Heart Rhythm Guide

   This guide to normal and abnormal heart rhythms is intended to educate and inform the general public regarding the symptoms, etiology, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of common cardiac rhythm disorders. This guide is an introduction to normal and abnormal heart rhythms. It is neither an authoritative nor complete description of cardiac rhythms.

   The reader is advised not to attempt to diagnose and treat his/her own cardiac rhythm. Instead, he/she should consult the physician, cardiologist, or electrophysiologist, depending on the complexity of the rhythm disorder.

   Nevertheless, an informed and educated patient always understands and manages the cardiac rhythm disorder better than an uninformed patient. It is the duty of a good physician to explain to the patient his/her cardiac diagnosis, to inform the patient regarding the etiology and prognosis of their cardiac condition, and to recommend available treatments. This guide to rhythm disorders is written in that spirit.

Heart Rhythm Basics

• The Human heart beats 60 times a minute, on average, throughout our entire life
• The heart is stimulated to beat by an autonomously controlled electronic signal
• The heart's electrical tranmission can weaken or fail due to many different causes