Arrhythmia is more common than people think. During outpatient consultations, I often meet patients who describe it as "my heart seems to stop for a moment and then pounds again" or "a feeling that my chest suddenly drops." In most cases, it ends as a temporary phenomenon, but in some cases it can be a sign of arrhythmia requiring treatment, so caution is needed.
The heart is an organ that beats in a steady rhythm according to electrical signals. When these electrical signals go awry midway or occur abnormally, causing an irregular pulse, this condition is called arrhythmia. The "premature contraction," which many patients describe as "a feeling that the pulse stops and then beats again," is a relatively common type of arrhythmia. Because the heart beats once more earlier than the normal beat, creating a temporary pause before the next beat, patients feel that "the pulse is interrupted" or "the heart seems to stop," even though the heart has not actually stopped.
Not all such symptoms are dangerous. Premature contractions commonly occur from everyday factors alone, such as excessive caffeine intake, stress, lack of sleep, and overwork. They can also appear in healthy people without structural heart disease. In such cases, symptoms can improve without special treatment simply by reducing the frequency of drinking or excessive caffeine intake, getting sufficient sleep, and managing stress.
However, not all arrhythmias should be taken lightly. If symptoms recur or become increasingly frequent, and are accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, or shortness of breath, professional evaluation is essential. In particular, atrial fibrillation, which commonly occurs in the elderly, is known to increase the risk of stroke by up to five times if left untreated, as blood clots form inside the heart. When arrhythmia is suspected, an electrocardiogram is basically performed. If symptoms appear intermittently and no abnormality is found at the time of testing, a 24-hour Holter monitor or patch-type electrocardiogram monitor can be used. Recently, equipment such as patch-type monitors that can record heart rhythm for several days to several weeks has been introduced, improving diagnostic accuracy and enabling more effective identification of arrhythmias that occur during daily life.
Treatment methods for arrhythmia vary depending on the cause and type. First, drug treatment is attempted to stabilize the heart's electrical signals or control the heart rate. However, since the effects and side effects of medication can appear differently for each patient, it is important to make choices based on the accurate judgment of a specialist. As a fundamental treatment method, catheter ablation is widely used, in which a thin catheter is inserted through a blood vessel, the site causing the arrhythmia is located, and it is removed with radiofrequency energy. While there are differences depending on the type of arrhythmia, improvement in symptoms and reduced recurrence can be expected in many patients, and some types can even be cured.
Instead of an irregular or faster pulse, dizziness or fainting can also occur when the heart beats too slowly. Such bradyarrhythmia also requires evaluation and treatment. Depending on the symptoms and cause, insertion of an artificial pacemaker may be necessary, and if diagnosed as life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia, an implantable defibrillator is considered for the prevention of sudden death. Thus, arrhythmia treatment ranges widely from simple symptom control to life-saving treatment. The most important thing is for patients themselves to recognize the "frequency and pattern of symptoms." Palpitations that appear as a single, rare occurrence are often benign, but if symptoms recur or affect daily life, professional care is needed. In particular, if accompanied by chest discomfort, shortness of breath, fainting, or severe dizziness, one should visit a hospital without delay.
Arrhythmia is a common condition that can appear in anyone, but it is by no means something to take lightly. The heart beats without rest about 100,000 times or more a day, reflecting the state of our body. If palpitations recur or there is a feeling of the pulse being interrupted, it is best not to dismiss it merely as fatigue or stress but to get an accurate diagnosis. This is because a single small symptom can be an important clue to protecting your health. If we listen just a little more closely to the signals our body sends, we can prevent larger diseases. If detected early and managed appropriately, most arrhythmias can be sufficiently controlled.
