What is tachycardia and its symptoms. Treatment of ventricular tachycardia

– a type of arrhythmia characterized by a heart rate of more than 90 beats per minute. Tachycardia is considered a normal variant when physical or emotional stress increases. Pathological tachycardia is a consequence of diseases of the cardiovascular or other systems. Manifested by a feeling of palpitations, pulsation of the vessels of the neck, anxiety, dizziness, fainting. May lead to the development of acute heart failure, myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, and cardiac arrest.

According to the source generating electrical impulses in the heart, tachycardia is distinguished:

  • sinus - develops with an increase in the activity of the sinus (sinoatrial) node, which is the main source of electrical impulses that sets the normal heart rhythm;
  • ectopic (paroxysmal) tachycardia, in which the rhythm generator is located outside the sinus node - in the atria (supraventricular) or ventricles (ventricular). Usually occurs in the form of attacks (paroxysms), which begin and stop suddenly, last from several minutes to several days, while the heart rate remains constantly high.

Sinus tachycardia is characterized by an increase in heart rate to 120–220 beats per minute, a gradual onset and a regular sinus heart rate.

Causes of sinus tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia occurs in different age groups, more often in healthy people, as well as among patients with heart and other diseases. The occurrence of sinus tachycardia is promoted by intracardial (cardiac) or extracardial (extracardiac) etiological factors.

Sinus tachycardia in patients with cardiovascular disease is most often an early symptom of heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction. Intracardial causes of sinus tachycardia include: acute and congestive chronic heart failure, myocardial infarction, severe angina, myocarditis of rheumatic, toxic-infectious and other origins, cardiomyopathy, cardiosclerosis, heart defects, bacterial endocarditis, exudative and adhesive pericarditis.

Physiological extracardiac causes of sinus tachycardia may include physical activity, emotional stress, and congenital characteristics. Neurogenic tachycardias make up the majority of extracardiac arrhythmias and are associated with primary dysfunction of the cerebral cortex and subcortical nodes, as well as disorders of the autonomic nervous system: neuroses, affective psychoses (emotional tachycardia), neurocirculatory dystonia. Neurogenic tachycardias most often affect young people with a labile nervous system.

Among other factors of extracardiac tachycardia, there are endocrine disorders (thyrotoxicosis, increased production of adrenaline in pheochromocytoma), anemia, acute vascular insufficiency (shock, collapse, acute blood loss, fainting), hypoxemia, acute pain attacks (for example, with renal colic).

The appearance of tachycardia can be caused by fever that develops with various infectious and inflammatory diseases (pneumonia, tonsillitis, tuberculosis, sepsis, focal infection). An increase in body temperature by 1°C leads to an increase in heart rate, compared to normal, in a child by 10-15 beats per minute, and in an adult by 8-9 beats per minute.

Pharmacological (drug-induced) and toxic sinus tachycardia occurs when the function of the sinus node is influenced by drugs and chemicals: sympathomimetics (adrenaline and norepinephrine), vagolytics (atropine), aminophylline, corticosteroids, thyroid-stimulating hormones, diuretics, antihypertensive drugs, caffeine (coffee, tea) , alcohol, nicotine, poisons (nitrates), etc. Some substances do not have a direct effect on the function of the sinus node and cause so-called reflex tachycardia by increasing the tone of the sympathetic nervous system.

Sinus tachycardia can be adequate or inadequate. Inappropriate sinus tachycardia can persist at rest, unaffected by exercise or medication, and be accompanied by sensations of palpitations and shortness of breath. This is a fairly rare and little-studied disease of unknown origin. Presumably, it is associated with a primary lesion of the sinus node.

Symptoms of sinus tachycardia

The presence of clinical symptoms of sinus tachycardia depends on the degree of its severity, duration, and the nature of the underlying disease. With sinus tachycardia, subjective symptoms may be absent or minor: palpitations, discomfort, a feeling of heaviness or pain in the heart area. Inappropriate sinus tachycardia can be manifested by persistent palpitations, a feeling of shortness of breath, shortness of breath, weakness, and frequent dizziness. Fatigue, insomnia, decreased appetite, decreased performance, and worsened mood may occur.

The degree of subjective symptoms is dictated by the underlying disease and the sensitivity threshold of the nervous system. In case of heart disease (for example, coronary atherosclerosis), an increase in the number of heart contractions can cause attacks of angina pectoris, worsening the symptoms of heart failure.

With sinus tachycardia, there is a gradual onset and end. In the case of severe tachycardia, symptoms may reflect disturbances in the blood supply to various organs and tissues due to a decrease in cardiac output. Dizziness and sometimes fainting appear; with damage to cerebral vessels - focal neurological disorders, convulsions. With prolonged tachycardia, there is a decrease in blood pressure (arterial hypotension), a decrease in diuresis, and coldness of the extremities is observed.

Diagnosis of sinus tachycardia

Diagnostic measures are carried out to identify the cause (cardiac damage or extracardiac factors) and differentiate sinus and ectopic tachycardia. The ECG plays a leading role in the differential diagnosis of the type of tachycardia, determining the frequency and rhythm of heart contractions. Daily Holter ECG monitoring is highly informative and absolutely safe for the patient; it identifies and analyzes all types of heart rhythm disturbances, changes in heart activity during the patient’s normal activity.

EchoCG (echocardiography), MRI of the heart (magnetic resonance imaging) are carried out to identify intracardiac pathology that causes pathological tachycardia EPI (electrophysiological study) of the heart, studying the propagation of an electrical impulse through the heart muscle, allows us to determine the mechanism of tachycardia and cardiac conduction disorders. Additional research methods (general blood count, determination of the content of thyroid-stimulating hormones in the blood, EEG of the brain, etc.) make it possible to exclude blood diseases, endocrine disorders, pathological activity of the central nervous system, etc.

Treatment of sinus tachycardia

The principles of treatment of sinus tachycardia are determined, first of all, by the causes of its occurrence. Treatment should be carried out by a cardiologist together with other specialists. It is necessary to eliminate factors that contribute to an increase in heart rate: eliminate caffeine-containing drinks (tea, coffee), nicotine, alcohol, spicy foods, chocolate; protect yourself from psycho-emotional and physical overload. For physiological sinus tachycardia, no treatment is required.

Treatment of pathological tachycardia should be aimed at eliminating the underlying disease. In case of extracardiac sinus tachycardia of a neurogenic nature, the patient needs to consult a neurologist. Treatment uses psychotherapy and sedatives (luminal, tranquilizers and antipsychotics: mebicar, diazepam). In the case of reflex tachycardia (with hypovolemia) and compensatory tachycardia (with anemia, hyperthyroidism), it is necessary to eliminate the causes that caused them. Otherwise, therapy aimed at reducing heart rate can lead to a sharp decrease in blood pressure and aggravate hemodynamic disorders.

For sinus tachycardia caused by thyrotoxicosis, β-blockers are used in addition to the thyreostatic drugs prescribed by the endocrinologist. Preference is given to β-blockers of the oxyprenolol and pindolol group. If there are contraindications to β-blockers, alternative medications are used - non-hydropyridine calcium antagonists (verapamil, diltiazem).

For sinus tachycardia caused by heart failure, cardiac glycosides (digoxin) are prescribed in combination with beta-blockers. The target heart rate should be selected individually, depending on the patient’s condition and his underlying disease. The target resting heart rate for angina is usually 55-60 beats per minute; for neurocirculatory dystonia - 60 - 90 beats per minute, depending on subjective tolerance.

With paroxysmal tachycardia, increasing the tone of the vagus nerve can be achieved with a special massage - pressing on the eyeballs. If there is no effect, an antiarrhythmic drug (verapamil, amiodarone, etc.) is administered intravenously. Patients with ventricular tachycardia require emergency care, emergency hospitalization and anti-relapse antiarrhythmic therapy.

In case of inadequate sinus tachycardia, in case of ineffectiveness of b-blockers and in case of significant deterioration of the patient's condition, transvenous RFA of the heart is used (restoration of normal heart rhythm by cauterization of the affected area of ​​the heart). If there is no effect or the patient’s life is threatened, a surgical procedure is performed to implant an electrical pacemaker (ECS) - an artificial pacemaker.

Forecast and prevention of sinus tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia in patients with heart disease is most often a manifestation of heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction. In these cases, the prognosis can be quite serious, since sinus tachycardia is a reflection of the reaction of the cardiovascular system to a decrease in ejection fraction and a disorder of intracardiac hemodynamics. In the case of physiological sinus tachycardia, even with pronounced subjective manifestations, the prognosis is usually satisfactory.

Prevention of sinus tachycardia consists of early diagnosis and timely treatment of cardiac pathology, elimination of extracardiac factors that contribute to the development of disturbances in heart rate and sinus node function. To avoid serious consequences of tachycardia, it is necessary to follow recommendations for a healthy lifestyle.

