Sinus Tachycardia Symptoms and Treatment

Sinus Tachycardia Definition
Sinus tachycardia or inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) is a condition in which the sinus or the resting heart rate accelerates more than normal. The sinus in this case refers to the sinus node or the sinortrial of the heart. This should not be confused with a sinus infection, which basically affects the sinus cavities of the nasal passage. In contrast to that, the sinus node is a small group of cells that are found in the upper right chamber or the atrium of your heart containing cells that most people call the pacemaker cells. These generate the electrical signals that control the rhythm and pace of your heartbeat. The signals thereon travel from the sinus node to the AV node and are then sent to the ventricles that pump the blood to the rest of your body. An abnormal sinus tachycardia rhythm is above 90-100 beats per minute for an average adult (Normal heart rate of an adult human ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute). Sinus Tachycardia differs from ventricular or the tachycardia which originates in the ventricles and the supraventricular tachycardia(SVT) which is a tachycardia paced from the Atria or the AV node.

Sinus Tachycardia Causes
In most cases, the condition is the result of certain physiological situations like extensive exercises or caused as a result of stress, fright, anger or flying. Some other causes of sinus tachycardia in children and adults are:

• Fever
• Anxiety
• Anemia
• Dehydration
• Heart failure
• Malignant hyperthermia
• Hypovolemia
• Endochrine disorders
• Hyperthyroidism
• Sepsis
• Pulmonary embolism
• Acute coronary ischemia and myocardial infarction
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Hypoxia
• Stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, cocaine or amphetamines
• Hyperdynamic circulation
• Cancer related body stresses
• Electric Shock
• Pheochromocytoma

Sinus tachycardia in pregnancy is also a common occurrence with there being an increase in the cardiac output by about 40 per cent, and heart rate increasing by between 10 and 20 beats per minute in most pregnant women.

Sinus Tachycardia Symptoms
Sinus tachycardia is asymptomatic, that is the condition does not result in any visibly serious symptoms. However, some problems and minor symptoms of sinus tachycardia which include:

• A racing heart rate or palpitations
• The feeling of the heart pounding in the chest.
• Dizziness in some cases
• Actual syncope (fainting)
• Consistently fast heart rate (above 100 BPM) even at rest, although some nights it seems to slow to around 80 BPM
• Periodic chest pain, sometimes sharp, others constraining and chest "pressure"
• Out of breath most times
• Increased fatigue
• Intolerance to exercise or any type of physical activity, even walking up a few stairs
• Severe anxiety

Sinus Tachycardia Treatment
Once the doctor has diagnosed the underlying causes of the disease, there are two types of treatment options available.

Drug Therapy: Drug therapy for treating sinus tachycardia has generally been limited to beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and antiarrhythmic drugs. While the beta blockers restrict the effect of adrenaline on the sinus node, the calcium blockers and antiarrhythmic drugs have a direct effect on the "firing rate" of the sinus node.

Non-Drug Therapy: Certain non-drug therapies like the increase in salt intake or the complete removal of the sinus node radio frequency catheter ablation may also be considered for people who do not want to go opt for drugs and medication. In certain extreme cases surgery may also be considered. While these treatment options may work out, a reasonable non-pharmacologic approach to managing sinus tachycardia is to do absolutely nothing. It seems that most of the times an impaired sinus tachycardia tends to improve over time in most patients. So for people who are not severely symptomatic, need not worry about being treated as the situation tends to sort itself out.

It is important that the treatment of sinus tachycardia be based on the medical history of the patient and should be tailored to the individual. Do not confuse this with the usual sinus infection symptoms and treatment. The sinus tachycardia heart disorder treatment varies based on the duration of the tachycardia, how well the individual is coping with the fast heart rate, the likelihood of recurrence once the rhythm is terminated and any other medical condition the individual is suffering from.