How is ventricular tachycardia diagnosed

To improve symptoms and prevent the arrhythmia from recurring, you might take antiarrhythmic medicines. In some cases a procedure called catheter ablation is used to destroy small areas of heart tissue responsible for the arrhythmia. Catheter ablation might make the arrhythmia happen less often or stop the arrhythmia from happening again.

Your doctor may recommend a device that can detect a life-threatening abnormal heartbeat and help restore a normal rhythm. This device is typically implanted and called an ICD, or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Or it may be worn as a vest. If you are having symptoms and are in a sustained tachycardia, it is a medical emergency.

You will need immediate treatment. Paramedics or your doctor may try intravenous medicines or electrical cardioversion to return your heart to a normal rhythm. Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: Rakesh K.

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Updated visitor guidelines. You are here Home » Ventricular Tachycardia. Top of the page. What is ventricular tachycardia? What causes ventricular tachycardia? What are the symptoms? Symptoms include: Palpitations , an uncomfortable awareness of the heart beating rapidly or irregularly.

Dizziness or lightheadedness. Shortness of breath. Chest pain or pressure. Near-fainting or fainting syncope. How is ventricular tachycardia diagnosed? How is it treated? Ventricular tachycardia heartbeat In ventricular tachycardia, an abnormal electrical impulse originating in the lower chambers of the heart ventricles causes the heart to beat faster. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic.

Normal heartbeat Open pop-up dialog box Close. Normal heartbeat In a normal heart rhythm, a cluster of cells at the sinus node sends out an electrical signal. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references What is an arrhythmia? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed March 3, Tachycardia — Fast heart rate.

American Heart Association. Accessed March 5, Phang R. Nonsustained VT in the absence of apparent structural heart disease. Podrid PJ. Sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia: Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and evaluation.

Ganz LI, et al. Sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia in patients with structural heart disease: Treatment and prognosis. Riggin EA. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. March 20, Overview of arrhythmias. Papadakis MA, et al. McGraw-Hill Education; Crawford MH, ed. Ventricular tachycardia. Kapa S expert opinion. July 21, Noseworthy PA expert opinion.

If your doctor suspects that you may have an arrhythmia, he or she will order one or more of the following diagnostic tests to determine the source of your symptoms.

UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider.

We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider. Small patches called electrodes are placed on your chest, arms and legs, and are connected by wires to the ECG machine. Your heart's electrical impulses are translated into a wavy line on a strip of moving paper, enabling doctors to determine the pattern of electrical current flow in the heart and to diagnose arrhythmias and heart damage.