
Atrial Bigeminy: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
An irregular heartbeat characterizes Bigeminy. The same implies for a atrial bigeminy. Premature ventricular contractions, which occur after every regular beat, are what these early beats are called.
Bigeminy can also be defined as a skipped or additional heartbeat that alternates with regular heartbeats. Heart fluttering or palpitations are two symptoms of Bigeminy that people may encounter. The feeling might be described as the heart skipping a beat.
This article will discuss Atrial Bigeminy, its causes, and treatment options.
What is Atrial Bigeminy?
Let us know about Atrial Bigeminy in details. A heart functioning normally has a regular rhythm, with the upper and lower chambers beating in unison and a recognizable pattern.
However, with Bigeminy, each regular heartbeat is followed by one that happens excessively quickly. It consists of both long and short beats. Observing the heart sounds play a role into this.
If those early heartbeats originate in your heart’s ventricles, which are its lower chambers, they are referred to as premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). If they begin in the atria, the top chambers of your heart, they are referred to as premature atrial contractions (PACs).
If a contraction happens too soon, before your ventricles have had time to recharge with blood, you’ll experience a skipped beat. Little to no blood is being propelled out of your heart during the premature beat, which may cause it to feel different from a regular heartbeat. The premature beat will be more evident once your ventricles have had a chance to fill with blood. You’ll consequently feel as though your heart is beating more quickly than usual.
Bigeminy is widespread and not usually dangerous. You might not even require treatment if you’re in good condition. To regulate your Bigeminy, you might need to take medication if you have a heart issue.
Bigeminy is a common occurrence that many people will go through at some juncture in their life, but it typically isn’t a cause for alarm. However, severe or persistent Bigeminy may be a sign of a medical problem that has to be treated. Recognizing the signs and symptoms is vital to receive prompt medical attention when required.
Causes of Atrial Bigeminy
Sometimes Bigeminy has unclear origins. Your heart’s electrical system, which regulates when and how strongly your heart beats, may experience issues due to heart disease or high blood pressure as seen in the Sphygmomanometer.
Medical professionals may not always know Bigeminy’sroots. However, there is a connection between this illness and variations in a heartbeat. Variations in the heart’s electrical circuitry are the cause of these changes.
Electrical impulses cause a rhythmic cycle of contraction and relaxation that starts each heartbeat and pumps blood through the heart’s four chambers.
As blood flows through the heart, valves between the chambers open and close, creating the distinctive sound of the heartbeat. The rhythm changes when the timing is off. Arrhythmia is the medical word for this. Arrhythmia can take many different forms, including Bigeminy.
Heart palpitations are one symptom of Bigeminy. Not all palpitations, nevertheless, are caused by an arrhythmia.
Some causes of Atrial Bigeminy include;
- Arrhythmia
- Anxiety
- Alcohol
- Family history
- Panic disorders
- Exercise
- Caffeine
- Tobacco
- Thyroid Disease
- Infection in your heart
- chemical imbalance within the body.
- Prescription, OTC, or hard drugs
- excessive or insufficient levels of electrolytes in your blood
- Coronary artery disease– a condition in which plaque builds up, which limits blood flow to the heart.
- Cardiomyopathy.
Signs and Symptoms of Atrial Bigeminy
When Bigeminy occurs, a person could experience heart palpitations. This break is a compensating pause to “reset” the electrical system due to the second heartbeat coming too rapidly after the first. The term “premature contractions” also applies to these peculiar, early beats.
Many people are unaware they have Bigeminy until the irregular rhythm is detected on an ECG, a cardiac test.
Some symptoms of Atrial Bigeminy include;
- Feelings of a skipped heart heartbeat
- Feelings of a premature heartbeat
- Feeling faint or unsteady.
- Feeling weak.
- Passing out
Diagnosis
An Electrocardiogram is a primary examination used to determine Atrial Bigeminy.
Your doctor will attach electronic sensors to your chest for an EKG. These sensors capture the electrical activity in your heart. The recorded information displays your heartbeat pattern and can frequently pinpoint the cause of the abnormal heart rhythm.
You can also be asked to undergo an “exercise stress test” by your doctor. They can use this to determine whether exercise worsens your Bigeminy. While the doctor monitors your blood pressure and heart rhythm, you will ride a bike or jog on a treadmill during the test. Let’s now move into the treatment of Atrial Bigeminy
Bigeminy Treatments
Determining the cause will help determine the best action for treating excessive Bigeminy. However, you might not require treatment for Bigeminy if you don’t have a cardiac condition and show no symptoms.
If you require medical attention, beta-blockers, and other heart- and blood-pressure-lowering drugs can be the first step in your treatment.
- Calcium channel blockers: These medications assist in lowering blood pressure and lessen the strain on your heart.
- Antiarrhythmic medications can support the recovery of your heart’s health, and regular rhythm.
- Catheter ablation: In this operation, a catheter—a thin, flexible tube—is inserted into a blood vessel in your leg and guided up to your heart, where it delivers a mild electrical current to the tissue that is creating the electrical disturbance. The tissue is destroyed by the charge, halting the aberrant contractions.
Lifestyle changes can also help you get atrial bigeminy under control.
- Your heartbeat may become erratic or accelerated as a result of anxiety. Find a technique to lessen your stress to assist you in handling this.
- Participate in regular exercise.
- Yoga, meditation, and
- Visit a therapist.
- Avoid triggers like;
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Smoking
- Recreational drugs
- Get enough sleep
- Eat Heart healthy foods.
- Control your cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels.
Conclusion
Atrial Bigeminy is a form of heart arrhythmia that causes the heart to beat quickly normally, then irregularly, followed by a halt. Bigeminy symptoms don’t always appear. However, anyone who feels as though their heart is skipping beats or has palpitations should see a doctor to find out what is causing this. Bigeminy can occur in temporary, benign situations that don’t need to be treated. A person should consult their doctor for a diagnosis if they have severe or regular episodes of Bigeminy, though. They might need a comprehensive cardiac examination and other diagnostic procedures to identify the underlying medical issue.
It is advised to manage your stress with meditation and other relaxation techniques because stress and anxiety can also cause heart-related issues. Regardless of your heart condition, learning to manage your stress can have numerous positive effects on your health.
FAQs
When is Atrial Bigeminy a cause for concern?
Bigeminy typically doesn’t warrant alarm. However, if a person feels faint, dizzy, or has heart palpitations, they should immediately consult a doctor.
Is Bigeminy life-threatening?
Bigeminy symptoms that are apparent and persistent as opposed to moderate and infrequent pose far more severe health issues. The risk of arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation, in which the upper and lower chambers of your heart don’t beat in unison, can increase due to this disease.
Blood may collect in your atria and form a clot when this occurs. A potentially fatal stroke may result if the blood clot gets out of your heart and travels to your brain.
The extra beatings put more strain on your heart, which could result in heart failure or heart hypertrophy.
Should you treat Atrial Bigeminy?
If your health is good, you might not require treatment. However, you might need medication to control your Bigeminy if you have heart disease. A lifestyle change may potentially prevent the deterioration of this irregular cardiac rhythm.
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