Causes
Abnormal Electrical Impulses
Tachycardia is caused by abnormal electrical impulses that control the heart.
Normal Heart Rhythm
Sinus Node Sends Sequential Electrical Impulse
Every beat of your heart begins in the right atrium, one of your heart's two upper chambers. From there, your heart's natural pacemaker, called the sinus node, sends an electrical signal that causes the atria to contract, allowing the ventricles, the lower chambers, to fill with blood.
Electrical Signal Travels Across the AV Node
A split second later, the electrical impulse travels across the atrioventricular (AV) node into the ventricles. This causes the ventricles to contract, pushing blood throughout the body.
Tachycardia
Electrical Impulse Interruption
If you have a tachycardia, the electrical impulse process is interrupted somewhere along the electrical path, resulting in a heartbeat that is too rapid.
Causes
Tachycardias can be caused by heart-related conditions such as:
- High blood pressure
- Coronary artery disease
- Valve disease
- Heart failure
- Thyroid disease
- Electrolyte imbalances
Triggers
Triggered by the use of certain substances, such as:
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Dietary supplements
- Over-the-counter medications
- Illegal drugs
- Prescription drugs