Two common types of supraventricular tachycardia—atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia AVRT and atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia AVNRT —are caused by an abnormal electrical pathway in the heart and often occur in people who do not have any other type of heart disease.
What causes this abnormal pathway might not be clear. Some lifestyle factors can raise your risk of having an episode of supraventricular tachycardia SVT , such as overuse of nicotine or alcohol, or use of illegal drugs, such as stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamine.
Decongestants that contain stimulants should also be avoided, including oxymetazoline such as Afrin and other brands and pseudoephedrine such as Sudafed and other brands. Doctors also warn against using nonprescription diet pills or "pep" pills, because many contain ephedra, ephedrine, the herb ma huang, or other stimulants. Congenital heart defects can raise the risk of having supraventricular tachycardia.
Conditions that affect the lungs, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD , pneumonia, heart failure, and pulmonary embolism, can raise your risk for multifocal atrial tachycardia MAT , a type of supraventricular tachycardia. Many experts believe that Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome may in some cases be inherited.
If you have a first-degree relative, which is a parent, brother, or sister, with this disorder and he or she has symptoms, talk with your doctor about your risk for this abnormal heart rhythm. Call or seek emergency services immediately if you have a fast heart rate and you:. Call your doctor if you are having fluttering in your chest palpitations that persists and does not go away quickly or if you have frequent palpitations.
Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms that could mean your device is not working properly, such as:. Most people who have supraventricular tachycardia need to see a cardiologist or electrophysiologist for follow-up care. An exact diagnosis is important because the treatment you receive depends on the type of tachycardia you have. Supraventricular tachycardia can sometimes be diagnosed simply on the basis of a medical history and physical exam and a few simple tests.
Tests that may be done to monitor your heart and diagnose the type of fast heart rate that you have include:. After finding tachycardia, your doctor may need to search for its cause. The specific tests needed depend on the particular tachycardia. These tests may include:. Your treatment for supraventricular tachycardia SVT depends on a few things.
They include what type of SVT, how often you have episodes, and how severe your symptoms are. The goals of treatment are to prevent episodes, relieve symptoms, and prevent problems. When episodes of supraventricular tachycardia SVT start suddenly and cause symptoms, you can try vagal maneuvers. Your doctor will teach you how to do vagal maneuvers safely. These are things such as bearing down or putting an ice-cold, wet towel on your face.
Your doctor may also prescribe a short-acting medicine that you can take by mouth if vagal maneuvers don't work. This allows some people to manage their SVT without having to visit the emergency room repeatedly. If your heart rate cannot be slowed using vagal maneuvers, you may have to go to your doctor's office or the emergency room, where a fast-acting medicine can be given to slow your heart rate. If the arrhythmia does not stop and symptoms are severe, electrical cardioversion , which uses an electrical current to reset the heart rhythm, may be needed.
If you have recurring episodes of supraventricular tachycardia, you may need to take medicines, either on an as-needed basis or daily. Medicine treatment may include beta-blockers , calcium channel blockers, or other antiarrhythmic medicines. In people who have frequent episodes, treatment with medicines can decrease recurrences. But these medicines may have side effects. Many people with supraventricular tachycardia have a procedure called catheter ablation.
This procedure can stop the rhythm problem in most people. Ablation is considered safe, but it has some rare, serious risks. If supraventricular tachycardia occurs in someone who has significant coronary artery disease , the heart may not receive enough blood to keep up with the demands of the increased heart rate.
If this occurs, the heart may not get enough oxygen, potentially causing angina symptoms such as chest pain or pressure or a heart attack. Mild supraventricular tachycardia, with short episodes that don't happen often, doesn't typically weaken the heart or lead to heart failure. But some people have a higher risk of getting heart failure, such as those who have a heart valve disease. If tachycardia is left untreated, repeated and long episodes of tachycardia can lead to heart failure known as a tachycardia-mediated cardiomyopathy.
But this heart failure might be stopped, or reversed, if the supraventricular tachycardia is stopped with treatment. You can reduce your risk of having episodes of supraventricular tachycardia by avoiding certain stimulants or stressors, such as nicotine, some medicines for example, decongestants , illegal drugs stimulants, like methamphetamines and cocaine , and excess alcohol.
