Tachycardia / Fast Heartbeat: Overview
Tachycardia occurs when a person's heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute. Normally, the adult heart beats 60 - 100 times per minute.
In some patients, tachycardia occurs as a side effect of certain medications. Some of these medications include, but are not limited to, epinephrine, ephedrine, aminophylline, atropine, and digoxin. Other times, tachycardia occurs with the use of coffee, tea, alcohol, chocolate, or cigarettes.
Symptoms of tachycardia include, but are not limited to, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, palpitations, breathlessness, and fainting.
Recently, the dietary supplement ephedra was shown to cause tachycardia. Ephedra, sold in health food stores as a weight loss stimulant, a respiratory aid and an energy booster, has been linked to 43 deaths.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
More ...
- Transposition of the Great Arteries / TGA: Overview
- Torsades de Pointes
- "Heart Rhythm Devices, Pacemakers and Defibrillators: Overview"
.