Your heart contains a natural pacemaker called the sinoatrial or sinus node that triggers electrical impulses to spread over the heart, causing it to contract (beat).
Any abnormal rhythm of the heartbeat is known as an arrhythmia.
Common causes include:
- electrical impulses coming from other areas of the heart instead of the sinus node that regulates heartbeat
- electrical impulses coming from the sinus node but that take a different pathway through the heart
- a very fast heart rate (with either a regular or irregular rhythm)
- a combination of a regular and irregular heart rhythm.
