Unexpected changes in how your heart works can be frightening. Whether your heart occasionally beats too fast, feels like it’s fluttering, or skips a beat, these disruptions can interrupt your daily life and cause unnecessary anxiety. At Piedmont Health, we are empowering Georgians by changing the way healthcare is delivered. We believe that high-quality, safe cardiac care should be a unified, hassle-free experience that stays close to home, regardless of where you are in the state.
If your doctor mentions an arrhythmia, it simply means your heart’s natural rhythm is out of sync. While many arrhythmias are not dangerous, they are a signal from your body that deserves attention. Because they are caused by various conditions and present a wide range of symptoms, it is important to partner with a healthcare system that treats you as an individual, not just a clinical diagnosis. Our integrated network is designed to guide you from the first sign of a symptom through to long-term wellness.
What is an Irregular Heartbeat (Arrhythmia)?
An irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, is essentially a disruption in the heart’s internal electrical system. This system is responsible for the steady, coordinated muscle contractions that pump blood throughout your body. Normally, a healthy heart beats in a predictable rhythm, typically between 60 and 100 beats per minute while at rest. It is natural for your heart to speed up during exercise or slow down during sleep as your body’s oxygen demands change.
However, when an arrhythmia occurs, the heart may speed up (tachycardia), slow down (bradycardia), or become erratic without any change in your activity level. These episodes might only last for a few seconds or minutes, but they indicate that the electrical signals are not firing in the correct sequence. Understanding these electrical disruptions is the first step toward regaining control over your heart health.
Common Symptoms: Fluttering, Racing, and Slow Beats
Cardiac arrhythmias are unique to every patient. In many cases, an arrhythmia is “silent” and only discovered during a routine physical exam at one of our 1,875 Piedmont Health physician practices. When symptoms do occur, they often manifest as a physical sensation in the chest or a general feeling of malaise. Common symptoms include:
- Palpitations: A feeling that your heart is racing, “flip-flopping,” or thumping against your chest.
- Heart Fluttering: A rapid, quivering sensation in the chest that can feel like “butterflies.”
- Slow Heartbeat: A feeling of sluggishness or a pulse that feels unusually heavy and slow.
- Irregular Rhythm: The sensation of “missing” a beat followed by a sudden, forceful extra beat.
Because the heart is the engine of the body, these rhythm changes can cause secondary symptoms that affect your overall energy and comfort. These may include unexplained shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness, or sudden fatigue. Your symptoms may be fleeting, but they are important data points for your care team. Your Piedmont healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and may utilize our integrated diagnostic tools to determine the severity and cause of your specific rhythm change, ensuring you receive the right care at the right time.
When is a Heart Palpitation an Emergency?
Knowing when to seek immediate help is a key part of managing your health and empowering yourself as a patient. If you feel like your heart is beating irregularly, you should always make an appointment for a consultation. However, certain “red flag” symptoms require immediate emergency intervention.
A heart palpitation is considered an emergency if it is accompanied by:
- Crushing chest pain or pressure.
- Sudden, severe shortness of breath.
- Fainting (syncope) or feeling as though you are about to black out.
In these instances, you should call 911 immediately. At Piedmont Health, we serve 85 percent of Georgia’s population across 27 hospitals, ensuring that life-saving emergency cardiac care is never far away. Our status as a private, not-for-profit organization means our priority is always the health and safety of the communities we serve.
Schedule a Cardiac Consultation with Piedmont Health
Predictability is what you want from your heart. When that predictability is lost, the cardiac specialists at Piedmont Health are here to help restore your peace of mind. Our mission is to make a positive difference in every life we touch, providing a unified experience across our entire network. With over 560,000 online appointments scheduled annually, we make it easy to get the answers you need without the hassle.
Whether your condition requires simple lifestyle adjustments or advanced medical intervention, our team of nearly 50,000 caregivers is dedicated to your recovery and long-term health. We have been recognized as one of America’s greatest workplaces, and that same dedication to people is reflected in the high-quality care we provide to our 4.5 million patients.
Take the first step toward heart health today. If you are experiencing symptoms of an arrhythmia, contact the specialists at Piedmont Health. We are dedicated to providing quality care during every stage of your life.
Book your appointment today or visit one of our 113 immediate care locations for an initial evaluation.
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