If fast heart rates continue, long-term medicines may be used to help prevent a recurrence of the fast heart rate. Home care includes monitoring your supraventricular tachycardia SVT and trying to slow your heart when a fast heart rate occurs. To monitor your condition, you may find it helpful to keep a diary of your heart rate and your symptoms. Your doctor may suggest that you try vagal maneuvers —such as holding your breath and bearing down or putting an ice-cold, wet towel on your face—to slow your heart rate.
Your doctor will help you learn these procedures so you can try them at home when your fast heart rate occurs. Check your pulse when you have symptoms, and record the information in your diary. Be aware that if your heart is beating rapidly, it may be hard to feel your pulse and get an accurate count of your actual heart rate.
By keeping a diary of your heart rate and symptoms, you may be able to identify stressors—such as drinking alcohol or smoking—that trigger episodes. Also, it's usually important to avoid overuse of nicotine or alcohol and the use of illegal drugs, such as stimulants like cocaine, ecstasy, or methamphetamine. Doctors also warn against using diet pills or "pep" pills, ephedrine, ephedra, the herb ma huang, or other stimulants. So most people do not have to avoid chocolate, caffeinated coffee, tea, or soft drinks.
For severe symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or feeling faint, you may be given fast-acting antiarrhythmic medicines by health professionals in the hospital emergency department, where your heart can be monitored. Fast-acting antiarrhythmic medicines commonly used to slow the heart rate during an episode include:. Long-term use of an antiarrhythmic medicine may also be needed to reduce the chance of having more episodes of supraventricular tachycardia or to reduce the heart rate during these episodes.
Common medicines used for this purpose include:. Open-heart surgery is rarely done for supraventricular tachycardia. Surgery might be done if you cannot have catheter ablation or if you are having surgery for another heart condition. An electric shock to the heart electrical cardioversion may be needed if you are having severe symptoms of supraventricular tachycardia and your heart rate does not return to normal using vagal maneuvers or fast-acting medicines.
A procedure called catheter ablation may be done to try to stop SVT. During this procedure, the extra electrical pathway or cells in the heart that are causing the fast heart rate can often be identified and destroyed. Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: Rakesh K. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.
Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Your doctor may also order several tests to check your heart health. Tests to diagnosis SVT include:. If your doctor doesn't find a heart rhythm problem during those tests, you may need other tests, such as:.
Electrophysiological testing and mapping. In this test, doctors thread thin tubes catheters tipped with electrodes through your blood vessels to several areas within your heart.
Once in place, the electrodes can map the spread of electrical signals through your heart. In addition, your cardiologist can use the electrodes to stimulate your heart to beat at rates that may trigger — or stop — the arrhythmia. This test allows your doctor to see the location of the arrhythmia and what may be causing it. Our caring team of Mayo Clinic experts can help you with your supraventricular tachycardia-related health concerns Start Here. Most people with supraventricular tachycardia do not require medical treatment.
However, if you have long or frequent episodes, your doctor may recommend the following:. If you're unable to stop an episode of SVT on your own using vagal maneuvers, your doctor may use cardioversion. Cardioversion may be done using medications or during a heart procedure. In the procedure, a shock is delivered to your heart through paddles or patches on your chest.
The current affects the electrical signals in your heart and can restore a normal rhythm. Your doctor may suggest that you make lifestyle changes to keep your heart as healthy as possible. Some types of complementary and alternative therapies may help reduce stress, which can trigger SVT in some people. Stress-relieving techniques include:.
If you think you may have supraventricular tachycardia, make an appointment with your family doctor. If it's found early, your treatment may be easier and more effective. You may be referred to a doctor trained in heart conditions cardiologist. Appointments can be brief. Because there's often a lot to discuss, it's a good idea to be prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
Many people with SVT have a procedure called catheter ablation. This procedure can stop the rhythm problem in most people. During this procedure, the extra electrical pathway or cells in the heart that are causing the fast heart rate can often be identified and destroyed. Ablation is considered safe. But it has some rare, serious risks.
An electric shock to the heart is called electrical cardioversion. It may be needed if you are having severe symptoms of SVT and your heart rate doesn't go back to normal using vagal maneuvers or fast-acting medicines. Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.
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