Atrial tachycardia is an abnormal heart rhythm where the top chambers in your heart beat quicker than usual. During an atrial tachycardia episode, your heart rate may exceed 100 beats per minute (bpm).
Atrial tachycardia is a type of arrhythmia. Arrhythmia is a group of conditions characterized by an abnormal heart rate that can be:
- faster than typical
- slower than typical
- unusual in other ways (abnormal rhythm)
What is atrial tachycardia?
Atrial tachycardia is an abnormally fast heart rate that originates in your heart’s atria.
Your heart has four chambers. The top chambers are called the atria, and the bottom chambers are called the ventricles.
Atrial tachycardia is a type of supraventricular tachycardia, meaning it originates above your ventricles.
“Tachycardia” is the medical term for a rapid heart rate. Tachycardia is atrial if it originates in the top chambers of your heart or ventricular if it develops in the lower chambers.
Atrial tachycardia often affects people who’ve had heart surgery and those who were born with heart defects. It usually doesn’t cause symptoms or complications, but it can increase your risk of developing a heart condition called cardiomyopathy .
During atrial tachycardia episodes, your heart rate can exceed 100 bpm , even when you’re not physically active.
The main types of atrial tachycardia include:
- Focal atrial tachycardia: This results from abnormal electrical activity originating from and confined to the atria. It often occurs in situations that stress or increase the heart’s metabolic demands, such as infections.
- Multifocal atrial tachycardia: When the abnormal rhythm develops from multiple sites in the atrium, it’s called multifocal tachycardia.
- Re-entrant atrial tachycardia: This often occurs after heart surgery that causes a buildup of scar tissue.
Read more about arrhythmia .
What are the symptoms of atrial tachycardia?
Some people with atrial tachycardia don’t have symptoms. A doctor may discover the arrhythmia when monitoring your heart rate for unrelated reasons.
If symptoms do appear, they can include:
Atrial tachycardia may result from an underlying condition in some people. For example, multifocal atrial tachycardia is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in about 60% of cases .
COPD can cause symptoms such as:
Is atrial tachycardia the same as AFib?
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of arrhythmia. It’s a type of supraventricular tachycardia with different causes, symptoms, and treatment options than atrial tachycardia.
AFib is paroxysmal if it lasts under 7 days and persistent if it lasts over 7 days.
People with AFib have an increased risk of developing blood clots. Blood clots that reach your brain may lead to a stroke .
Atrial flutter
Atrial flutter is another condition characterized by an abnormal heart rate originating in your atria.
Abnormal electrical signals in the upper chambers of your heart cause your atria to flutter instead of entirely contracting.
Atrial flutter tends to cause less severe symptoms than AFib.
Learn more about the difference between atrial flutter and AFib.
What causes atrial tachycardia?
Atrial tachycardia may result from structural problems in your heart that are either present from birth or develop later in life. People who’ve had heart surgery to treat another condition often develop this type of arrhythmia.
The condition can also indicate some underlying heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease or heart failure .
Atrial tachycardia can also develop in people without structural heart problems. Potential triggers include:
Read more about the risk factors of arrhythmia .
How do doctors diagnose and treat atrial tachycardia?
Doctors can diagnose atrial tachycardia with an ECG , which is a noninvasive test that measures the electrical signals of your heart. However, they may detect atrial tachycardia incidentally when measuring your heart activity for another reason.
If a doctor suspects that you have an abnormal heart rhythm that a standard ECG doesn’t detect, they may recommend that you wear a Holter monitor . This is a portable ECG that can continuously measure your heart’s electrical activity for days.
Treatment
If a doctor doesn’t think that atrial tachycardia will cause you any health challenges in the future, and if the condition isn’t causing any symptoms, they may recommend regular monitoring alone.
Doctors may also recommend lifestyle changes for atrial tachycardia, including:
- reducing your caffeine intake
- managing your stress
- improving your diet by limiting processed foods
- lowering your alcohol intake
If your condition does need treatment, a doctor may recommend medications to slow your heart rate, such as calcium channel blockers or beta-blockers .
If medications aren’t effective or are unlikely to be effective, you may need a type of surgery called cardiac ablation . This procedure involves a specialist inserting a thin, flexible tube through a blood vessel until it reaches your heart.
An electrophysiology doctor then uses an electrode to destroy the tissue in your heart causing the abnormal heart rhythm.
Alternatively, they might use cryoablation, which destroys tissue with extreme cold.
Read more about tests and procedures to diagnose arrhythmia .
Outlook
Atrial tachycardia may not result in complications or affect your survival. However, it can indicate an underlying health condition that might need treatment, like COPD or coronary artery disease.
Persistent atrial tachycardia can lead to cardiomyopathy, which is a condition characterized by problems with the muscle tissue in your heart. It can lead to symptoms such as:
- shortness of breath with exertion
- increased lower body swelling
- chest pain
Cardiomyopathy can also lead to a small risk of sudden cardiac death .
Takeaway
Atrial tachycardia is a rapid heart rate that originates in the upper chambers of your heart. It may not cause any symptoms, or it might cause a noticeably rapid heart rate and chest pain.
It’s important to contact a healthcare professional if you feel that your heart rhythm has changed or if you have symptoms. A doctor can help determine if your condition needs medical treatment.
If your atrial tachycardia does require treatment, you may need to take medications such as calcium channel blockers or beta-blockers. If those medications aren’t effective, a doctor may recommend surgery.
Most Popular
Comments / 0