Tachycardia is a condition whose main diagnostic criterion is an increase in heart rate to levels above 100 beats per minute. This pathology, unfortunately, has a number of complications that can lead to cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death. It is necessary to know the list of drugs for the treatment of cardiac tachycardia and the relief of attacks of paroxysmal acceleration of the heartbeat.
Medicines for the treatment of tachycardia
For the treatment and prevention of tachycardias of various origins, special pharmacological groups drugs that can not only reduce the heart rate, but also eliminate the cause that caused the attack.
Calming (sedative) drugs
Sedatives are pharmacological drugs whose action is aimed at reducing psycho-emotional stress. They are the main drugs for the treatment of psychosomatic pathology, which can cause the development of tachycardia. Medicines in this series can be divided into three groups:
- Plant origin.
- Synthetic products.
- Combined drugs.
Herbal preparations that are effective in the treatment of attacks of tachycardia include:
- Valerian extract
This medicine has long been well established as a folk remedy for acute and prolonged stress, neuroses and sleep disorders. The drug is able to slow down the heart rate, while dilating blood vessels and improving microcirculation and blood perfusion.
Available in tablet form and also in drop form. Use 1-2 tablets 20 minutes after a meal or 30 drops dissolved in plain water. boiled water, 3–4 times a day. The drug is not addictive, the recommended course of treatment is 2–3 weeks.
- Deprim
A product based on an extract from the herb St. John's wort. It is a natural antidepressant, has a pronounced sedative effect on the body, normalizes mood and sleep.
Allowed for children from the age of six. Available in capsules and tablets. It is recommended to take no more than three tablets per day, divided into doses of 1 tablet at equal intervals; for children under 12 years of age, no more than 1 tablet daily. Take before meals with plain water. The effect is observed two weeks after the start of treatment; therapy must be stopped gradually to prevent withdrawal syndrome.
Synthetic drugs are a group of tranquilizers. Most often, the following medicinal substances from this group are used to treat tachycardia:
- Afobazole
Non-benzodiazepine tranquilizer. The main property of the drug is to relieve anxiety and relieve nervous tension, restlessness, and normalize sleep. These conditions lead to the development of seizures sinus tachycardia. It is recommended to use 30 mg per day, divided into three doses at equal intervals, for a course of up to 1–1.5 months. It is recommended to start treatment during an exacerbation psychosomatic illness. The medicine should not be addictive; it should be discontinued gradually, gradually reducing the daily dose over 7–10 days.
- Adaptol
The drug is also a tranquilizer, has a pronounced sedative effect and is applicable for the treatment of neuroses accompanied by the development of tachycardia symptoms. The drug must be used in monthly courses with a break of 3–6 months. Use 1-2 tablets twice a day. Although the drug does not cause addiction, withdrawal is carried out gradually over a week.
The combined substances in the composition combine plant components and synthetic derivatives. These include:
- Novo-passit
Just like valerian, it is close to folk remedies, since it contains extracts of medicinal plants that have sedative properties. Due to its calming effect on the nervous system, it gently relieves neuroses, depressive states, reduces the body’s physiological response to a stress factor and reduces the frequency of contractions of the heart muscle.
Available in tablet form and in the form of an oral solution. Frequency preventive treatment– 2–3 times throughout the year, in courses of two to four weeks. It is recommended to take 5 ml or 2 tablets twice a day, respectively.
- Persen
Herbal medicine, the recipe of which uses experience and knowledge traditional healers in the treatment of neurosis-like conditions, insomnia, increased neuro-reflex excitability with a predominance of sympathetic regulation.
Available in tablets, approved for children from the age of twelve. Prescribe 2-3 tablets with a frequency of administration up to three times a day. A good effect is recorded with regular use for at least 2 months. Discontinuation of the drug is permitted abruptly, and no withdrawal syndrome is observed.
