Arrhythmia is diagnosed based on an electrocardiogram (ECG) indicating the presence of related symptoms such as the heart beating faster (tachycardia) or slower (bradycardia) than the normal 60 to 100 beats per minute or -irregularly (premature beat or atrial fibrillation). The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, which is the cause of 20 to 30% of all stroke cases.
Arrhythmia may be secondary, meaning that it is caused by heart failure, myocardial infarction, heart valve disease, cardiomyopathy, or any other heart disease, but it may also be primary, meaning that it is present even though the heart function and structure are normal.
Common symptoms of arrhythmia are palpitations, discomfort in the chest, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, and fatigue. There are many types of arrhythmia, which are classified based on where in the heart, comprised of two atria and two ventricles, it originated and whether the heart rhythm is regular or irregular or faster or slower than normal.
Arrhythmia occurs when the heart’s electrical impulses that start each beat are not working properly or in the presence of structural heart disease. There are various other causes aside from the aforementioned, making it difficult to determine the patient’s risk. So if you experience any of the associate symptoms, you should visit a hospital immediately and see a cardiologist.

Arrhythmia is divided into tachycardia (more than 100 beats per minute) and bradycardia (fewer than 60 beats per minute), and it is further classified according to where it originated, such as in the atrium, above the ventricle, or inside the ventricle.
Ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, characterized by a continuous occurrence of premature ventricular contraction, require the most aggressive treatment. Ventricular tachycardia refers to a phenomenon in which the ventricular muscle of the heart contracts insufficiently and abnormally fast, and if it continues for more than 30 seconds, or if it progresses to ventricular fibrillation, it causes fainting or even sudden death. Tachycardia originating at or near the atrioventricular junction is not as dangerous as ventricular tachycardia, but it can pose a risk to the patient. Compared to other types of arrhythmias, chest palpitations and discomfort are more pronounced. After conducting an examination to determine whether there is a problem with the occurrence of electrical impulses or signal transmission by inserting a thin electrical wire into the heart through the femoral vein, jugular vein, or a vein near the clavicle, an electrophysiology study is performed for an in-depth examination of the condition and an accurate diagnosis, followed by radiofrequency ablation.
There are cases of arrhythmia that do not require urgent treatment. Unlike ventricular tachycardia, arrhythmias that are not life-threatening, such as premature atrial or ventricular contractions occurring despite normal heart function and structure, do not necessarily require treatment. However, whether the condition should be treated or monitored should be decided by a cardiologist.

If you have arrhythmia, you should avoid excessive drinking, overwork, overeating and obesity. You should cut back on drinking and smoking and avoid strenuous exercise. Controlling blood pressure and blood sugar is especially important if you have hypertension or diabetes. Plus, since obesity, sleep apnea and snoring are associated with heart disease, the chance of recurrence is high even after treatment, so additional efforts to improve your health, such as losing weight and using a positive pressure device (to treat sleep apnea) are necessary. Not only that, since the autonomic nervous system and cardiac activity are connected, if you are a type of person who has difficulty controlling anger, you are more likely to develop arrhythmia, so you need to make an effort to change your personality.
If you suspect that you have arrhythmia, I advise you to measure your own pulse. If you go to a hospital, you can receive a 24-hour electrocardiogram exam (“24-hour Holter monitoring”) and/or an exercise stress test to check the changes in your pulse throughout the day. However, arrhythmia may or may not occur depending on your condition, so it is very difficult to determine the severity of the condition by getting examined just once.
Therefore, it is recommended that you undergo an electrocardiogram once a year if it is deemed by a cardiologist that you have arrhythmia that does not require any special treatment. In the event of sudden cardiac death, treatment must be provided within 3 minutes. So those with a family member who has arrhythmia are advised to learn how to perform cardiac massage in case of an emergency.