Symptoms and Diagnosis

Signs and Symptoms
Heart Tests

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 function 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.

Palpitation or a Skipped Beat - Although it may seem as if the heart missed a beat, really the heart has a premature heartbeat, almost an extra beat happening too soon, which may result in a pause – the “skipped beat.” Learn more »
Rapid Heartbeat – Tachycardias - Tachycardia can cause the heart to beat faster than 100 beats per minute, in some cases racing up to 400 beats per minute. Learn more »
Fainting – Syncope - Fainting is a sudden loss of consciousness. It most often occurs when the blood pressure is too low (hypotension) and the heart does not pump a normal supply of oxygen to the brain. Learn more »
Fluttering - A fluttering sensation is usually due to a series of “skipped beats” that occur in quick succession.
Slow Heartbeat – Bradycardias - A diagnosis of bradycardia means that your heart rate is slower than 60 beats per minute, either occasionally or all the time. Learn more »

Heart Tests

Diagnostic Tests include:

Echocardiogram
Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)
Electrophysiology (EP) Study
Event Recorder
Exercise Stress Test
Heart Catheterization
Holter Monitor
Implantable Loop Recorder
Tilt Table Test

Learn more about Heart Tests.