Antiarrhythmic drugs
Medicinal compounds of this group are recommended for the treatment of tachyarrhythmias of various origins. They are used for a long time, often for life in old age, under the control of electrocardiographic examination of the heart muscle at least once a month. The main mechanism of action is blocking adrenergic receptors. The means of this group include:
- Ethacizin
Found wide application in the treatment of ventricular and supraventricular tachycardias. Has a number of contraindications and side effects Therefore, it is recommended to start using small doses under the supervision of an ECG and a doctor in a hospital setting.
The daily dosage of the drug is 150–300 mg, it must be divided into three doses. Once the therapeutic effect is achieved, it is recommended to gradually switch to the minimum effective dose. The therapy is long-term, withdrawal is gradual, under the supervision of a doctor.
- Adenosine
It is used primarily for stopping supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, as it is able to interrupt the transmission of impulses through the sinoatrial node without causing contraction of the ventricles.
Available in the form of a solution for intravenous administration, the bottle contains 1 ml of one percent active substance. Allowed in pediatric practice at the rate of 50 mcg per kg of weight. The maximum single dosage does not exceed 12 mg.
- Amiodarone
The mechanism of action of the drug is based on slowing the conduction of the atrioventricular node. Due to this, the heart rate slows down, ejection fraction improves, and coronary blood flow improves. Due to its mechanism, it is effective in the treatment of supraventricular paroxysmal arrhythmia, ventricular tachycardia, atrial flutter, various extrasystoles, especially against the background of ischemic processes in the myocardium.
Available in tablet form. The initial dosage, divided into 2-3 doses, is 0.6–0.8 g. In 2 weeks, a total dose of 10 g is achieved, after which maintenance therapy is carried out at a dosage of 0.1–0.4 g per day. In a hospital setting, achieving a total dose of 10 g occurs in an accelerated manner within 5–8 days.
Beta blockers
They have the property of reducing heart rate by blocking adrenergic receptors. Widely used for the treatment of hypertension and hypertensive type. The most common and effective medications:
- Metoprolol
It has a cardioselective effect, acting in isolation only on beta-2 receptors of the heart muscle. Suppresses the action of sympathy, which allows you to quickly reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
The maximum daily dosage is 200 mg. It is achieved gradually, if the effect develops at a lower dose, then the build-up stops. It is taken once, regardless of food intake; it is recommended to take it in the morning.
- Bisoprolol
The mechanism of action is identical to metoprolol.
You should start taking it with 5 mg once, if necessary, gradually increasing the dose to 10 mg. It is recommended to take it in the morning on an empty stomach with a small amount of water.
If channel inhibitors
By selectively blocking if channels located in the sinus node, a negative chronotropic effect is achieved. This allows you to reduce the frequency of ventricular contractions. Blood supply increases during diastole. By improving coronary blood flow, blood supply to heart tissue improves. As a result, there is a decrease in signs of ischemia. Recommended drug of this group:
- Ivabradin ( tradename Coraxan)
It is the first drug in this group. It has a pronounced pulse-lowering effect without the formation of a negative inotropic effect, while heart rate decreases not only at rest, but also during physical activity. It has antianginal and anti-ischemic properties, due to which it is used in the treatment of coronary artery disease.
Cardiac glycosides
They have a positive inotropic effect, that is, due to a decrease in heart rate, the duration of diastole and stroke volume of blood during systole increase. Recommended for combined treatment of ischemic heart disease and tachyarrhythmias. Representatives of this group include:
- Digoxin
Synthesized from the poisonous foxglove plant. It has found its use for the treatment of heart and tachyarrhythmias mainly of supraventricular origin.
The drug is used in doses of 0.75 mg to 1.5 mg, divided into 2 doses. Reception is monitored using an ECG. Upon achieving the goal - reducing tachycardia - they switch to the minimum required dose. The therapy is long-term.
Calcium antagonists
Some drugs in this group can reduce the contractility of myocardiocytes by slowing conduction through the AV node, thereby causing. The drugs of choice are:
- Verapamil
It is available in the form of tablets and solutions for intravenous administration, so it can be used both for long-term therapy and prevention of tachycardia, and for stopping an attack of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Applicable to all age categories.
