Arrhythmia
An arrhythmia refers to an irregular heartbeat, meaning that there is a change to the rhythm and rate in which your heart beats. This can mean the heart beats too slow, too fast, or abnormally. While it is normal for someone’s heart rate to fluctuate with daily activities such as sleeping and exercise, frequent abnormal heart rhythms could indicate a greater issue. This would mean the heart isn’t pumping adequate blood to the rest of the body.
There are several different types of arrhythmias, including:
Arrythmias causing fast, slow, or irregular heartbeats. This includes bradycardia (a low resting heartrate) and tachycardia (a high resting heart rate).
Supraventricular arrhythmias. These include atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT).
Ventricular arrhythmias. These include ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.
A normal heart rate is generally between 60 to 100 beats per minute. Thus, if you check your pulse or your smartwatch or smartphone detects a resting heart rate outside of this range, it could indicate an arrhythmia. Remember, however, some heart rate fluctuations throughout the day are normal.