quickly and unevenly. The atria may beat so fast and unevenly that they stop contracting and begin to quiver. Symptoms may arise from irregular rhythm if the lower chambers in turn beat too slowly or too rapidly, and from the lack of atrial contraction. Further, atrial fibrillation is a serious risk factor for stroke.
  
  
• Atrial Flutter - This condition occurs when the atria beat rapidly, though in a more regular fashion than that which occurs with atrial fibrillation.
  
  
• Bradycardia - When the heart rate is slow, too little blood is pumped to the body's vital organs. The lack of oxygen and nutrients may cause symptoms such as dizziness, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, or fainting.