Some arrhythmias don't cause any symptoms. Others announce themselves quite clearly,
perhaps with the distinct feeling that the heart is racing. Certain arrhythmias, especially
those that last long enough to impact heart function, can be serious or even fatal.
Every heart has an electrical system running throughout its muscle tissue. The sinus node, often called the heart's natural pacemaker, contains the most active electrical cells, and it initiates heartbeats.
Other nodes are responsible for transmitting signals to different sections of the heart. For instance, the atrioventricular node's job is to transmit signals from the upper chambers, called atria, to the lower chambers, called ventricles.
A problem in a node or anywhere along the electrical path can disrupt the regular beating of the heart and cause an arrhythmia. The heartbeat can become too fast or too slow and can be chaotic or steady. Symptoms vary based on the rhythm change.
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