Tablets for the treatment of tachycardia are prescribed to adults in an amount of no more than 120 mg. Take three times a day, preferably at regular intervals. The maximum dose is 480 mg/day. The injectable form is prescribed only by a doctor. The maximum daily dose is no more than 100 mg.
- Diltiazem
Used intravenously to relieve attacks of cardiac tachycardia.
Drugs for the treatment of tachycardia are prescribed only by a doctor, based on preliminary in-depth diagnosis and establishment of the cause of the pathology. Folk remedies are just as good for treating the disease as medications.
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:
- Cardiovascular dystonia.
- Thyrotoxicosis.
- Diseases of the autonomic nervous system.
- Hyperfunction of the thyroid gland.
- Hypotension.
- Fever.
- Pericarditis.
- Anemia.
- Hypoxemia.
- Pneumonia.
- 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, it 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 occur in various departments hearts. Supraventricular tachycardia occurs quite spontaneously, without any characteristic features. 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. Pathological change the work 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 acute periods ventricular tachycardia definitely requires prompt medical assistance.
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 area, mood swings, sleep disturbances, anxiety and fear, increased sweating.
Except 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 normal temperature limbs.
Video - Tachycardia
Methods for quickly stopping an attack of tachycardia
There are several simple techniques, which help normalize heart contractions by reducing their intensity. You can do these techniques yourself.
- Start coughing violently, clearing your throat.
- Wash your face and hands with very cold water.
- Lightly press on eyeballs and massage them.
- Hold your breath and exhale with effort.
- 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.
- 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 acute attack It is best to quickly call an ambulance.
Drugs that reduce heart rate
| Name of medicine | Picture | Therapeutic 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. Mild antispasmodic effect has a beneficial effect on cardiac activity, prevents 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 function of cardio-vascular 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
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 from the plants. useful substances. 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. For cupping 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.
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 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 treat 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 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 the background 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, therefore allergic reactions on an unfamiliar product - not uncommon. You need to be especially careful with medicinal plants, nuts and berries.
Possible causes of tachycardia
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.
- To stay healthy you need to eat right. Healthy food provides the body important elements and substances that have a good effect on the functioning of all organs, especially the digestive and cardiovascular systems.
- Excess weight provokes the development of many dangerous diseases, especially the blood vessels.
- Smoking provokes vasospasm and negatively affects the functioning of many organs. Very often, tachycardia is a consequence of this bad habit.
- 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.
Normally, the heart rate of an adult at rest is from 60 to 90 beats per minute. An increase in these numbers is called tachycardia. This is one of the most common types of heart rhythm disturbances.
To understand what tachycardia is, why it occurs and how to treat it correctly, you must first understand why the heart contracts this way and not otherwise. It is logical to assume that there is some guiding center that sets the rhythm and regulates the contraction of the heart, otherwise each part of it, and even each individual cell, would contract independently, which would make it impossible for the consistent movement of blood through the chambers of the heart.
This guiding center is the sinus node. It is located where the superior vena cava enters the right atrium. It is here that special impulses are normally formed, which spread through the conduction system throughout the chambers of the heart and cause them to contract in the correct order. The number of impulses formed in the sinus node determines the number of heart contractions. If more impulses are generated than necessary, the heart rate will in turn increase.
Classification
A rapid heartbeat does not always indicate that some problems have arisen in the body and it is necessary to urgently run to the doctor. Sometimes it is caused by completely natural and harmless reasons. In this regard, the following types of tachycardia are distinguished:
- Physiological - it occurs in people who do not have health problems, under the influence of certain factors external environment and represents a manifestation of the body’s compensatory forces. It appears during active physical exercise, emotional unrest, fear and quickly passes without any treatment, leaving no traces behind.
- Pathological – occurs against the background of various heart diseases or other internal organs. It can be dangerous because when the heart beats faster than necessary, the ventricles do not have time to fill with blood in sufficient volume. As a result, cardiac output decreases, a small amount of blood enters the vessels and enters organs and tissues. Their oxygen starvation develops. Prolonged tachycardia is also dangerous for the heart itself: its performance is impaired, the volume of the atria and ventricles increases, and cardiopathy may develop.
