The right side of your heart receives blood from the body and pumps it to the lungs. The left side of the heart does the exact opposite: It receives blood from the lungs and pumps it out to the body.
How does the heart beat? Before each beat, your heart fills with blood. Then its muscle contracts to squirt the blood along. When the heart contracts, it squeezes — try squeezing your hand into a fist. That's sort of like what your heart does so it can squirt out the blood. Your heart does this all day and all night, all the time. The heart is one hard worker! The heart is made up of four different blood-filled areas, and each of these areas is called a chamber. There are two chambers on each side of the heart.
One chamber is on the top and one chamber is on the bottom. The two chambers on top are called the atria say: AY-tree-uh. If you're talking only about one, call it an atrium. The atria are the chambers that fill with the blood returning to the heart from the body and lungs. The heart has a left atrium and a right atrium. The two chambers on the bottom are called the ventricles say: VEN-trih-kulz. The heart has a left ventricle and a right ventricle.
Their job is to squirt out the blood to the body and lungs. Running down the middle of the heart is a thick wall of muscle called the septum say: SEP-tum. The septum's job is to separate the left side and the right side of the heart. The atria and ventricles work as a team — the atria fill with blood, then dump it into the ventricles.
The ventricles then squeeze, pumping blood out of the heart. While the ventricles are squeezing, the atria refill and get ready for the next contraction.
So when the blood gets pumped, how does it know which way to go? Well, your blood relies on four special valves inside the heart. A valve lets something in and keeps it there by closing — think of walking through a door. Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care. Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.
Based on your answers, the problem may not improve without medical care. After you call , the operator may tell you to chew 1 adult-strength mg or 2 to 4 low-dose 81 mg aspirin. Wait for an ambulance. Do not try to drive yourself. Home treatment can help relieve some problems that cause changes in your heart rate. When you think you have a change in your heart rate or rhythm:. You may find it helpful to keep a record of the date and time that you noticed the change.
Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home treatment:. You often can reduce or prevent changes in your heart rate or rhythm. Knowing CPR could be useful for anyone. Many parents learn CPR so they know what to do if their children need it.
People who have family members with a heart problem also should learn CPR. To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment. You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:.
If you have kept a record of your heart rate or rhythm changes, be sure to discuss this with your doctor. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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Topic Overview Your heart normally beats in a regular rhythm and rate that is just right for the work your body is doing at any moment.
When heart rate or rhythm changes are minor Many changes in heart rate or rhythm are minor and do not require medical treatment if you do not have other symptoms or a history of heart disease.
When heart rate or rhythm changes are more serious Irregular heartbeats change the amount of blood that flows to the lungs and other parts of the body. Check Your Symptoms Do you have a concern about your heartbeat or heart rhythm? How old are you?
Less than 12 years. Are you male or female? Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have. If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female". This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.
Did you pass out completely lose consciousness? If you are answering for someone else: Is the person unconscious now? Are you back to your normal level of alertness? After passing out, it's normal to feel a little confused, weak, or light-headed when you first wake up or come to.
But unless something else is wrong, these symptoms should pass pretty quickly and you should soon feel about as awake and alert as you normally do. Did the loss of consciousness occur during the past 24 hours? Do you have symptoms of shock? The symptoms in an adult or older child are different than the symptoms in a young child. Could you be having symptoms of a heart attack? If you're having a heart attack, there are several areas where you may feel pain or other symptoms.
Are you having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose? Would you describe the breathing problem as severe, moderate, or mild? The symptoms in an adult or older child are different than the symptoms in a young child or baby.
Have you noticed any irregular heartbeats or changes in your heart rate? Was the change sudden? Does your heartbeat return to normal when you lie down?
Do you have other symptoms such as feeling nauseated, light-headed or faint, or extremely tired for no reason? Other symptoms such as nausea, light-headedness, fainting, or severe fatigue. Do you have a fast heart rate more than beats per minute for no clear reason?
Many heart rate changes are minor and have an obvious cause. Do you have a slow heart rate less than 50 beats per minute that is not normal for you? A slow heart rate is normal for some people, especially endurance athletes. What you are looking for is a change in your usual heart rate.
Do you have an irregular heart rhythm that is new to you? Do you have a history of heart problems, such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, or heart rhythm problems like atrial fibrillation?
Do you feel light-headed or dizzy, like you are going to faint? It's normal for some people to feel a little light-headed when they first stand up.
But anything more than that may be serious. Do you get short of breath during physical activity and have trouble getting your heartbeat and breathing under control? 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. Ventricular fibrillation is an emergency that requires immediate medical attention. It's the most frequent cause of sudden cardiac death. Emergency treatment for ventricular fibrillation includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR and shocks to the heart with a device called an automated external defibrillator AED. Medications, implanted devices or surgery may be recommended to prevent episodes of ventricular fibrillation.
Before a ventricular fibrillation episode, you may have signs and symptoms of an abnormally fast or erratic heartbeat arrhythmia.
These warning signs may include:. Make an appointment with a heart doctor cardiologist if you have an unexplained, fast or pounding heartbeat. In a normal heart rhythm, electrical signals travel from the heart's upper chambers atria to the heart's lower chambers ventricles , causing the ventricles to contract and pump blood. In ventricular fibrillation, rapid, irregular electrical signals cause the ventricles to quiver uselessly instead of pumping blood. To understand how ventricular fibrillation occurs, it may be helpful to know how the heart normally beats.
Your heart is made up of four chambers — two upper chambers atria and two lower chambers ventricles. The heart's rhythm is normally controlled by a natural pacemaker the sinus node in the right upper chamber atrium. The sinus node sends electrical signals that normally start each heartbeat.
These electrical signals move across the atria, causing the heart muscles to squeeze contract and pump blood into the ventricles. Next, the signals arrive at a cluster of cells called the AV node, where they slow down. This slight delay allows the ventricles to fill with blood. When the electrical signals reach the ventricles, the lower heart chambers contract and pump blood to the lungs or to the rest of the body.
In a healthy heart, this heart signaling process usually goes smoothly, resulting in a normal resting heart rate of 60 to beats a minute.
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