Sinus Tachycardia Treatment

A normal adult human heart will beat at a rhythm of 60 to about 100 beats in a minute. The condition of tachycardia sets in when this rhythm reaches an irregular pattern of anything over 100 beats a minute. When the tachycardia originates from the sinus node, it is known as sinus tachycardia.

Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia

Sinus tachycardia can further be divided into two main groups. There can be appropriate tachycardia as well as inappropriate tachycardia. It is quite normal for a human heart to beat at this rate in certain emotional or physical situations. For example: a moment of anxiety, excitement or physical exercise, indulgence in caffeine, cocaine and even cyanide. Inappropriate tachycardia, on the other hand, is when a person experiences this irregularly high heart beat rate, “or palpitations”, over an long period of time where there is no cause or suggestion that it is due to appropriate sinus tachycardia. A case of a person with history of panic or anxiety disorders is an example where the individual would suffer from inappropriate sinus tachycardia. Inappropriate sinus tachycardia can only be confirmed once all causes of appropriate sinus tachycardia have been crossed out.

Without a proper check up by a medical practitioner, it is relatively hard to find out if a person suffers from sinus tachycardia. However, a few signs like light headedness, fatigue fainting spells and chest pain along with the most telling sign of all – a very high heart rate, could lead you in the right direction.

This condition, in most cases, will not affect a person’s mortality rate and most patients lead a normal life after being diagnosed with sinus tachycardia. In some cases where it causes uneasiness, the opinion of a licensed doctor must be sought.

Appropriate Sinus Tachycardia

As appropriate sinus tachycardia is a normal phenomenon and needs no special treatment, any treatment of the condition will be specifically for inappropriate sinus tachycardia. Since inappropriate tachycardia can be triggered by any number of underlying conditions, therefore any treatment suggested will be to act against the underlying condition. For example, if it has been brought on by a panic or stress disorder, this is the condition that must be treated.

Prevention of the condition can be accomplished by preventing the underlying cause, much like with the treatment. For stress induced tachycardia, one must try the traditional, yet proven, techniques of meditation like Yoga. If the heart reacts aggressively toward a minimal amount of physical activity, then this must be reduced to a comfortable level.