Irregular hear beat?

I was diagnosed with neurocardiogenic syncope, and was given a tilt table test, a 24 hour heart monitor holster, and and ekg, i was sent for an heart ultra sound just to be extra careful, but doc says everything else looks great. should I be worried that the technician says my heart beat is irregular, she asked if the doc said anything and I said no, so she said maybe its normal for your age.. Im scared to death even though everything else from the other test came back fine except the low blood pressure issue (the syncope thing).

Ash - One thing to keep in mind is that echocardiographers are very well-trained to get good pictures of your heart and to take the appropriate measurements. They have NOT gone through any formal medical training (and I am guessing neither has Lon E), so anything they say should be taken with a grain of salt.

There are many potential reasons why she may have felt your heartbeat is irregular. SOME OF THEM ARE TOTALLY NORMAL, and some are not. It would be helpful to know how old you are and whether you have any other health problems besides the neurocardiogenic syncope. The good news is that if your Holter monitor, tilt table test, and EKG did not show any rhythm abnormalities, it is less likely that you have a serious rhythm issue. On the other hand, abnormal rhythms can come and go, so it is possible that you were simply unlucky and did not have the abnormal rhythm during any of these tests.

The most common reasons for an "irregular" rhythm would be sinus arrhythmia or premature atrial or premature ventricular contractions. Sinus arrhythmia is a normal phenomenon in which the heart rate speeds up when you breathe in and slows down when you breathe out. This is more noticeable in younger people than in older people, and can be quite prominent in well-conditioned individuals. Premature atrial or ventricular contractions are very common and are considered benign. Nearly everyone has these premature beats every now and again; this is typically what has happened when people feel their heart "skip a beat". Having these does not mean you will get sick or die prematurely.

More serious irregular rhythms include atrial fibrillation (as one previous person suggested) or multifocal atrial tachcyardia. The first is more common as people get older. It is doubtful that you would be in atrial fibrillation because in otherwise healthy people, atrial fibrillation generates heart rates of 120, 130 or higher. This is something that is pretty hard to miss, and most likely you would be able to feel that something is not right. The second rhythm (multifocal atrial tachycardia) is typically seen in people with bad lung disease, so that is unlikely as well.

Rest assured, however, that when an echocardiogram is performed, a single-lead EKG tracing is recorded the whole time. Your doctor (or the one reading the echo) should be able to tell whether you are in an abnormal rhythm by looking at that. Just be sure to mention your concerns to your doctor so he can address the issue.

Hope that reassures you somewhat. Good luck to you!

First off, if you have concerns regarding your health, always talk to your doctor and demand answers if need be. An irregular heartbeat is NOT normal, but may or may not be dangerous. The most common cause of an "irregular heartbeat" is Atrial Fibrillation. Usually, this condition is pretty benign and has only a slight impact on quality of life, AS LONG AS IT IS MONITORED. If that is what is causing your problems, you need to be on coumadin or some other blood thinning agents to prevent blood clots from forming when the heart doesn't completely empty itself of blood during each beat. You would probably also need something (like maybe digoxin) to help control the heart from beating too fast (a common consequence of this condition). If you have not had any additional problems, atrila Fib may NOT be what your irregularity is caused be. Another common cause is called PVCs (premature ventricular contractions). These are often caused by stress, cafeine, etc. and as long as they are only occasional, are also benign. It is only when they occur very often or in the presence of other symptoms that they become a major concern.

The bottom line, it may not be a crisis thing for your heartbeat to be irregular, but it IS abnormal, and causing you some concern and worry. Considering that alone, talk with your doctor about what it is and what to do about it.

Good Luck, and try not to sweat it too much.

**EDIT** As I stated earlier, if you are concerned about this, you should consult with your physician. All good medical advice from a forum such as this should include that caveat. As for my medical training, no, I am NOT a physician. I am a clinical paramedic, but i have only been practicing for about 20 years now, so i may NOT be qualified to answer your question. Again dear, good luck, and follow up with your doctor about your questions for your peace of mind.

i have syncope too and am getting my LBP checked as long as other heart diseases...i may have an irregular beat or murmur~the thing i need to share with someone though is how i hate it when your doctor checks you out for something and it never happens when they look for it! >:/

Millions of people live and function everyday with pvc's. I am sure that you are fine.