Arrhythmias are abnormal rhythms of the heart.  Arrhythmias cause the heart to pump blood less effectively.  Most cardiac arrhythmias are temporary and benign.  Most temporary and benign arrhythmias are those where your heart skips a beat or has an extra beat. The occasional skip or extra beat is often caused by strong emotions or exercise. Nonetheless, some arrhythmias may be life-threatening and require treatment.

Alternative Names of Arrhythmia are: Atrial Fibrillation; Irregular Heartbeat.

Complications of Arrhythmia
Certain arrhythmias may increase your risk of developing conditions such as:

• Stroke. When your heart quivers, it's unable to pump blood effectively, which can cause blood to pool. This can cause blood clots to form. If a clot breaks loose, it can travel to and obstruct a brain artery, causing a stroke. This may damage a portion of your brain or lead to death.
• Heart failure. This can result if your heart is pumping ineffectively for a prolonged period due to a bradycardia or tachycardia, such as atrial fibrillation. Sometimes, controlling the rate of an arrhythmia that's causing heart failure can improve your heart's function.

Causes of Arrhythmia

Many types of heart disease cause arrhythmia.  Coronary disease is often a trigger.  It triggers arrhythmia because coronary heart disease produces scar tissue in the heart.  This scar tissue disrupts the transmission of signals which control the heart rhythm.  Some people are born with arrhythmias, meaning the condition is congenital. Atherosclerosis is also a factor in causing arrhythmia. Other medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure also are factors. Furthermore,  stress, caffeine, smoking, alcohol, and some over-the-counter cough and cold medicines can affect your heart's natural beating pattern.

Signs & Symptoms of Arrhythmia

The most common symptoms of arrhythmia are:

• palpitations or rapid thumping in your chest
• feeling tired or light-headed
• losing consciousness
• shortness of breath
• Chest pain.

Symptoms of bradycardia:

• feeling tired
• short of breath
• dizziness

Symptoms of tachycardia:

• heartbeat might feel like a strong pulse in your neck
• a fluttering, racing beat in your chest
• feelings of discomfort
• weakness
• shortness breath
• faint
• sweaty
• dizzy

Diagnosis of Arrhythmia

Many different techniques are used to diagnose arrhythmia.  The techniques include: 

• A standard electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG).  An EKG is the best test for diagnosing arrhythmia. This test helps doctors analyze the electrical currents of your heart and determines the type of arrhythmia you have.
• Holter monitoring.  Holter monitoring gets a continuous reading of your heart rate and rhythm over a 24-hour period (or more). You wear a recording device (the Holter monitor), which is connected to small metal disks on your chest. With certain types of monitors, you can push a "record" button to capture a rhythm when you feel symptoms. Doctors can then look at a printout of the recording to find out what causes your arrhythmia.
• Trans telephonic monitoring.  Transtelephonic monitoring documents problems that may not be detected within a 24-hour period. The devices used for this type of test are smaller than a Holter monitor. One of the devises is about the size of a beeper; the other device is worn like a wristwatch. Like with Holter monitoring, you wear the recording device. When you feel the symptoms of an arrhythmia, you can telephone a monitoring station, where a record can be made. If you cannot get to a telephone during your symptoms, you can turn on the device's memory function. Later, you can send the recorded information to a monitoring station by using a telephone. These devices also work during episodes of fainting.
• Electrophysiology studies (EPS).  Electrophysiology studies are usually performed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory. In this procedure, a long, thin tube (called a catheter) is inserted through an artery in your leg and guided to your heart. A map of electrical impulses from your heart is sent through the wire to find out what kind of arrhythmia you have and where it starts. During the study, doctors can give you controlled electrical impulses to show how your heart reacts. Medicines may also be tested at this time to see which medicines will stop the arrhythmia. Once the electrical pathways causing the arrhythmia are found, radio waves can be sent through the catheter to destroy them. 
• A tilt-table exam. A tilt-table exam is a way to evaluate your heart's rhythm in cases of fainting. The test is noninvasive, which means that doctors will not use needles or catheters. Your heart rate and blood pressure are monitored as you lie flat on a table. The table is then tilted to 65 degrees. The changing angle puts stress on the area of the nervous system that maintains your heart rate and blood pressure. Doctors can see how your heart responds under carefully supervised conditions of stress.

Treatments of Arrhythmia

Treatment of arrhythmia depend on the type of arrhythmia, the patients age, physical condition and age.  Methods are available for prevention of arrhythmia.  These methods include relaxation techniques to reduce stress, limit intake of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and stimulant drugs. Many arrhythmias require no treatment; they are naturally controlled by the body’s immune system. However if it is necessary that arrhythmias must be controlled, they can be controlled by drugs, Cardioversion, Automatic implantable defibrillators or an Artificial pacemaker. Arrhythmias are very serious. Arrhythmias that start in the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles) are more serious than those that start in the upper chambers (the atria).

Prevention of Arrhythmia

Arrhythmias can be prevented by:

1. Eating heart healthy foods.
2. Increasing physical activity.
3. Avoid or quitting tobacco smoking.
4. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
5. Avoid stimulant medications such as over the counter medications for treating cold and nasal congestions.

When to seek Medical Advice

• A heart that persistently beats irregularly, too fast or too slow is considered to be experiencing heart arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm.
• Many short-lived heart arrhythmias, felt as palpitations (an awareness of the heartbeat), are caused by stress or emotional upset.
• Seek urgent medical help, if palpitations or abnormal heart rhythms are accompanied by fainting, light-headedness or chest pain.