A healthy human heart beats 60 - 100 beats per minute, and exceeding these indicators may indicate the presence of a disease such as tachycardia. In children, heart rate norms differ from adults and range from 120 to 140 beats, but by the age of six they stabilize to 90.

Anyone can notice changes in their heartbeat after brisk walking or emotional stress. This is not always a symptom of the disease if everything goes away after a short period of time.

People are increasingly susceptible to heart pathologies, and this applies to everyone, since modern living conditions negatively affect the entire body. Cardiac tachycardia - what is it? What symptoms may occur? What diagnostic and treatment methods do specialists use? We will answer all these questions in this article.

Cardiac tachycardia

Our heart is a special organ that performs a vital function and has a kind of autonomy. The heart rhythm is regulated and controlled not only from the outside – by the autonomic nervous system and endocrine glands, but also from the inside – by the heart’s own conduction system (PCS).

This system is represented by special muscle fibers that form the sinus, atrioventricular node located between the ventricles and atria, the His bundle and Purkinje fibers. These specific formations contribute to the rhythmic and sequential contraction of the heart muscle and the sequential pushing of blood from the atria into the ventricles, and then into the bloodstream.

Failures in the functioning of the PCC can cause disturbances in its rhythm, and, consequently, lead to changes in blood flow, blood supply to blood vessels, and blood supply to the heart muscle itself. This in turn causes ischemia.

In addition, some types of arrhythmias pose a serious danger not just to health, but to human life itself, as they can even cause cardiac arrest. In addition to disruptions in the functioning of the PSS, arrhythmias, and in particular tachycardia, can cause disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine or autonomic nervous system.

Thus, thyrotoxicosis, or hyperfunction of the thyroid gland, causes an increase in myocardial excitability and, as a result, persistent tachycardia with a heart rate of 120 beats or more. A disease such as pheochromocytoma, or a tumor of the adrenal medulla, is characterized by an increase in the synthesis and release of adrenaline into the blood and an increase in the sympathetic effects of this mediator.

Increased heart rate is one of the main symptoms of activation of sympathetic innervation. In itself, the predominance of sympathetic influences over parasympathetic ones is also characterized by an increase in heart rate.

This condition can occur when there is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, better known as vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD). Whatever the etiology of tachycardia, this condition is considered pathological only if it occurs suddenly, the number of heart beats per minute exceeds 90, and there are no objective reasons for increased heart rate.

At the same time, tachycardia can be a completely natural, physiological condition that accompanies severe physical or emotional stress. In this case, the pulse rate increases gradually, with an increase, and also gradually returns to normal (60 to 80 beats/min).

Signs of low blood pressure also include tachycardia. In this case, its appearance is compensatory. An increase in heart rate occurs as a response to a decrease in blood supply to the vessels.

By contracting faster, the heart tries to throw large volumes of blood into the bloodstream. Such a reflex increase in heart rate against the background of hypotension can also be considered physiological, since it is not associated with the occurrence of pathological areas of excitation.

Cardiac tachycardia - what is it?


Tachycardia is one of the most common heart rhythm disorders, manifested by an increase in heart rate (HR) of more than 90 beats per minute. When tachycardia appears, a person experiences a feeling of palpitations; in some cases, pulsation of the vessels of the neck, anxiety, dizziness, and rarely fainting are possible.

In patients with cardiovascular pathology, this arrhythmia can worsen the prognosis of life and provoke the development of complications such as heart failure. The main mechanism for the development of tachycardia is to increase the automatism of the sinus node, which normally sets the correct rhythm of the heart.

If a person feels his heartbeat becoming faster and stronger, this is not always evidence of the existence of problems.

In practically healthy people, tachycardia can be caused by the action of physiological compensatory mechanisms in response to the release of adrenaline into the blood and activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which cause an increase in heart rate, which is a response to one or another external factor.

The cessation of the action of the latter leads to a gradual return of the heart rate to normal. In healthy people, tachycardia occurs:

  • as a result of stressful situations, physical activity and emotional arousal;
  • when the air temperature rises;
  • when consuming certain medications, strong tea, coffee or alcohol;
  • from a sudden change in body position, etc.
  • In preschool children, tachycardia is considered a physiological norm.

At the same time, the course of certain pathological conditions is often accompanied by tachycardia. Most often, tachycardia does not manifest itself as an independent disease, but as a symptom, a peculiar reaction of the heart to impulses from the nervous system, physical activity, or the intake of substances into the body that increase heart rate.

This so-called physiological tachycardia does not pose a health hazard, since it is one of our body’s reactions to the natural manifestations of the central nervous system.

Cases of rapid heartbeat in young children and adolescents are not uncommon, as a result of a more active lifestyle, an imbalance of the endocrine and other systems during the development of a young body.

Pregnant women also experience occasional attacks. This is mainly due to the fact that the body works with redoubled force, hormonal changes occur, weight increases, and an increased metabolic process begins.

A significant acceleration of heart rate can be caused by active physical exercise, a stressful situation, the effect of caffeine, nicotine and other substances on the body that affect the functioning of the heart. A similar deviation often occurs in patients suffering from vegetative-vascular dystonia.

During panic attacks, there is a feeling of shortness of breath and a feeling that the heart is about to jump out of the chest. In this state, you need to take a comfortable position, perform breathing exercises, try to relax, and calm down.

Classification

Acceleration of the sinus node leads to tachycardia, which occurs in different forms of manifestation:

  • physiological,
  • short-term
  • pathological.

Too fast a heart rate does not allow the heart to function normally, to be fully saturated with blood, while blood pressure decreases, which means the amount of vital fluid decreases.

The lack of pumped blood leads to oxygen starvation of the entire body and heart muscle and creates the preconditions for the development of diseases such as arrhythmia, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and so on.

Tachycardia itself is not a disease; it is rather a symptom and manifestation of another, more serious disease, but it can also occur as an independent disease. Sinus tachycardia is a normal physiological reaction of the body to various life situations.

In a state of excitement, fear, or physical exertion, the heartbeat increases, but after a short period of time, the heart rate returns to normal without any negative consequences for the person.

With this type of tachycardia, the heart rate increases smoothly, increasing, and also gradually subsides. No treatment is required for this tachycardia. Pathological tachycardia is diagnosed if the patient has an increase in heart rate at rest and is divided into two main types: ventricular and supraventricular.

The latter form of tachycardia is more insidious in its manifestations and can be fatal. Tachycardia is characterized by spontaneous and sudden attacks.

At this moment, a person’s heart rate sharply changes its pace towards an increase. Heart beats become frequent and distinct. Some patients experience external signs such as pulsation of blood vessels in the neck.

During attacks of tachycardia, dizziness, lack of air, heavy breathing, a state close to loss of consciousness, severe weakness, and involuntary trembling of the upper extremities are noted.

When listening to the heart, beats are heard, similar to the sounds of a swinging pendulum. The contraction frequency during paroxysmal tachycardia is 140-240 beats per minute.

There may be a slight increase in body temperature, excessive sweating, gastrointestinal upset, and, at the end of the attack, excessive urination.

There are tachycardic attacks that last literally seconds. And also - the attacks are exhausting, long-lasting, which can last for several days. Such attacks are characterized by the presence of fainting states and constant weakness.

Signs of tachycardia that should not be ignored:

  • chest pain;
  • darkening of the eyes, frequent dizziness;
  • rapid heart rate at rest without objective reasons, which does not go away for several minutes;
  • repeated loss of consciousness.
Such manifestations of tachycardia eloquently indicate the presence of some kind of chronic disease. It is advisable to consult a doctor and determine what caused the tachycardia, and also choose a treatment strategy.

Causes

Cases of sinus tachycardia occur in all age groups, both healthy people and patients with certain diseases. Its occurrence is facilitated by intracardial or extracardiac etiological factors (cardiac or extracardiac, respectively).

In patients with cardiovascular diseases, sinus tachycardia can be a manifestation of any heart pathology:

  • coronary heart disease,
  • arterial hypertension,
  • myocardial infarction,
  • acute and chronic heart failure,
  • rheumatic and congenital heart defects,
  • myocarditis,
  • cardiomyopathies,
  • cardiosclerosis,
  • infective endocarditis,
  • exudative and adhesive pericarditis.

Physiological extracardiac factors contributing to the development of tachycardia include emotional stress and physical activity.

The majority of extracardiac arrhythmias are neurogenic tachycardias, which are associated with primary dysfunction of the cortex and subcortical nodes of the brain, and disorders of the autonomic nervous system:

  • affective psychoses,
  • neuroses,
  • cardiopsychoneurosis.

