In some cases a procedure called catheter ablation is used to destroy small areas of heart tissue responsible for the arrhythmia. Catheter ablation might make the arrhythmia happen less often or stop the arrhythmia from happening again. Your doctor may recommend a device that can detect a life-threatening abnormal heartbeat and help restore a normal rhythm. This device is typically implanted and called an ICD, or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Or it may be worn as a vest. If you are having symptoms and are in a sustained tachycardia, it is a medical emergency.
You will need immediate treatment. Paramedics or your doctor may try intravenous medicines or electrical cardioversion to return your heart to a normal rhythm.
Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: Rakesh K. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines.
You are here Home » Ventricular Tachycardia. Top of the page. What is ventricular tachycardia? What causes ventricular tachycardia? What are the symptoms? Symptoms include: Palpitations , an uncomfortable awareness of the heart beating rapidly or irregularly.
Dizziness or lightheadedness. Shortness of breath. Chest pain or pressure. Near-fainting or fainting syncope. How is ventricular tachycardia diagnosed? How is it treated? The goals for treating ventricular tachycardia are to: footnote 1 Prevent an abnormal heartbeat. Ventricular tachycardia VT or V-tach is a type of abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia.
It occurs when the lower chamber of the heart beats too fast to pump well and the body doesn't receive enough oxygenated blood. A normal heartbeat begins with an electrical impulse from the sinus node , a small area in the heart's right atrium right upper chamber.
Ventricular tachycardia begins in the lower chambers ventricles and is quite fast. When it lasts only a few seconds, ventricular tachycardia may cause no problems. But when sustained, ventricular tachycardia can lower the blood pressure, resulting in syncope fainting or lightheadedness.
Ventricular tachycardia can also lead to ventricular fibrillation a life-threatening arrhythmia and cardiac arrest. Ventricular tachycardia most often occurs when the heart muscle has been damaged and scar tissue creates abnormal electrical pathways in the ventricles.
Causes include:. From the sinus node, electrical impulses travel across the atria, causing the atrial muscles to contract and pump blood into the lower chambers of the heart ventricles. The electrical impulses then arrive at a cluster of cells called the atrioventricular AV node — usually the only pathway for signals to travel from the atria to the ventricles.
The AV node slows down the electrical signal before sending it to the ventricles. This slight delay allows the ventricles to fill with blood. When electrical impulses reach the muscles of the ventricles, they contract, causing them to pump blood either to the lungs or to the rest of the body. When anything disrupts this complex system, it can cause the heart to beat too fast tachycardia , too slow bradycardia or with an irregular rhythm.
Any condition that puts a strain on the heart or damages heart tissue can increase your risk of ventricular tachycardia. Lifestyle changes or medical treatment may decrease the risk associated with the following factors:.
If you have a family history of ventricular tachycardia or other heart rhythm disorders, you may have an increased risk of ventricular tachycardia. Complications of ventricular tachycardia vary in severity and depend on how fast your heart is beating, how long the rapid heartbeat lasts, how often tachycardia occurs and your overall heart health.
Possible complications include:. A dangerous condition related to ventricular tachycardia is ventricular fibrillation V-fib. In V-fib , your lower heart chambers contract in a very rapid and uncoordinated manner.
This abnormal rhythm happens most often in people with heart disease or a prior heart attack. It may also occur due to electrolyte problems such as high or low potassium levels or, rarely, in otherwise normal hearts. Ventricular fibrillation may also cause sudden cardiac arrest and lead to death if not treated immediately. The best way to prevent ventricular tachycardia is to treat or eliminate risk factors that may lead to heart disease.
If you already have heart disease, follow your treatment plan and a heart-healthy lifestyle. Ventricular tachycardia care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Ventricular tachycardia heartbeat Open pop-up dialog box Close. Ventricular tachycardia heartbeat In ventricular tachycardia, an abnormal electrical impulse originating in the lower chambers of the heart ventricles causes the heart to beat faster.
Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Normal heartbeat Open pop-up dialog box Close. Normal heartbeat In a normal heart rhythm, a cluster of cells at the sinus node sends out an electrical signal. Share on: Facebook Twitter.
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