Tachycardia
Tachycardia is one of the types of cardiac disorders, which is characterized by an increase in the heart rate per minute of more than 90 beats for no particular reason. Physiological tachycardia occurs with active physical activity – this is due to increased sensitivity to myocardial oxygen. It is also possible to meet tachycardia with emotional tension, strong emotion or fear.
Pathological tachycardia occurs as a sign of various diseases, both cardiovascular and other body systems.
Clinically, tachycardia is manifested by a feeling of anxiety, pulsation of blood vessels, a feeling of a strong heartbeat, fainting and dizziness, weakness and excessive sweating.
classification
Tachycardia is divided into two main groups – physiological (as a result of exercise), pathological.
Pathological tachycardia is divided into:
Ectopic. Synonym – paroxysmal. Attacks of such tachycardia are spontaneous, with a sudden onset and end, the heart rate is constantly higher than normal.
Sinus. Occurs when the sinus output of electrical impulses increases.
Pathological tachycardia is an alarming symptom of many diseases – with too rapid an increase in the frequency of contractions, the ventricles of the heart are unable to fill with blood in full, as a result, the volume of cardiac output decreases, the percentage of oxygen transported to the tissues decreases, the entire work of the heart becomes ineffective, hypertrophy of the heart muscle develops.
reasons
All the causes that cause cardiac dysfunction can be divided into two large groups – cardiac and extra-cardiac causes.
Intracardial causes are most often a violation of the activity of the left ventricle, the development of heart failure. The cause may be the following diseases: pericarditis, myo and endocarditis, cardiopathy, congenital and acquired heart defects, cardiosclerosis, coronary heart disease and others.
Extracardiac causes can be diseases of many systems – for example, in violation of the endocrine system – thyrotoxicosis, pheochromocytoma. Also, tachycardia is accompanied by collapses, fainting, shocks, bouts of fighting (hepatic or renal colic).
symptoms
The clinical picture of tachycardia is divided into objective data and subjective feelings of the patient. The patient complains of a strong heartbeat, a feeling of fear or concern, a feeling of tightness in the chest, weakness and dizziness. Some patients report sleep disorders, loss of appetite, decreased mood.
The set and nature of subjective sensations all depends on the underlying disease. Objectively, when examining the patient, the pulsation of blood vessels will be visible, with auscultation, the tones are frequent heartbeat, sometimes rhythm disturbances.
diagnostics
Magnetic resonance imaging of the heart
ECG
ECHO-KG
EFI
Daily Holter monitoring
treatment
The main therapy for tachycardia is aimed at treating the underlying disease. The treatment is carried out by a cardiologist in cooperation with other specialists. With extracardial tachycardia, it is especially important to adjust the therapy of the underlying disease, since taking medications that eliminate tachycardia directly can provoke a sharp drop in heart rate and lead to serious complications.
In diseases of the circulatory system with tachycardia, cardiac glycosides, beta blockers are prescribed. To relieve paroxysmal tachycardia, you can use a small technique – to put pressure on the eyeballs. If such an action did not bring an effect, it is necessary to immediately introduce antiarrhythmic drugs of the verapamil group.
In severe cases, the introduction of an electrical stimulator is carried out.