Young people with lability of the nervous system are characterized by the greatest susceptibility to them. Other factors of extracardial tachycardia are represented by endocrine disorders (thyrotoxicosis, increased production of adrenaline in pheochromocytoma), anemia, acute vascular insufficiency (shock, collapse, acute blood loss, fainting), hypoxemia, acute painful attacks.

The main reasons why tachycardia occurs:

  • disorders of the cardiovascular system: arrhythmia, endocarditis, myocarditis, heart disease, cardiosclerosis;
  • endocrine diseases: pheochromocytoma, decreased thyroid function, diabetes mellitus, menopausal syndrome;
  • diseases of the autonomic nervous system;
  • neurotic conditions;
  • emotional turmoil;
  • changes in the electrolyte composition of the blood.
With long-term use of drugs such as sedatives, hormonal and diuretic drugs, a deficiency of potassium and magnesium occurs, which inevitably affects the functioning of the heart muscle.

Tachycardia may appear as a result of fever that develops in the context of various infectious and inflammatory diseases (pneumonia, tonsillitis, tuberculosis, sepsis, focal infection). For every 1 °C increase in body temperature, there is an increase in heart rate by 10-15 beats/min. in children and 8-9 beats/min. in adults (compared to normal).

The occurrence of pharmacological (drug) and toxic sinus tachycardia is caused by the influence of various medicinal and other chemical substances on the function of the sinus node.

These include sympathomimetics (adrenaline and norepinephrine), vagolytics (atropine), aminophylline, corticosteroids, thyroid-stimulating hormones, diuretics, antihypertensive drugs, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, poisons, etc. Certain substances that do not have a direct effect on the function of the sinus node , increase the tone of the sympathetic nervous system and cause so-called reflex tachycardia.

There are adequate and inadequate sinus tachycardia. The latter is characterized by the ability to remain at rest, lack of dependence on exercise and medication. Such tachycardia may be accompanied by sensations of shortness of breath and palpitations.

Experts suggest that this rare and little-studied disease of unknown origin is related to primary damage to the sinus node.

Symptoms


Clinical symptoms of sinus tachycardia appear depending on how severe and prolonged it is, as well as on the nature of the underlying disease. Subjective signs of sinus tachycardia may be completely absent; sometimes there may be a feeling of palpitations, a feeling of heaviness or pain in the heart area.

With inadequate sinus tachycardia, persistent palpitations, a feeling of lack of air, shortness of breath, weakness and frequent dizziness are observed. Fatigue, insomnia, worsening mood, decreased appetite and decreased performance may occur.

The severity of subjective symptoms depends on the sensitivity threshold of the nervous system and the underlying disease.

In patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system (coronary atherosclerosis, etc.), an increase in heart rate can provoke the occurrence of angina attacks and aggravate decompensation of heart failure.

A rapid heartbeat often makes a person feel anxious and fearful. When symptoms of tachycardia appear, such as sweating, cold hands and a feeling of lack of air, a person begins to fear for his health.

A person begins to feel that his condition is very unstable, or that he has a serious illness. Among other things, symptoms of tachycardia include chest pain, shortness of breath, darkening of the eyes, and fear.

Against the background of such mental stress, an attack of tachycardia may intensify, which in turn has an impact on the worsening of the person’s neuropsychological state.

This phenomenon is especially dangerous for suspicious people, because in an attack of fear for one’s own health, rash decisions can be made (falsely calling an ambulance, taking medications in large quantities, etc.).

Tachycardia requires treatment if it appears without any obvious reason: the person feels well and is in a calm state or is sleeping. What symptoms warn of danger:

  • Shortness of breath (difficulty breathing);
  • dizzy;
  • noises appear in the head and ears;
  • darkens in the eyes;
  • fainting weakness, loss of consciousness;
  • heartache.

The patient needs to call an ambulance, and before it arrives he should:

  • free your neck and chest;
  • open the window;
  • apply cold to forehead;
  • wash with ice water.

The physiological causes of cardiac tachycardia are practically harmless. They are the result of the body’s normal reaction to external stimuli (physical stress or fear).

For pathological causes, you need to pay attention to the accompanying symptoms of tachycardia (sweating, dizziness, changes in blood pressure, etc.). If such symptoms appear, you must consult a doctor and undergo an examination.


An attack of tachycardia, especially when occurring for the first time, is always frightening. The patient’s condition depends on how competently the people around the sick person behave. If a person turns pale and complains of an increased heart rate, it is necessary:

  • Call a doctor or an ambulance.
  • Provide rest to the victim.
  • Try to calm the patient (people in this state experience a strong fear of death).
  • Unfasten the person's belt, loosen the tie and unbutton any clothing that is constricting the body.
  • If the attack occurs indoors, open the windows to provide fresh air.
  • Give the person to drink Corvalol, valerian or other sedatives.
  • Place a cold, damp cloth on your forehead.
  • Invite the person to hold their breath for a while and tense their abdominal muscles.

If simple sedatives are ineffective, it is recommended to wait for the ambulance to arrive, despite all the protests of the sick person. Most people try to avoid hospitalization, but almost all types of tachycardia (except the ventricular form) are treated on an outpatient basis, and the patient is recommended to be examined in a clinic.

Interesting! Some sources recommend to stop the increased heartbeat by pressing on the victim’s eyeballs or asking them to cough, but this is not recommended.

Coughing and pressing on the eyes gives the necessary pulse-lowering effect only with sinus tachycardia, but with the ventricular form of the pathology, these actions can only do harm.


The leading role in the differential diagnosis of the type of tachycardia, determination of rhythm and heart rate belongs to electrocardiography (ECG). When arrhythmia paroxysms occur, daily Holter ECG monitoring is highly informative.

This method allows you to identify and analyze any disturbance of heart rhythm during the day, as well as determine ischemic ECG changes during the patient’s normal physical activity.

A routine research method to exclude heart pathology in case of any rhythm disturbances is echocardiography, which provides information on the size of the heart chambers, the thickness of the myocardial walls, disturbances of local contractility and pathology of the valve apparatus.

In rare cases, magnetic resonance imaging of the heart is performed to identify congenital pathology. Only a cardiologist can determine how to treat cardiac tachycardia. It is useless to treat tachycardia itself - the cause of the increased heartbeat should be eliminated.

To diagnose the underlying cause of the disease, a number of examinations are prescribed:

  • ECG (daily Holter, 2-3-day monitoring);
  • blood and urine tests;
  • analysis to determine the content of thyroid hormones;
  • Ultrasound of the heart to detect abnormalities in the structure of the heart or its parts;
  • echocardiography.

Invasive methods for examining patients with tachycardia include electrophysiological studies. The method is used in the presence of appropriate indications before surgical treatment of arrhythmia only to a limited number of patients.

Using an electrophysiological study, the doctor obtains information about the nature of the propagation of the electrical impulse throughout the myocardium and determines the mechanisms of tachycardia or conduction disorders.

To identify the cause of tachycardia, additional research methods are sometimes prescribed: a general blood test, a blood test for thyroid hormones, electroencephalography, etc.

Treatment

The principles of treatment for tachycardia depend on the cause of its occurrence. Any therapy should be carried out by a cardiologist or other specialists.

The primary goal of treating tachycardia is to eliminate provoking factors:

  • exclusion of caffeine-containing drinks (strong tea, coffee),
  • nicotine,
  • alcohol,
  • spicy food,
  • chocolate,
  • protecting the patient from all kinds of overloads.

Cases of physiological sinus tachycardia do not require treatment with medications. As part of the treatment of pathological tachycardia, there is a need to eliminate the underlying disease. Patients with sinus tachycardia of a neurogenic nature need to consult a neurologist.

The treatment itself involves the use of psychotherapy and sedatives (luminal, tranquilizers and antipsychotics: tranquilan, relanium, seduxen).

Reflex (hypovolemia) and compensatory (anemia, hyperthyroidism) tachycardia require elimination of the causes of their occurrence. Otherwise, the consequence of treatment aimed at reducing heart rate may be a sharp decrease in blood pressure and worsening hemodynamic disturbances.

For tachycardia caused by thyrotoxicosis, along with thyreostatic drugs prescribed by the endocrinologist, β-blockers are also used for treatment. In this case, non-selective β-blockers are more preferable. If there are contraindications, it is possible to use non-hydropyridine calcium antagonists (verapamil, diltiazem).

When sinus tachycardia occurs in patients with chronic heart failure, it is possible to prescribe cardiac glycosides (digoxin) in combination with beta-blockers.

The selection of target heart rate during treatment should be individual and take into account both the patient’s condition and his underlying disease. The target resting heart rate in patients with coronary artery disease is 55–60 beats per minute; in the absence of heart disease, the resting heart rate in an adult should be no more than 80 beats per minute.