Depending on where exactly the impulse is formed, tachycardia is divided into two more types:
- Sinus - in this case, impulses, as expected, originate in the sinus node, their number simply increases. It usually begins gradually, with an increase in heart rate up to 120 beats per minute. In this case, the same amount of time passes between heartbeats, that is, there is no arrhythmia.
- Ectopic (paroxysmal) - in this case, extra impulses arise not in the sinus node, but in another place. They can occur in the atria (supraventricular tachycardia) or in the ventricles (ventricular tachycardia). It begins abruptly, with a sudden increase in heart rate, and does not go away for several minutes, and sometimes for several days.
Physiological tachycardia does not require treatment emergency assistance. It goes away on its own after the causes that caused it disappear.
If signs of tachycardia appear frequently and it is not possible to find out their cause, you should definitely visit a doctor. Even without causing physical discomfort, it can lead to depletion of the heart muscle and the development of various complications.
Causes
The causes of sinus tachycardia can be divided into two large groups:
- Intracardiac – the reasons for the increase in heart rate lie in the heart itself. They can be either congenital or due to various heart diseases.
- Extracardiac - heart rate increases due to various extracardiac factors: diseases of other organs and systems or under the influence of external factors.
The heart rate can increase with almost any cardiovascular disease, including:
- cardiac ischemia;
- arterial hypertension;
- myocardial infarction;
- heart failure, both acute and chronic;
- heart defects, both congenital and acquired;
- cardiosclerosis;
- cardiomyopathy – while decreasing contractility heart, which reduces the amount of blood that it releases into the vessels in one contraction; to compensate for this, he has to work faster;
infective endocarditis and others.
Extracardiac causes of tachycardia:
- physiological reasons - heart rate increases with active physical work, due to anxiety, strong emotional stress;
- neurogenic - they occur when the functioning of the cerebral cortex and subcortical nodes is disrupted, and also with various dysfunctions of the autonomic nervous system: neuroses, affective psychoses, ; most often they affect young people with an unstable nervous system;
- diseases of the endocrine system;
- collapse;
- acute blood loss;
- severe pain attack;
- taking medications that affect the functioning of the sinus node (adrenaline, atropine, aminophylline and others); tachycardia, the causes of which lie in taking medications, is called drug-induced;
- Not only medications, but also nicotine, alcohol, coffee and caffeine-containing drinks can increase your heart rate;
- fever in some infectious diseases (pneumonia, tonsillitis, tuberculosis, etc.) - it has been established that raising body temperature by one degree increases heart rate by about 8-9 beats per minute.
In addition, tachycardia can be adequate or inadequate. The latter does not go away even after a person has eliminated any stress, physical or emotional. It is also not possible to find the cause of tachycardia at first glance. By all parameters, the heart should beat evenly and calmly, because there are no provoking factors. Why it occurs is not fully understood, but there is an assumption that it is associated with a primary lesion of the sinus node.
Determining the type of tachycardia is important for prescribing the correct treatment, since most often it is not it that needs to be treated, but the pathologies that caused it. Simply lowering your heart rate without addressing the cause can cause you to fall blood pressure.
Symptoms
Symptoms of tachycardia depend on how severe it is, how long it lasts, and what caused it. Sometimes a person may not feel anything at all. Among the frequently noted ones are:
- a feeling of palpitations, sometimes patients note loud pounding in the chest;
- unpleasant sensations in the heart area, sometimes even pressing pain;
- dizziness;
- hand trembling.
Sinus tachycardia is different in that it begins gradually and also ends smoothly. If pronounced tachycardia is observed for a long time, then there are organs and tissues, including the brain, long time get poor nutrition, the symptoms may be accompanied by signs of oxygen starvation: severe dizziness, sometimes the patient may lose consciousness, focal neurological disorders occur, blood pressure may drop sharply, and the amount of urine may decrease.
