Find out what you need to know about your heart condition.

Heart rhythm and conduction

Arrhythmias are heart rhythm or conduction issues whereby the electrical conduction of the heart is affected. These rhythms can take many different forms and can affect both the upper and lower chambers of the heart. The diagnosis of heart rhythm issues is usually done through an ECG, or a Holter monitor, a prolonged ECG recording, to get an understanding of the heart rhythm.

• Atrial fibrillationAFAtrial fibrillation, commonly known as AF, is a condition where the atria, or upper chambers of the heart, fire chaotic electrical impulses. This leads the muscle to quiver, or fibrillate, instead of beat, so the heartbeat becomes irregular and is often faster than normal. It is one of the most common heart rhythm issues and around 1.7 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with it.Read more →
• Atrial flutterAtrial flutter is a heart rhythm problem that affects the upper chambers of the heart, known as the atria. Instead of beating at a normal pace, the atria beat rapidly, but in a regular and organised pattern rather than a chaotic one. Because the chambers do not have enough time to fill properly, blood is not pumped efficiently from the top chambers to the bottom chambers, which is what leads to shortness of breath.Read more →
• Atrial tachycardiaATAtrial tachycardia is a fast heart rhythm that starts in the atria, the two upper chambers of the heart. An electrical signal emerges from another section of the atria and causes a rapid repeating beat, which means the atria beat very fast. It is one form of supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT, and short bouts of it can be common.Read more →
• Bundle branch blockBundle branch block describes a block in the part of the heart's conduction system known as the bundle branches. These branches carry the electrical impulse from the AV node down to each ventricle, and when one of them is blocked the signal reaches one side of the heart before the other, so the two ventricles no longer contract in step. It is a pattern picked up on an ECG, and mostly it is something monitored rather than actively treated.Read more →
• First degree heart blockFirst degree heart block is common, and it can affect anyone at any age. It describes a delay in the electrical signal as it travels from the upper chambers of the heart to the lower chambers, rather than a true blockage. Every signal still gets through, which is why many people notice nothing at all and why the condition is usually diagnosed when testing is being done for something else.Read more →
• Second degree heart blockSecond degree heart block is a fault in the heart's electrical wiring, not a blockage in an artery. Some of the electrical signals travelling from the upper chambers of the heart fail to reach the lower chambers, so a heartbeat is occasionally missed. There are two types, known as Mobitz I and Mobitz II, and they are treated very differently.Read more →
• Sick sinus syndromeSSSSick sinus syndrome, also called sinus node disease, is a condition where the sinus node, the small area of tissue that acts as the heart's own natural pacemaker, is not functioning properly. Sometimes the node will send an impulse as it should, and sometimes it may not fire an impulse at all, or the impulses may be out of sync. Some patients notice symptoms such as palpitations and shortness of breath, and because the node is unreliable rather than permanently stopped, those symptoms often come and go.Read more →
• Supraventricular tachycardiaSVTSupraventricular tachycardia, usually shortened to SVT, is a fast heart rhythm that starts above the ventricles, in the upper part of the heart. Symptoms vary widely from one person to another, so some people are very aware of an episode while others barely notice one. Short bouts of SVT can be common, and can usually be treated very easily.Read more →
• Tachy brady syndromeTachy brady syndrome is a heart rhythm problem in which the heart rate increases and then decreases spontaneously, without any external influence. Instead of settling at a pace that matches what you are doing, the heart swings between periods of a slow rate and sudden bursts of a fast one. It is closely linked to sinus node disease, and it occurs mostly alongside atrial fibrillation.Read more →
• Third degree heart blockCHBThird degree heart block, also called complete heart block, is the most serious form of heart block. The electrical signals fired in the upper chambers of the heart stop reaching the lower chambers altogether, so the two halves of the heart end up beating independently of one another. It needs urgent assessment and, in practice, a permanent pacemaker.Read more →
• Ventricular ectopicsVentricular ectopics are extra heartbeats produced in the lower chambers of the heart. The extra beats themselves are not dangerous, but they affect people in very different ways, with some noticing every one of them and others never feeling them at all. Most people who do feel them describe palpitations or the sense that the heart has skipped a beat.Read more →
• Ventricular tachycardiaVTVentricular tachycardia, usually shortened to VT, is a heart rhythm problem in which the lower chambers of the heart beat too fast. Because the ventricles are the heart's main pumping chambers, blood cannot be pumped around the body efficiently while the rhythm lasts, and this can lead to a wide range of symptoms. Ventricular arrhythmias are very rare, but VT does occur in patients of all ages and it does need to be assessed and monitored properly.Read more →
• Wolff Parkinson White syndromeWPWWolff Parkinson White syndrome, often shortened to WPW, is a heart rhythm condition in which the electrical impulse uses an extra connection instead of following the heart's normal pathway. That extra connection forms a short circuit, and the short circuit can trigger a rapid heart rhythm, or tachycardia. It is one of the forms of supraventricular tachycardia that Dr Jogiya sees commonly, and it is usually identified on an ECG.Read more →

Muscle, chambers and valves

Structural heart issues refer to conditions that affect the physical structure of the heart, including the heart muscle, chambers, and valves. These problems can alter how blood flows through the heart or how effectively the heart pumps. Structural abnormalities may be present from birth, or develop later in life due to conditions such as high blood pressure, infection, or coronary artery disease.

• CardiomyopathyCardiomyopathy is the medical term for diseases of the heart muscle that affect its size, shape or function. When the muscle becomes stretched, thickened or stiff, the heart finds it harder to pump blood around the body effectively. It can lead to heart failure or to abnormal heart rhythms, although some people have few symptoms and live normal lives with monitoring and treatment.Read more →
• Heart failureHeart failure is a condition where the heart is unable to pump blood around the body effectively. It does not mean that the heart has stopped working, only that it is not functioning as efficiently as it should, which can reduce the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to vital organs and tissues. It often develops gradually, and modern treatment approaches have significantly improved outcomes for people living with heart failure, particularly when the condition is diagnosed early.Read more →
• Ventricular hypertrophyVentricular hypertrophy means the muscular wall of one of the heart's lower chambers has become thicker than it should be. One reason that happens is that the heart is being asked to work harder than it should have to, and long standing high blood pressure is the clearest example of that. A thicker wall is not the same as a stronger heart, because thickened muscle can restrict blood flow and may interfere with the heart's electrical system.Read more →