It is possible to increase the tone of the vagus nerve during paroxysmal tachycardia through a special massage performed by pressing on the eyeballs. If there is no effect from non-drug therapy, they resort to prescribing antiarrhythmic drugs (propafenone, cordarone, etc.).

Ventricular tachycardia requires immediate qualified medical care and emergency hospitalization.

In rare cases, surgical methods are used to treat persistent tachycardia; the most modern is radiofrequency ablation of the arrhythmigenic area of ​​the myocardium (cauterization of the affected area to restore normal rhythm).

Drug treatment

To reduce the load on the heart, reduce the reactivity of the conduction system and block sympathetic effects on the heart muscle, drugs from the group of beta blockers are used.

Not long ago, in the course of clinical studies, scientists proved that the use of these pharmaceuticals reduces the mortality rate among people suffering from cardiovascular diseases several times.

Among the herbal drugs used to treat tachyarrhythmias, a group of cardiac glycosides should be distinguished.

They reduce conductivity in the atrioventricular node, reduce the load on the heart and help reduce the number of heart beats per minute. However, treatment of cardiac tachycardia with cardiac glycosides, as well as the use of other antiarrhythmic drugs, should be carried out under strict medical supervision.

In addition, cardiac glycosides are taken according to a special regimen (digitalization principle) and cannot be canceled independently. Such precautions are necessary to prevent the occurrence of atrioventricular block, the main complication of taking cardiac glycosides.

If tachycardia is the result of a strong emotional shock or a stressful situation, then more traditional and well-known remedies, such as Corvalol, Valocardin, Validol tablets and some others, are suitable to eliminate it.

They not only help relieve nervous tension and calm down, but also reduce heart rate. In this case, some traditional methods of treatment can also be used. These can be various sedatives, herbal teas, infusions of soothing herbs such as valerian, cyanosis, hops, motherwort, and many other folk remedies.

Therapy is aimed, first of all, at eliminating the cause of palpitations, and only then medications are selected to slow down the pulse. Antiarrhythmic drugs have many side effects and are prescribed with caution.

In mild cases, patients may be prescribed natural herbal remedies:

  • motherwort;
  • hawthorn;
  • peony;
  • valerian;
  • Persen;
  • Novo-passit.

The use of Corvalol gives a good effect. These medications help reduce anxiety and improve sleep. Often, treating the underlying disease and taking herbal preparations provide the necessary therapeutic effect.

If taking sedatives turns out to be ineffective or the cause of the attack cannot be eliminated, then an antiarrhythmic drug is selected for the patient, taking into account the characteristics of the underlying disease.

Depending on the underlying pathology, the patient is prescribed the following medications:

  • Verapamil;
  • Cordarone;
  • Ritmilen;
  • Anaprilin;
  • Ethacizin;
  • Diltiazem;
  • Bisoprolol;
  • Adenosine;
  • Atenolol.

The list of antiarrhythmic drugs is large, but calcium antagonists and adrenergic receptor blockers are mainly used for therapeutic purposes. Note!

If drug treatment is ineffective, surgical treatment is indicated. During the operation, an artificial pacemaker is installed for the person, which is responsible for the heart rate.

Treatment of tachycardia at home

Treatment of tachycardia at home is aimed at reducing the number of heart contractions and normalizing heart function. For this, a variety of means and medications are used:

  1. Dying gorse.
  2. Among all the folk remedies for tachycardia, the herb that stands out is gorse. It is prescribed in cases where the disease is very advanced, and there is no hope for other remedies and medicines.

    So, we suggest you make the following infusion: pour 2 tablespoons of dried gorse with 2 cups of boiling water, let stand for 20 minutes and strain. Drink 100 ml 3-4 times a day.

  3. Thorny gorse.
  4. You can also treat rapid heartbeat with the help of gorse. The dry seeds of this plant should be ground in a coffee grinder and taken 3 times a day, 1/3 teaspoon. You can dilute gorse powder with water or mix it with honey (this will soften the unpleasant taste of the plant).

    Here is another recipe for using gorse: pour half a glass of the herb with 400 ml of vodka, close the lid tightly and leave in a dark place for 14 days, then strain. Take 10 ml of alcohol tincture 3 times a day, diluting it with 50 ml of water.

    Some herbalists advise making an alcoholic tincture from the seeds of the thorny gorse. It is prepared like this: 2 tablespoons of seeds are poured into 100 ml of vodka and left for 10 days, after which it is filtered. Take 3 times a day, 20-30 drops, until tachycardia completely disappears.
  5. Hawthorn.
  6. If you are worried about how to treat tachycardia, keep hawthorn fruits and flowers on hand at all times. They help strengthen and regulate the heart and eliminate arrhythmia.

    Hawthorn decoction is an excellent remedy for various types of stress and neuroses caused by insomnia, shortness of breath, and rapid heartbeat. Hawthorn also has a diuretic effect, removing excess fluid from the body, thereby lowering blood pressure.

    So, at the first signs of tachycardia, you need to do the following medicine: pour a handful of hawthorn fruits or flowers into 1 liter of water, boil for 5 minutes and let cool. How to use? 0.5 glass of decoction 3 times a day before meals.

  7. Adonis.
  8. If we talk about treating tachycardia with folk remedies, then we definitely need to talk about such a wonderful plant as adonis.

    Here is our recipe: boil 1 liter of water and add 2 tablespoons of spring adonis. You need to boil the potion over low heat for 5-7 minutes, then cool and strain.

    How to use? Adults - 1 tablespoon 3 times a day, children under 12 years old - 1 teaspoon 1 time a day before meals. With this medicine, you can completely cure cardiac tachycardia in just a month.
  9. Herbal collection No. 1.
  10. You can treat tachycardia with folk remedies using the following collection:

  • Melissa herb - 40 g
  • Linden flowers - 40 g
  • Nettle - 20 g
  • Chamomile - 20 g
  • Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
  • Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and pour 1 glass of boiling water, leave covered for 5 minutes, then drink in one gulp. This remedy needs to be taken 3 times a day, and each time you need to make a new portion of the infusion.

    In just 2-3 months you will notice that these folk remedies have completely relieved you of unpleasant symptoms in the heart area.

  • Herbal collection No. 2.
  • Here is another way to treat tachycardia. Take these herbs:

    • Mint - 100 g
    • Melissa - 100g
    • Motherwort - 50 g
    • Lavender - 50 g
    After the broth has cooled, it needs to be strained. During the day you should drink 2-3 glasses of this medicine. After a few days, you will notice that you feel much better, and after a few months of treatment, the tachycardia will completely go away.
  • Herbal collection No. 3.
  • Here is another herbal tea recipe that will help successfully treat tachycardia:

    • Chamomile flowers - 100 g
    • Sunflower flowers - 100 g
    • Heather - 50 g
    • Black currant leaves - 50 g
    • Melissa leaves - 20 g
    • Mint leaves - 20 g

    How to cook: mix all ingredients thoroughly. Take 2 tablespoons of the mixture and pour into a 2-liter thermos. Pour boiling water over the herbs, close the lid and leave for 4-5 hours. This liquid should be taken 1 glass 3 times a day. It can be sweetened with honey or sugar.

  • Herbal tea No. 4
  • Anyone who has tachycardia knows how difficult it is to cure. But folk herbalists know thousands of recipes to combat this disease. For example, try this potion:

    • Nettle herb - 100 g
    • Birch leaves - 100 g
    • Ginkgo biloba - 15 g
    • Schisandra leaves - 50 g
    • Mistletoe - 100 g

    How to cook: take 1 teaspoon of herbal mixture and pour 1 glass of boiling water over it. Cover with a lid and wait 5-10 minutes, then drink in small sips.

  • Healing balm.
  • Our great-grandmothers knew perfectly well how to treat tachycardia without doctors and expensive medications. They treated her with a healing balm:

    • Garlic - 10 heads
    • Natural honey - 1 liter
    • Lemons - 10 pieces

    Take 10 heads of garlic (namely heads, not cloves), peel them and grate them on a fine grater. Separately, squeeze the juice from the lemons.

    Mix garlic and lemon juice with honey and leave in an airtight container for 10 days in a dark and cool place. Next, use 1 teaspoon of this balm 4 times a day. Before swallowing it, you should thoroughly dissolve the balm in your mouth, even though this is unpleasant.

    With the help of such a drug you can cure heart tachycardia forever. By the way, many healers claim that such a balm should be taken throughout your life, and then no illness will be scary for you.
  • Delicious medicine.
  • And now we will talk about how to treat tachycardia with the help of a very tasty and healthy mixture of nuts, honey and chocolate. No need to be surprised: the fact is that the above foods are rich in magnesium, and this element is an integral part of enzymes that inhibit the influx of calcium into cells with myocarditis, affecting normal heart rhythm.