With inadequate tachycardia, these symptoms are accompanied by shortness of breath, as if the patient does not have enough air. The patient gets tired quickly, notices a decrease in performance, and is often in a bad mood.
The presence of other symptoms of tachycardia will depend on what disease caused it.
Complications
Without adequate treatment, pathological tachycardia can lead to the development of various complications that threaten the health and sometimes the life of the patient. It can be:
- wear and tear of the heart muscle, because it has to constantly work with increased load;
- oxygen starvation of the brain because it lacks blood and nutrients;
- pulmonary edema;
- sudden cardiac arrest;
- ventricular fibrillation;
- arrhythmic shock.
Diagnostics
In order to determine the causes of tachycardia, as well as prescribe correct treatment, it is necessary to carry out diagnostics. They begin by collecting the patient’s life history and complaints. At this stage, it is important to find out how tachycardia manifests itself in each specific case, what provokes it and what helps relieve an attack of increased heartbeat. Sometimes the patient themselves assumes possible reason her appearance.
Next, an external examination of the patient is carried out, his color skin(with prolonged oxygen starvation, the skin looks pale), the heart rate and breathing rate are calculated. At this stage, heart murmurs may be heard if the cause of tachycardia is any heart disease.
After collecting anamnesis and conducting an external examination, laboratory and instrumental methods examinations.
- General blood analysis
Here you can see signs of anemia or increased levels of white blood cells, which is characteristic of the inflammatory process. In addition, a general picture of the blood condition is important for further diagnosis and treatment of tachycardia.
- Blood chemistry
This analysis is more revealing than general. The amount of cholesterol, glucose, creatinine, urea and many other indicators is determined. It can be used to suspect in which organ the pathological process, causing heart palpitations.
- General urine analysis
It is carried out to exclude diseases of the kidneys and urinary system.
- Blood test for hormones
Hormones are playing important role in regulating blood pressure and heart rate, so their indicators are of great importance in determining the cause of the disease.
For the diagnosis of a disease such as tachycardia, the electrocardiogram of the heart plays one of the leading roles. During it, not only the heart rate is determined, but also their rhythm, strength and many other important indicators. Deciphering an ECG can give a doctor clues to determine not only heart disease, but also other organs. An ECG must be taken at the time of an attack of increased heart rate, otherwise it will not be so informative. If the attack cannot be caught, another type of heart examination comes to the rescue.
- Holter monitoring
This is the same cardiogram, only it is recorded over one or several days. A Holter examination can record tachycardia syndrome, as well as bradycardia and any other heart rhythm disorder, calculate its duration and frequency of repetition during the day.
- EchoCG
Allows you to detect structural changes in the heart: it is used to examine the chambers of the heart, valves, and the thickness of the myocardium.
- MRI of the heart
It is rarely used when there are appropriate indications.
It is usually used only for certain indications before surgical treatment. It allows you to study the nature of the conduction of an electrical impulse through the myocardium.
Treatment
How to treat tachycardia in each specific case is determined by a cardiologist. Sometimes he may need to consult other specialists: a neurologist, endocrinologist, therapist, urologist - depending on the reason that caused the increase in the number of heartbeats.
Of great importance is the elimination of factors that cause attacks of rapid heartbeat: smoking, drinking alcohol, drinking coffee and caffeine-containing drinks, heavy physical activity, emotional disturbances and stress. This is usually sufficient to eliminate physiological tachycardia.
Treatment of pathological tachycardia requires additional measures: in addition to eliminating provoking factors in mandatory it is necessary to treat the underlying disease.
If the tachycardial syndrome is neurogenic in nature, consultation with a neurologist is required. It is important to prescribe sedatives and sedatives, sometimes tranquilizers or neuroleptics.
If the heart begins to beat faster than necessary because circulatory system the amount of blood has decreased (for example, with severe blood loss), it is necessary to replenish its volume adequately. A decrease in heart rate without this can provoke a drop in blood pressure and only aggravate the symptoms of hemodynamic disorders. For anemia, the administration of iron supplements is important.
