What are irregular heart beats?
Irregular heartbeats occur when your heart does not maintain its usual steady rhythm. Instead of beating consistently at 60 to 80 beats per minute, it may vary significantly, sometimes slowing or speeding up. This variation can feel like fluttering or skipping and often needs further investigation to determine the underlying cause. In this video, Consultant Cardiologist Dr Ravi Assomull explains what may be behind these changes and when to seek medical advice.
Learn more about Erratic pulse or book a consultation with Dr Assomull – no GP referral needed, appointments typically within one working day.
Transcript
Irregular heartbeats is a perception that your heart is not beating in a fashion that you would expect. A normal heartbeat typically ranges from around 60 to 80 beats a minute at a rest and you pretty much take it for granted that this is regular. With an irregular heartbeat that range of heartbeats tends to be far wider in terms of the way it deviates so it can be between 50 to 120 beats a minute and in yourself you generally feel something's wrong that your heart rhythm is out of kilter.
If you're feeling this it's really important to get this investigated because there are some important underlying causes critically the one we worry about is atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder characterised by these irregular heartbeats and it's important to make this diagnosis because it can increase your risk of stroke.
