Heart Palpitation is Not Necessarily Dangerous, Recognize the Signs of Arrhythmia Early

JAKARTA - Arrhythmia is a condition when the heart rhythm beats abnormally can be too fast, too slow, or irregular due to disturbances in the heart's electrical system.

This condition can cause various complaints, ranging from palpitations, dizziness, to fainting. In certain cases, arrhythmia can also increase the risk of serious complications such as stroke, heart failure, and even sudden death.

According to Evan Jim Gunawan, a heart and vascular specialist from Eka Hospital MT Haryono, there are still many people who cannot distinguish between normal palpitations and those that are a sign of heart rhythm disorders. He explained that not all palpitations are dangerous.

"About 30 percent of patients who come in with palpitations turn out to have conditions that are still normal or triggered by anxiety, not because of arrhythmia," he said, in a media discussion, recently.

He added, one way to distinguish it is by looking at the trigger. A normal heart palpitation usually appears after excessive caffeine consumption, heavy physical activity, or when emotions increase such as stress, fear, or panic. These conditions will generally subside on their own after the trigger is gone.

However, if palpitations appear without a clear cause, last long enough, or are accompanied by other symptoms, then they need to be watched out for.

"If the heartbeat appears suddenly without a trigger, lasts a long time, or is accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, to fainting, this can be a sign of a disorder in the electrical system of the heart and needs to be examined further," he explained.

In addition, the public also needs to recognize the risk factors for arrhythmia, such as advanced age, family history, hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disorders, sleep apnea, and electrolyte imbalance. These factors can affect the structure and function of the heart, triggering rhythm disorders.

To confirm the diagnosis, examinations such as electrocardiogram (ECG), holter monitoring, and event recorders can be performed, especially if symptoms do not appear continuously.

Early detection is an important key in the treatment of arrhythmia. One of the therapeutic methods that is now widely used is cardiac ablation, which is a minimally invasive procedure to correct the problematic heart electrical pathways without major surgery.

In addition, the use of a pacemaker can also help patients control the heart rhythm so that they can still carry out daily activities well.