What to do if tachycardia develops due to illness thyroid gland(thyrotoxicosis) is decided by a cardiologist together with an endocrinologist. It is important to treat the underlying disease. However, beta-blockers or calcium antagonists are added to this.
Beta-blockers are also used if tachycardia occurs against the background of chronic heart failure. In addition, cardiac glycosides are prescribed.
If tachycardia is caused by any infectious diseases, antibacterial or antiviral drugs are prescribed.
If ventricular tachycardia occurs, treatment must be started as an emergency, for which the patient is hospitalized in a medical facility.
For some indications, increased heart rate is treated surgically. For this purpose, the radiofrequency ablation method is used. A special catheter-electrode is inserted into the heart cavity through large vessels, with the help of which the pathological focus that produces unnecessary impulses is cauterized.
Forecast
In healthy people, physiological tachycardia, even if it is very pronounced, is not life-threatening and goes away on its own when the factors causing it are eliminated.
Pathological tachycardia requires special treatment, since without it it can significantly worsen a person’s quality of life and the course of certain diseases.
Prevention
As with any disease, an important place should be given to prevention, because any disease is easier to prevent than to treat. Tachycardia is not gender specific and can occur in both men and women, therefore preventive actions will be useful to everyone.
- First of all, it is necessary to normalize the daily routine, go to bed on time and devote a sufficient amount of time to sleep.
- Giving up bad habits is also an important component in preventing an increase in heart rate.
- Stick to proper nutrition: reduce the amount of coffee and chocolate you drink, and be sure to include fruits and vegetables in your diet.
- If possible, avoid stress and prolonged nervous tension.
- Despite the fact that physical activity itself can increase the number of heart contractions, it should still be given to the body, but at the same time monitor your condition and control your pulse.
- Be sure to treat promptly and correctly infectious diseases, undergo medical examination and monitor your health.
Regardless of the cause, it is important to be aware of the symptoms of tachycardia, what it is, how to treat it, and what dangers it can pose.
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 conditions life negatively affects 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, pathological this state is considered only if it occurs suddenly, the number of heart beats per minute exceeds 90, and there are no objective reasons for the increased heart rate.
At the same time, tachycardia can be quite natural, physiological state accompanying 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 children preschool age 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, 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.
Lack of pumped blood leads to oxygen starvation the entire body and heart muscle and creates the prerequisites 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, physical activity heartbeats increase, 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 last form of tachycardia is more insidious in its manifestations, and can lead to fatal outcome. 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. Contraction frequency at paroxysmal tachycardia is 140-240 beats per minute.
Possible slight increase in body temperature, excessive sweating, upset gastrointestinal tract, and at the end of the attack - copious 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 fainting states, constant weakness.
Signs of tachycardia that should not be ignored:
- chest pain;
- darkening in the eyes, frequent dizziness;
- rapid heart rate at rest without objective reasons, which does not go away for several minutes;
- repeated loss of consciousness.
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 birth defects hearts,
- 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 extracardiac tachycardia are presented endocrine disorders(thyrotoxicosis, increased production of adrenaline in pheochromocytoma), anemia, acute vascular insufficiency(shock, collapse, acute blood loss, fainting), hypoxemia, acute pain 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.
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 a feeling of palpitations, a feeling of heaviness or pain in the heart area may appear.
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.
Expressiveness 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 pain in chest, shortness of breath, darkening of the eyes, 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).
At pathological reasons 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 a 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). If paroxysms of arrhythmia occur, it is highly informative to conduct a daily ECG monitoring according to Holter.
This method allows you to identify and analyze any heart rhythm disturbances 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, to identify congenital pathology magnetic resonance imaging of the heart is performed. 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, it is sometimes prescribed additional methods studies: general blood test, 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 neuroleptics: 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 sharp decline 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. Target values The 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 resort to appointment antiarrhythmic drugs(propafenone, cordarone, etc.).
Ventricular tachycardia requires immediate medical attention medical care and emergency hospitalization.In rare cases, it is used to treat persistent tachycardia. surgical methods, the most modern is radiofrequency ablation of the arrhythmic area of the myocardium (cauterization of the affected area in order 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 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 others. 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.
