Ventricular tachycardia is a type of irregular heartbeat, called an arrhythmia. It starts in the lower chambers of the heart, called the ventricles. This condition also may be called V-tach or VT. A healthy heart typically beats about 60 to 100 times a minute at rest. In ventricular tachycardia, the heart beats faster, usually 100 or more beats a minute.
A heart arrhythmia (uh-RITH-me-uh) is an irregular heartbeat. A heart arrhythmia happens when the electrical signals that tell the heart to beat don't work as they should. The heart may beat too fast or too slow. Or the pattern of the heartbeat may be inconsistent. A heart arrhythmia may feel like a fluttering, pounding or racing heartbeat. Some heart arrhythmias are harmless. Others may cause ...
The fast heartbeat may be discovered when a physical exam or heart tests are done for another reason. In general, tachycardia may cause these symptoms: Racing, pounding heartbeat or flopping in the chest, called palpitations. Chest pain. Fainting. Lightheadedness. Rapid pulse. Shortness of breath. When to see a doctor Many things can cause ...
Heart palpitations (pal-pih-TAY-shuns) are feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart. Stress, exercise, medication or, rarely, a medical condition can trigger them. Although heart palpitations can be worrisome, they're usually harmless. Rarely, heart palpitations can be a symptom of a more serious heart condition, such as an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), that might ...
Unexplained fainting. An implantable loop recorder can see changes in the heartbeat that other heart-recording devices may miss. For example, it may find irregular heartbeats that are brief or that only happen once in a while. If you have been fainting, your healthcare professional may recommend this device to see if a heart condition is the cause.