    So, mix the following ingredients in a jar: Natural honey - 1 l Chopped almonds - 100 g Chopped walnuts - 100 g Chopped natural dark chocolate - 100 g Cocoa - 100 g Try to consume this mixture every morning, 1 tablespoon (store it in the refrigerator), and soon you will notice that you no longer have heart problems.

  • Grape leaves.
  • Grape leaves contain a well-known antioxidant, resveratrol, which strengthens veins and makes them flexible. The fact is that resveratrol prevents the breakdown of proteins - elastin and collagen - the building material from which the walls of blood vessels are made.

    As a result of this, grape leaves prevent the formation of varicose veins, relieve all types of swelling, improve blood circulation in the extremities and protect blood vessels from destruction.

    The active substances contained in these plants also have an antispasmodic effect, lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. Prepare this decoction: pour 1 cup of finely crushed grape leaves into 1 liter of hot water and boil for 5-7 minutes.

    After this, wait until the product has cooled and strain it. The decoction should be drunk half a glass 2 times a day between meals. The course of treatment lasts 10-20 days, depending on the severity of the disease.


    • Cardiac asthma.
    • Arterial hypertension.
    • Heart failure.
    • Hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke.
    • Acute myocardial infarction.
    • Changes in heart rhythm.
    • Pulmonary edema.
    • Coma.
    • Biological death.
    • In order to promptly identify the early signs of this disease, you need to undergo a comprehensive medical examination annually, then its treatment will be more effective.


    To prevent tachycardia it is very important:

    • Treat concomitant diseases in a timely manner;
    • Do physical exercises;
    • Adhere to a balanced diet;
    • Take vitamins and microelements.

    To prevent tachycardia against the background of diseases of the cardiovascular system and other chronic pathologies, it is necessary to constantly monitor indicators and follow the treatment plan.

    Daily physical activity stimulates the heart and makes the myocardium more resilient and resistant to external factors. It is advisable to coordinate the intensity of exercise with your doctor, but a half-hour walk in the fresh air will not harm anyone.

    People suffering from tachycardia should avoid alcoholic beverages and products containing caffeine and other stimulants. It will be very useful to reduce the consumption of fatty foods and sugar, replacing them with fruits and vegetables. For excessive excitability of the nervous system, herbal teas with a mild sedative effect will help.

    Tachycardia often occurs due to a lack of magnesium and potassium in the body. The main function of these microelements is to regulate the cyclicity of contraction and relaxation of the heart muscle. Before using any medications, it is better to consult your doctor first.

    Tachycardia is a rapid heartbeat caused by pathology of the cardiovascular system or other diseases.

    Only in a small number of cases (with paroxysm of junctional tachycardia) can you try to cope with it yourself. For this purpose, vagal tests are used (straining, inducing a gag reflex, coughing).

    In all other cases, the help of a doctor is necessary, who will relieve the attack either by intravenous administration of drugs or by electrical pulse therapy (passing current through the heart). To prevent tachycardia, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease, as well as a healthy lifestyle (rational nutrition and exercise).

    For healthy people, tachycardia does not carry a negative prognosis. This phenomenon is absolutely safe for humans with physiological manifestations, even pronounced ones.

    For people with a history of heart disease, the prognosis may be completely different. Tachycardia can disrupt many heart processes and slow down treatment.

    Pathological conditions of tachycardia can be very painful for a person, bring discomfort and complicate the normal functioning of the body. With frequent manifestations of tachycardia without apparent physiological causes, there is a high probability that the arrhythmia appeared as a symptom against the background of another ailment.

    The right step would be to go to the doctor without self-medicating. Without a clear definition of the cause of tachycardia, it will not be possible to cure it completely and independently.

Symptoms of tachycardia are not striking. And when a person encounters a patient suffering from a similar disorder in the activity of the heart muscle, when he sees manifestations of tachycardia, its symptoms, he may become confused, not knowing what to do and what not to do.

From the article you will learn what kind of pathology this is and what its symptoms are. How to help a patient if an attack of tachycardia occurs, the symptoms of which are easily determined by the pulse.

To answer the question, what is cardiac tachycardia, the symptoms of which have become a concern recently, let us turn to the ancient Greek language. Translated, this medical term means “fast heart.” Tachycardia is not an independent disease, but a symptom accompanying another disease. A condition in which the heart beats at a rate of over 90 beats per minute. The reasons for this condition may be different, but they are combined into two main categories:

  • physiological disturbances in the activity of the heart;
  • psychosomatic or neurogenic pathologies.

Cardiac tachycardia, the symptoms of which are almost independent of etiology, negatively affects the cardiovascular system and also negatively affects the entire body.

Symptoms and signs

During an attack, the pulse rate increases from 90 to 200-240 beats per minute. With this rhythm of work, the heart ventricles are not fully filled with blood, which causes blood pressure to drop. Insufficient blood flows to all other organs.

In some cases, with a long-term rapid rhythm, a person may experience a feeling of lack of oxygen. One of the accompanying symptoms of tachycardia is, in particular, its pathological form, in which an increase in rhythm is a compensatory measure in conditions of tissue hypoxia when the pressure decreases below adequate for a person.

Thus, the symptoms of cardiac tachycardia are expressed as follows:

  • rapid heart pulsation;
  • pain in the chest area;
  • low blood pressure, accompanied by weakness, dizziness;
  • shortness of breath that occurs when walking, doing physical labor, but also at rest.

Along with the mentioned symptoms of tachycardia, the following signs of tachycardia are sometimes observed:

  • loss of consciousness,
  • cough,
  • blue lips

Increased stress on the heart can lead to more severe consequences and cause coronary heart disease.

Symptoms of tachycardia

Causes and features of manifestation

In cardiology, 4 types of tachycardia are conventionally distinguished:

  1. Physiological – the body’s normal reaction to physical activity, elevated air temperature, smoking a cigarette, or drinking a cup of coffee. Typically, a healthy heart will stabilize quickly, within 5-10 minutes after the trigger is removed.
  2. Pathological (extracardial), that is, arising outside the myocardium, as a consequence of other diseases. For example, hyperthyroidism, a tumor in the adrenal glands, diseases of the nervous and endocrine systems, cancer.
  3. Pathological (intracardial), directly related to the cardiovascular system. It occurs due to pathologies inside the heart muscle and circulatory system.
  4. Idiopathic or tachycardia of unknown etiology. The origin of these increased heart rates remains unclear.

The following heart diseases can provoke pathological intracardial tachycardia:

  • myocarditis, pericarditis, endocarditis;
  • congenital or acquired heart defects;

Whatever the cause of palpitations, you cannot get rid of it without eliminating the primary disease.

Among women

Rapid heartbeat in women usually develops during menopause, that is, after 45-50 years. Attacks occur during the day, during physical activity or stress, and at night the condition returns to normal.

The symptoms accompanying tachycardia indicate that women are prone to vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD), in which sinus palpitations occur more often than others. Another cause of its occurrence, which is much less common, is hyperthyroidism, a disease associated with hyperfunction of the thyroid gland.

Ventricular tachycardia indicates pathological changes in the heart muscle, and is practically no different from the symptoms of cardiac tachycardia in men. Women rarely experience rapid ventricular pulsation, which is a consequence of pathologies such as:

  • myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle;
  • myocardial infarction.

Women also have nodal tachycardia, in which impulses arise between the atria and ventricles, and atrial tachycardia. The last type of rapid heartbeat is characterized by the occurrence of impulses in the atria.

During pregnancy, hormonal changes in the body and a woman’s worries often cause symptoms of tachycardia. A sharp increase in the frequency of SS is dangerous for the unborn baby and can provoke a miscarriage. Therefore, an expectant mother whose heart is prone to rapid heartbeats needs to keep her heart under control.

You should be more attentive to medications that can also cause an increase in heart rate. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the thyroid gland, for which pregnancy is a serious test; Malnutrition should be avoided. This leads to dehydration and anemia. It is no secret that some women, even during pregnancy, strive to follow diets that cause exhaustion of the body with all that it entails. A rapid pulse in a pregnant woman can even cause an increase in body temperature.

In men

The normal number of contractions of the heart muscle in men is 60-90 beats per minute.

Heart rate increases during physical activity, during sports, during nervous irritation, stress, that is, under the influence of the release of adrenaline into the blood.

When the heart rate increases above 90 beats per minute at rest, we can talk about tachycardia and its symptoms.

Symptoms of cardiac tachycardia in men are almost no different from women's symptoms. But men are more likely than women to experience heart palpitations for the following reasons:

  1. Men suffer more from stress;
  2. Increased physical activity typical of a male lifestyle creates risks for the cardiovascular system;
  3. Smoking and alcohol, which the stronger sex is more prone to, affect the heart rate. An acute hangover syndrome, accompanied by hypotension and rapid heartbeat, is usually a symptom of tachycardia in men.
  4. Unlike men, women before menopause are protected by lipoprotein sex hormones, which prevent the development of atherosclerosis.