List antiarrhythmic drugs large, but mainly calcium antagonists and adrenergic blockers are 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. A variety of means and medications are used for this:
- Dying gorse.
- Thorny gorse.
- Hawthorn.
- Adonis.
- Herbal collection No. 1.
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.
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.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 stress and neuroses caused by insomnia, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat. Hawthorn also has a diuretic effect, removing excess fluid from the body, thereby reducing 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.
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.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.
- Herbal collection No. 2.
- Mint - 100 g
- Melissa - 100g
- Motherwort - 50 g
- Lavender - 50 g
- Herbal collection No. 3.
- Chamomile flowers - 100 g
- Sunflower flowers - 100 g
- Heather - 50 g
- Black currant leaves - 50 g
- Melissa leaves - 20 g
- Mint leaves - 20 g
- Herbal tea No. 4
- Nettle herb - 100 g
- Birch leaves - 100 g
- Ginkgo biloba - 15 g
- Schisandra leaves - 50 g
- Mistletoe - 100 g
- Healing balm.
- Garlic - 10 heads
- Natural honey - 1 liter
- Lemons - 10 pieces
- Delicious medicine.
- Grape leaves.
- 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.
- Treat in a timely manner accompanying illnesses;
- Fulfill physical exercise;
- Adhere to a balanced diet;
- Take vitamins and microelements.
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.
Here is another way to treat tachycardia. Take these herbs:
Here is another herbal tea recipe that will help successfully treat tachycardia:
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.
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:
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.
Our great-grandmothers knew perfectly well how to treat tachycardia without doctors and expensive medications. They treated her with a healing balm:
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.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 products described above are rich in magnesium, and it is this element that is integral part 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 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 are made blood vessels.
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 glass of finely crushed grape leaves into 1 liter 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.
To prevent tachycardia it is very important:
For the prevention of 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 the exercises with your doctor, but a half-hour walk for fresh air won't hurt 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.
Tachycardia is a rapid heartbeat of any origin. It occurs if the heart rate becomes higher than 100 beats per minute.
In this case, the rhythm can remain correct, that is, the duration of the intervals between heart contractions is constant. A condition in which an attack of tachycardia begins unexpectedly and ends just as suddenly is called paroxysmal tachycardia.
It should be noted that there is no clear boundary between the absence of tachycardia and its presence. For example, the American Heart Association diagnoses tachycardia after the heart rate exceeds 100 beats/min. Thus, we can assume that a heartbeat within 90-100 beats is a borderline state, which gives reason to assume high risk heart problems in the future.
Mechanism of development of tachycardia
The functioning of the heart is regulated by a nerve plexus located in the right atrium called the sinus node. It sets the rhythm and frequency of contractions due to the generation of a nerve impulse, which travels through the conduction system to the muscles (myocardium) of the heart and causes them to contract.
An increase in the number of impulses in the sinus node or other parts of the conduction system accordingly causes an increase in the frequency of heart contractions - tachycardia.
Causes
Why does cardiac tachycardia occur, what is it, and how to treat it? It should be understood that tachycardia is a symptom, not a disease. Its causes lie in a number of other diseases, including:
- disorders of the autonomic nervous system;
- congenital anomalies of the heart, for example, extra chords in it;
- endocrine disorders (hyperthyroidism);
- hemodynamic disorders;
- various arrhythmias, etc.
Tachycardia can manifest itself as a normal reaction to emotional and intense physical stress, at elevated temperatures, due to alcohol consumption, or smoking.
Tachycardia is divided into 2 forms: physiological and pathological. The first may appear in a healthy person during normal heart function as a reaction to external factors, the second occurs in the presence of certain diseases.
Pathological tachycardia is harmful to the body:
- Firstly, in this case, an attack of tachycardia is dangerous, which is an intense work of the heart: the ventricles do not have time to fill with blood, which leads to a decrease in blood pressure and the outflow of blood from the organs.
