Symptoms

Symptoms of Arrhythmia

Arrhythmias may not cause any symptoms. In fact, during a routine examination, your doctor might find you have an arrhythmia before you do. And having noticeable symptoms doesn’t necessarily indicate a serious problem. Your physician will help you determine if further tests and treatments are needed.

Noticeable symptoms of arrhythmia may include:

• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Fainting (syncope) or near-fainting
• Fluttering in your chest
• Lightheadedness
• Racing heartbeat (tachycardia)
• Shortness of breath
• Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)

Bradycardia symptoms

Bradycardia is a slow heartbeat. Symptoms can include:

• Dizziness
• Fainting (syncope)
• Lightheadedness
• Weakness and fatigue

Tachycardia symptoms

Tachycardia is a fast heartbeat. Symptoms can include:

• Chest discomfort
• Dizziness
• Fainting (syncope)
• Heart palpitations
• Lightheadedness
• Pounding in the chest

When you experience a change in heart rate or rhythm, you may feel a pounding in your chest, skipped or stopped beats, or a racing heartbeat. Together, these symptoms are referred to as palpitations. Palpitations can occur with heart disease, as in the case of some arrhythmias, or without heart disease, as in the case of extreme stress. If you have dizziness or fainting, along with heart palpitations, it could indicate a serious condition.