In men, an increase in heart rate causes a feeling of fear and panic attacks.

In children

Children normally have a faster heartbeat than adults. For example, in an infant, the heart beats at a frequency of 140-160 beats per minute, in a baby from six months to a year - 120-130, in 3-5 years - the heart rate is 100-105 beats per minute.

Pathological tachycardia in children is considered to be a condition when the heart rate exceeds the normal rate by 20-30 beats. It is accompanied by the following symptoms: dizziness, heart pain, general lethargy, pale skin, shortness of breath.

Noncardiac causes that cause symptoms of tachycardia in children include the following:

  • reduced blood glucose levels, in which case the child experiences a lack of energy, becomes drowsy and lethargic;
  • imbalance of electrolytes in the blood (lack of magnesium or potassium ions);
  • hormonal disorders, increased production of thyroid or adrenal hormones;
  • violation of acid-base balance;
  • side effect from taking medications.

When the heart rate remains consistently high for a long time and the mentioned symptoms of tachycardia occur, there is every reason to contact a pediatric cardiologist.

What should you do during an attack?

Any person, feeling the approaching symptoms of tachycardia, can independently try to help himself.

  1. Remove or unfasten anything that interferes with free breathing - a belt on your waist, a tie.
  2. Wash your face with cool water. You can place a cool compress on your forehead.
  3. Lie on the sofa, but the pillow should not be too high.
  4. Hold your breath for 10 seconds, taking a calm but deep breath.
  5. Try to induce a gag reflex, or cough.

Drops of Valocordin, Corvalol, Motherwort or Valerian will help relieve the attack. These drugs calm the nervous system and dilate blood vessels .

Not only patients, but also every healthy person should know what tachycardia looks like, the symptoms, what to do if someone has an attack of rapid heartbeat.

What actions should not be taken?

During an attack, you should not take a hot bath or drink drinks that stimulate the nervous system.

Patients prone to tachycardia should generally avoid any actions that increase heart rate. They cannot:

  • drink coffee, cocoa, eat chocolate in large quantities;
  • take medications containing caffeine;
  • eat spicy, salty foods;
  • exercise;
  • take any medications or dietary supplements without the advice of your attending physician.

Persons prone to tachycardia should also not smoke anything: no cigarettes, no cigars, much less a hookah. Not only physical, but also mental and emotional stress should be avoided. Overeating should not be allowed.

Treatment

Depending on how tachycardia and its symptoms manifest itself, diagnostic measures are first prescribed, and then therapeutic methods are selected. For example, in the treatment of rapid heartbeat with VSD, and some immediate heart diseases, the following is used:

  • physiotherapy,
  • balneotherapy,
  • psychocorrection and hypnosis.

These therapeutic methods complement drug treatment, which together gives a good result. For rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure, the doctor may prescribe Reserpine.

For increased heart rate, Anaprilin is used, a beta-blocker that reduces sensitivity to adrenaline. At the same time, heart rate decreases and blood pressure levels out. The drug acts effectively and quickly. But in order to prevent an overdose, which can adversely affect the functioning of the heart, the dosage should be prescribed by the attending physician.

Useful video

For useful information about tachycardia, watch this video:

conclusions

  1. A pronounced symptom of tachycardia is a pathologically rapid heartbeat with a pulse above 90 beats per minute.
  2. Rapid heartbeat in some cases is accompanied by shortness of breath, arterial hypotension, weakness, and chest pain.
  3. The appearance of symptoms of tachycardia indicates a pathology, a malfunction in the body, and requires consulting a doctor. After reviewing your symptoms and prescribing a full examination, the doctor will be able to determine the true cause of the condition and prescribe adequate treatment or supportive therapy.

Let's immediately figure out what it is - tachycardia? The most common type of heart rhythm disorder, which is characterized by an increase in heart rate (HR) of more than 90 beats per minute, is called tachycardia. The main manifestations of a rapid heartbeat are anxiety, a feeling of lack of air, dizziness and, in severe cases, fainting. Patients suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system are susceptible to the development of circulatory failure with tachycardia. The leading mechanism for the occurrence of an increase in heart rate is changes leading to an increase in the automaticity of the sinus node.

Tachycardia is characterized by an increase in heart rate. Not in all cases, the above symptoms can be attributed to this pathological condition. In completely healthy people, increased heart rate can be observed in response to various external and internal stimuli. Tachycardia sometimes represents either a protective compensatory reaction of the body, or a reaction to the release of certain substances into the blood, for example, adrenaline. In this case, the sympathetic nervous system increases its tone and causes an increase in heart rate. After the stimulus ceases, the heartbeat returns to normal.

Tachycardia in a healthy heart

Tachycardia in healthy people is observed in the following cases:

  • physical, emotional stress and stressful situations;
  • sudden change in body position;
  • drinking tea, coffee, alcohol and other active substances;
  • increased body temperature;
  • some pathological processes in the body.

In children under 7 years of age, tachycardia is a normal physiological condition.

Classification of tachycardias

Depending on the cause, pathological and physiological forms of increased heart rate are distinguished. The latter occurs in the conditions described above. The pathological variant can develop in various diseases.

Non-physiological tachycardia is dangerous due to its complications and some associated conditions. In particular, blood circulation in the chambers of the heart is disrupted and the release of blood into the human vascular system is reduced. This leads to a decrease in blood pressure and deterioration of blood circulation in all systems and organs of the body, and hypoxia (lack of oxygen) develops. A long-term stable increase in heart rate reduces the contractility of the heart muscle, hypertrophy (enlargement) of the ventricles and atria occurs. Such cardiopathy is often complicated by various types of arrhythmias, including lethal ones.

Depending on the origin of the source of excitation, two main types of pathology are distinguished:

  1. Sinus tachycardia. Occurs as a result of increased activity of the main source of heart rhythm - the sinus node. This option for increasing heart rate develops gradually, the rhythm remains correct and increases to 120 beats per minute.
  2. Ectopic tachycardia. In this case, impulses can be generated anywhere: in the conduction system, atria or ventricles. Depending on the location, the increase in heart rate is called paroxysmal ventricular or supraventricular tachycardia. Here the attacks occur suddenly. The contraction frequency is significantly more than 120 per minute. Such paroxysms (attacks) can last from a couple of minutes to several days.

Causes of tachycardia

Tachycardia occurs both in healthy people and in people with certain diseases. The age categories are also completely different. The causes of tachycardia are divided into extracardiac and cardiac (extracardiac and intracardiac, respectively).

Among people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, tachycardia may be one of the manifestations:

  • IHD (coronary heart disease);
  • heart failure in acute and chronic forms;
  • myocardial infarction;
  • rheumatic and congenital heart defects;
  • arterial hypertension (hypertension);
  • endo- or myocarditis;
  • pericarditis and various cardiomyopathies;
  • post-infarction and atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis.

Non-cardiac physiological factors that cause tachycardia are usually associated with physical activity or the emotional state of a person.

Most arrhythmias are represented by tachycardias of nervous origin. They are associated with dysfunction of the subcortical elements and cerebral cortex. The cause may also be disturbances in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. These include:

  • neuroses;
  • some psychoses;
  • NCD (neurocirculatory dystonia).

Such conditions mostly affect young people with a labile nervous system.

Other extracardiac factors include:

  1. Anemia.
  2. Hypoxemia (lack of oxygen in the blood).
  3. Acute vascular insufficiency:
    • collapse;
    • fainting;
    • acute blood loss.
  4. Endocrine pathology:
    • increased adrenaline levels in pheochromocytoma;
    • thyrotoxicosis.
  5. Attacks of acute pain.

Tachycardia also occurs in response to an increase in body temperature during inflammatory and infectious diseases. Thus, with sore throat, pneumonia, tuberculosis and other diseases, the heart rate increases by 10 beats with an increase in temperature by 1 degree. In children, the increase in the frequency of myocardial contractions is slightly less.

Tachycardia, caused by changes in the functioning of the sinus node, occurs when it is exposed to certain medications and chemicals. These include:

  • sympathomimetics (adrenaline);
  • anticholinergics (Atropine, Platiphylline);
  • glucocorticoids/corticosteroids (Prednisolone, Dexamethasone);
  • diuretics (Furosemide);
  • thyroid-stimulating hormones;
  • alcohol, nicotine and caffeine.

Some of these substances indirectly affect the sinus node, increasing the tone of the sympathetic nervous system. Such tachycardia in medicine is called reflex.

Sinus tachycardia can be adequate or inadequate. Adequate is a compensatory response to physical stress or emotional stress. Inappropriate tachycardia has been poorly studied. It is accompanied by a feeling of lack of air and a feeling of strong heartbeat. In this case, the increase in heart rate does not depend on the factors described above.