- Secondly, increased heart rate leads to deterioration of blood supply. The heart requires more oxygen as it works harder, and deterioration of blood supply conditions leads to the risk of developing coronary artery disease and, as a result, “earning” a heart attack.
Pathological tachycardia is classified according to certain characteristics (location and causes) and can be presented in the following form:
- Paroxysmal, having different origins, therefore, it contains forms: supraventricular or supraventricular, which comes in 2 types (atrial and atrioventricular) and ventricular or ventricular.
- Sinus with an increase in heart rate above a certain value compared to the age norm (for adults - >90 beats per minute), in which the impulse comes from the sinus node, which is the pacemaker.
Symptoms of tachycardia
When tachycardia develops, the main symptoms are rapid heartbeats, a feeling of weakness, a feeling of dizziness, a feeling of shortness of breath, a feeling of impending loss of consciousness.
In the absence of heart damage, the symptoms of sinus tachycardia are not pronounced and may not be subjectively felt for a long time. A slight increase in heart rate up to 100 beats/min is usually detected by chance when measuring blood pressure.
The initial symptoms are usually ignored and medical attention is sought when the attacks have a frequency of 130-150 beats/min, which is almost twice the normal heartbeat.
Diagnostics
Before determining how to treat tachycardia, it is worth undergoing an examination and determining the causes of its occurrence.
Common tests for diagnosis are:
- Electrophysiological study. The method is aimed at studying the electrical properties of the myocardium, identifying the mechanism, and determining the localization of tachyarrhythmia foci.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a method of recording the electrical impulses of the heart. Thanks to the ECG, the doctor determines the frequency and rhythm of heart contractions, and also identifies changes characteristic of various heart diseases. An ECG allows you to clarify the diagnosis of sinus (supraventricular) or ventricular tachycardia. If necessary, you will be offered bicycle ergometry - recording the work of the heart during physical activity (working on an exercise bike).
- Assessing Baroreflex Sensitivity(study of autonomic regulation).
- Magnetic resonance imaging(study of foci of fibrous and adipose tissue in the heart).
- X-ray examination of the heart(using contrast).
- allows you to clarify the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin and other blood cells, which allows you to detect diseases such as leukemia, etc.
Taking into account the results of all tests, and taking into account the existing symptoms of tachycardia, appropriate treatment is prescribed.
Complications
In addition to conduction disturbances and heart rhythm, tachycardia can cause complications such as:
- thromboembolism of cerebral vessels,
- arrhythmic shock,
- pulmonary edema,
- pulmonary embolism,
- acute cerebral circulatory failure.
Ventricular tachycardia in combination with acute myocardial infarction can cause death.
Treatment of tachycardia
If tachycardia occurs, treatment depends on the causes of development and its specific type. In some situations, no treatment is required - just calm down, relax, change your lifestyle, etc. The main directions of treatment for tachycardia are to prevent its attacks in the future, minimize the complications caused and bring the heart rate to normal.
If speak about medicinal method to eliminate palpitations, these are mainly sedative medications. In the first 10-15 minutes, if the heart rhythm does not recover at rest, then you can take drugs such as volocardin, corvalol, valerian tincture. A glycine tablet placed under the tongue will also help reduce your heart rate.
In addition to sedatives, antiarrhythmic drugs can also be used. This is a fairly broad group of medications with different mechanisms of action on the body. Such medications are prescribed only by the attending physician based on all data about your health condition. Antiarrhythmic drugs are, for example, flecainide, adenosine, propranolol, verapamil and other drugs.
In some cases, when drug treatment If it doesn't have any effect, doctors resort to surgery. For example, with serious hormonal disorders when there is a need to remove part of the gland that produces excess hormones. Surgery is also indicated for severe heart defects and other heart diseases, when the only way out of the situation is surgery.
Forecast
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
Prevention of sinus tachycardia means early diagnosis and timely treatment of pathology, as well as the elimination of extracardiac factors in the development of arrhythmias. The serious consequences of tachycardia can be avoided by strictly following the recommendations for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