Symptoms and manifestations of tachycardia

All symptoms of tachycardia depend on the severity of the pathology and its duration. Many manifestations are a consequence of the underlying disease.

Physiological tachycardia at a young age most often does not have any manifestations or subjective sensations. In adulthood, this condition may be accompanied by a feeling of palpitations or heaviness in the heart area. In patients suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, tachycardia is often manifested by shortness of breath and chest pain. In some cases, increased heart rate can increase the severity of heart failure.

Inappropriate sinus tachycardia is manifested by shortness of breath, frequent dizziness, increased fatigue, decreased performance and appetite. This is all due to impaired hemodynamics (blood circulation).

The paroxysmal course is much more dangerous. This is especially true for ventricular tachycardias. When they occur, there is a significant disturbance in hemodynamic parameters, up to fainting and cardiac arrest. In addition, all organs and tissues of the body suffer from a lack of oxygen and nutrients.

Why is cardiac tachycardia dangerous?

In addition to unpleasant sensations, a long course of tachycardia hides more serious complications. Thus, due to the ineffectiveness of the heart, its vulnerability and wear and tear increases. Another dangerous consequence of tachycardia may be the development of chronic heart failure, leading to the development of arrhythmias and cardiac conduction disorders (the occurrence of blockades).

In chronic ischemic heart disease and heart failure, tachycardia may be preceded by:

  • arrhythmic shock;
  • acute left ventricular failure (cardiac asthma and cardiogenic pulmonary edema);
  • acute cerebral circulatory failure.

This type of rhythm disturbance, such as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, accompanied by tachycardia, leads to increased thrombus formation and subsequent myocardial infarction and ischemic strokes. Pulmonary embolism (PE) and ventricular fibrillation with fatal outcome are possible.

Diagnostics

The main study to determine the type of tachycardia is electrocardiography (ECG). In case of paroxysmal intermittent form, daily Holter monitoring is necessary. This way you can identify all cases of rhythm disturbances during the day.


In the presence of tachycardia, echocardiography will allow you to determine the size of the heart chambers, the degree of myocardial wear, pathology of the valve apparatus and changes in contractility. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) can help identify congenital defects.

If surgery is indicated to prevent tachycardia, it is important to perform an electrophysiological study before surgery. This is necessary to study the conduction of a nerve impulse through the conduction system of the heart and determine the mechanism of development of the disease.

In order to determine the cause of tachycardia or to exclude them, the following is carried out:

  • general blood analysis;
  • electroencephalography;
  • blood test for thyroid hormones.

Treatment of tachycardia

Physiological tachycardia is a condition that does not require any medical intervention. Treatment of any other type of tachycardia is based on preventing the cause that caused it. Therapy should be carried out only under the supervision of a specialist.

You need to start by eliminating all provoking factors. It is necessary to exclude:

  • strong tea;
  • coffee;
  • nicotine;
  • alcohol;
  • increased physical and emotional stress.

Sinus tachycardia of a neurogenic nature is treated together with neurologists. In this case, the basis of treatment is psychotherapy and the use of tranquilizers and antipsychotics. These include Relanium, Seduxen, Tranquilan.

In case of pathology caused by compensatory mechanisms (anemia or hypothyroidism), it is necessary to eliminate the cause. With such tachycardia, a direct drug reduction in heart rate can lead to a sharp decrease in blood pressure and the development of vascular insufficiency.

Tachycardia due to thyrotoxicosis is treated together with endocrinologists. Thyreostatic drugs and beta blockers (Metoprolol, Anaprilin) ​​are prescribed. If the patient has a contraindication to the latter group of drugs, calcium antagonists (Diltiazem, Verapamil) may be prescribed.

Sinus tachycardia in chronic heart failure is treated with a combination of the above-described beta blockers with cardiac glycosides (Digoxin, Corglicon, Strophanthin).

The target heart rate for each patient should be individual, so in an adult at rest this figure should not exceed 80 - 90 beats per minute. Patients suffering from coronary artery disease should adhere to 55–60 beats per minute.

An increase in vagal tone also leads to a decrease in heart rate. To do this, simply press on the eyeballs through closed eyelids. If there is no effect from all the drugs and measures described above, it is advisable to prescribe antiarrhythmic substances (Cordarone, Propafenone).

If ventricular tachycardia occurs, emergency medical care and hospitalization are required.
Sometimes, for the treatment of long-term persistent tachycardia that cannot be treated, a surgical method is used. It involves ablation (radiofrequency cauterization) of a specific area of ​​the myocardium causing the arrhythmia.

Forecast

Physiological tachycardia without pronounced manifestations is not dangerous to human life and health. A persistent increase in heart rate in patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system can be dangerous. Possible worsening of heart failure, including death.

Prevention

Prevention of all inadequate tachycardias consists of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and timely treatment of cardiac and extracardiac pathologies.

Thus, tachycardia is an increase in heart rate. Its manifestations directly depend on the cause and type of disease. Treatment is aimed at eliminating the cause of the increased heart rate. The prognosis of the disease also depends on the type of tachycardia and the presence of concomitant diseases.

In a healthy person, the heart contracts from 60 to 90 times per minute without stress. All indicators that exceed the extreme value indicate that tachycardia is developing. Tachycardia is dangerous because with an increased heart rate, the blood supply to the peripheral organs of the body is disrupted. Frequent attacks of tachycardia can provoke the development of diseases such as arrhythmia and ischemia.

Tachycardia can be a consequence of physical exertion or occur in stressful situations. A rapid heart rate at rest may indicate certain medical conditions:

  1. Cardiovascular dystonia.
  2. Thyrotoxicosis.
  3. Diseases of the autonomic nervous system.
  4. Hyperfunction of the thyroid gland.
  5. Hypotension.
  6. Fever.
  7. Pericarditis.
  8. Anemia.
  9. Hypoxemia.
  10. Pneumonia.
  11. Tuberculosis.

It is important to know! If a person often experiences increased heart rate, it is advisable to consult a doctor to rule out the development of the above serious diseases.

If frequently recorded increases in heart rate are not caused by stress or strong emotions, then most likely this symptom is a consequence of pathologies of cardiovascular diseases. With tachycardia, the heartbeat may change or may remain normal.

Paroxysmal tachycardia

With this disease, the heart rate does not change, remaining normal. Most often, this symptom occurs with heart disease in children and adults. Paroxysmal tachycardia has no additional symptoms, is not accompanied by pain, and can be detected using an ECG.

Junctional tachycardia

This type of increased heart rate is considered physiological. It occurs during physical exertion and strong psycho-emotional outbursts. Unlike other types of tachycardia, nodal tachycardia passes much easier and faster, as soon as the person rests or calms down.

Supraventricular tachycardia

This type of rapid heartbeat is pathological, as it is provoked due to extraordinary impulses in the heart muscle. These impulses are called extrasystoles and they arise in various parts of the heart. Supraventricular tachycardia occurs quite spontaneously, without any characteristic signs. In a matter of seconds, the heart can begin to pump up to 250 beats per minute. At the same time, the person feels the heart literally “fluttering” behind the sternum. Along with unpleasant physiological sensations, supraventricular tachycardia may be accompanied by a feeling of fear and panic.

Ventricular tachycardia

This is the most dangerous type of cardiac dysfunction. With ventricular tachycardia, which can be a harbinger of myocardial infarction, heart rate increases to 500-600 values. A pathological change in the functioning of the heart makes it difficult to pump blood to peripheral organs and leads the organ to a state of ischemia. At maximum load, the heart can simply stop, so in acute periods of ventricular tachycardia, prompt medical assistance is required.

It is important to know! The type of tachycardia can be determined using an electrocardiogram. It is this study that will allow us to find out what causes the increased contraction of the heart - physiological or pathological factors.

Symptoms of the disease depend on the severity of tachycardia, the disease that provoked the malfunction of the heart, and the duration of the attack.

When the attack is not too pronounced, the person feels a beating heart, slight compression in the sternum, and panic.

If an attack of tachycardia is pronounced and lasts for a long time, then the following sensations may be added to the primary symptoms: dizziness, severe shortness of breath or lack of air, nagging pain in the sternum, mood swings, sleep disturbances, anxiety and fear, increased sweating.

In addition to feeling unwell during an attack, normal blood circulation is disrupted, which can lead to dizziness, loss of consciousness, and convulsions. Peripheral blood circulation is disrupted, due to which internal organs begin to feel a lack of oxygen; insufficient blood flow especially affects the kidneys, in which renin begins to be produced, causing spasm of blood vessels and arteries. This leads to an increase in pressure and a decrease in the normal temperature of the extremities.

Video - Tachycardia

Methods for quickly stopping an attack of tachycardia

There are several simple techniques that help normalize heart contractions by reducing their intensity. You can do these techniques yourself.

  1. Start coughing violently, clearing your throat.
  2. Wash your face and hands with very cold water.
  3. Lightly press on the eyeballs and massage them.
  4. Hold your breath and exhale with effort.
  5. Try to tense all the muscles of the body, then relax them. Repeat the exercise several times. When straining, it is advisable to hold your breath.
  6. Inducing vomiting may reduce the number of heartbeats.

It is important to know! The following vagal techniques can be effective only in cases where ventricular tachycardia is not involved. The latter disease is very life-threatening and in case of an acute attack it is best to quickly call an ambulance.

Drugs that reduce heart rate

Name of medicinePictureTherapeutic effect
Hawthorn tincture This drug is based on a natural plant that has a calming effect. After taking the tincture, a person’s excitement decreases, which leads to normalization of the pulse. The medication helps normalize blood pressure
Motherwort It has a sedative effect and has virtually no contraindications. Available in different forms. A mild antispasmodic effect has a beneficial effect on cardiac activity and does not have a sedative effect. With the help of the drug you can restore normal sleep, normalize blood pressure, and reduce the effect of stress on the body
Valerian It is a vasodilator, which helps normalize blood flow and reduce vascular spasm. A mild sedative effect helps normalize sleep. You can take the drug for a long time without side effects. But there is one drawback - in case of an overdose of the drug, the opposite effect may occur, which will provoke an overexcited state in a person
Persen The drug contains medicinal herbs that have a sedative effect. Persen heals the nervous system, reducing anxiety, excitability, and fatigue. Helps improve sleep and appetite
Peony Peony-based tincture has a mild sedative effect, normalizes blood pressure, and eliminates mood swings
Valocordin Helps reduce the effect of stress on the body, has a sedative effect, normalizes sleep, and reduces heart rate. Take 3 times a day, 15-20 drops. After a few weeks of use, the effect of the drug begins to decrease due to the body’s addiction. It has a number of contraindications: pregnancy, age under 18 years, impaired liver and kidney function
Validol Dilates blood vessels, relieves spasms. Releases peptides that normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Has a mild sedative effect on the nervous system

It is important to know! All these drugs are sold in pharmacies without a prescription and have virtually no contraindications. They are used in cases of physiological tachycardia. In case of tachycardia of a pathological nature, you need to consult a specialist and conduct research to find out the cause of the malfunction of the main organ.

Folk remedies for attacks of tachycardia

Relieving tachycardia with herbal remedies

It is important to know! If you have tachycardia, you should exclude strong teas and coffee from your diet. These foods can cause changes in your heart rate, causing it to increase.

Video - Treatment of tachycardia with folk remedies

Herbal collection No. 1

Regular tea can be replaced with a herbal mixture of medicinal plants, which tastes in no way inferior to the usual drink. To prepare the tea leaves, you need to take 50 grams of dried mint and lemon balm and 25 grams of motherwort and lavender flowers. All ingredients should be mixed in one container, preferably a glass one. Then you can prepare the drink. For half a liter of water you need a teaspoon of tea leaves. It is best to boil the plants in a saucepan for a few minutes. Then the broth is filtered and consumed hot 3 times a day; it is recommended to add sugar to improve the taste. The full course of treatment is 3 weeks. Herbs have a calming effect and normalize heart rate. After taking the herbal mixture, a person may feel drowsy, so the medicine should be taken with caution by those people whose work requires concentration and attentiveness.

Healing collection No. 2

Tachycardia can be cured with another collection, which also has a therapeutic effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. To prepare the tea leaves, you need the following dry herbs and flowers: chamomile (50 grams), mint (10 grams), lemon balm (10 grams), heather flowers (25 grams), black currant leaves (25 grams), linden flowers (10 grams). All herbs are mixed in one container. It is best to brew this mixture in a thermos, this way you will be able to extract the maximum amount of useful substances from the plants. For a liter vessel you need to take a tablespoon of dry collection. After the thermos is filled with boiling water, the tea should steep for several hours. You can drink natural medicine throughout the day; to complete the taste, you can add sugar or honey. To relieve unpleasant symptoms, the course of treatment is 4-5 weeks.

Treatment fee No. 3

To prepare the tea leaves, you need to take equal amounts of rose hips, preferably wild rose hips, hawthorn, green tea and motherwort leaves. Brew a tablespoon of the mixture into 500 ml of boiling water and steep the tea for 10-15 minutes. To get the greatest effect from medicinal plants and berries, it is advisable to brew tea in a thermos. You can drink the drink throughout the day, improving the taste with honey or sugar. The duration of taking natural medicine is 3 months.

Best Recipes

Dye's gorse

This little-known plant helps normalize heart contractions. It has a vasodilating effect and has sedative qualities, which is very important for tachycardia of a physiological nature. This plant should be used in treatment with caution, as an overdose can cause health problems. It is undesirable to use the plant for treatment of diagnosed hypertension and ischemia.

To prepare a decoction that lowers heart rate, you need 2 tablespoons of crushed gorse leaves. They need to be poured with 400 ml of boiling water and left until completely cooled. The broth should be filtered. You should take natural medicine 3 times a day, 80-100 ml. In case of any negative reactions from the body, treatment should be stopped. To relieve symptoms, it is recommended to drink the herb for 3 weeks.

Adonis

This plant improves blood circulation, has a vasodilating effect, and has a sedative effect, which helps reduce the effects of stress on the body. To prepare a decoction for tachycardia, you need 2 tablespoons of dry crushed leaves of the plant. The raw materials should be boiled in a liter of water for 10 minutes, then the broth should be left to cool. You need to take the medicine 3 times a day, one tablespoon at a time. The therapeutic effect occurs a few days after starting to take the decoction. The course of treatment is 21 days.

Lemon, honey and garlic in the fight against illness

Lemon, honey and garlic are an effective remedy in the fight against tachycardia

You can normalize heart contractions using an old recipe based on natural ingredients. To prepare the mixture you need half a liter of honey, 5 heads of garlic and five medium-sized lemons. Garlic should be peeled and crushed by hand or in a blender to a paste-like state. Lemons should also be chopped; there is no need to remove the zest. Everything is mixed with honey and placed in a glass container. The medicine should be infused for 7 days. After this period, you can begin treatment: 2 tablespoons of the mixture are taken in the morning, after breakfast, for 3 weeks. It is advisable not to skip days of taking the medication. The first positive changes in well-being occur after 1 week.

Medicine is a treat

It turns out that tachycardia can be treated deliciously. This recipe, based on nuts, honey and dried fruits, has a strengthening effect on the cardiovascular system due to the high magnesium content in each ingredient. To prepare the delicacy you need to take almonds, dark chocolate, walnuts, dried apricots (150 grams each). All products should be crushed and poured with a liter of honey. After the mixture has been infused for a day, you can begin a pleasant treatment. Take the medicine in the morning, on an empty stomach, in the amount of a tablespoon. It is best to store a jar of honey in the refrigerator. Within a few weeks, attacks of tachycardia will decrease and normal heart rhythm will be restored. You can treat yourself to a homemade delicacy and receive treatment for 2-3 months.

Aloe

Aloe juice, which has a vasodilating effect, is perfect for stopping tachycardia. Aloe improves peripheral blood circulation, which helps internal organs receive sufficient oxygen. To relieve attacks of increased heart rate, drink juice in the amount of 40-50 grams per day. Preparing the juice is simple: you need to grind the leaves of the plant in a blender and squeeze them. The dose can be divided into three parts and flavored with natural honey. This medicine is especially effective for tachycardia against a background of high blood pressure. The course of treatment is 2 weeks. It is not recommended to take the juice for people who have been diagnosed with a stomach ulcer, as aloe can irritate the mucous membranes of this organ, causing pain.

It is important to know! Each person’s body is strictly individual, so allergic reactions to an unfamiliar product are not uncommon. You need to be especially careful with medicinal plants, nuts and berries.

Prevention of cardiac pathology

Preventing tachycardia is much easier than treating this disease. There are factors that can lead to an increase in heart rate and a deterioration in a person’s well-being.

  1. To stay healthy you need to eat right. Healthy food provides the body with important elements and substances, which has a good effect on the functioning of all organs, especially the digestive and cardiovascular systems.
  2. Excess weight provokes the development of many dangerous diseases, especially the blood vessels.
  3. Smoking provokes vasospasm and negatively affects the functioning of many organs. Very often, tachycardia is a consequence of this bad habit.
  4. Self-medication with various drugs can cause an increase in heart rate.

A calm lifestyle and a minimum of stress are the key to a healthy cardiovascular system. You need to avoid stressful situations, worry less and learn to relax.

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