When Your Heart Rhythm Isn't Normal
"Arrhythmia" means your heartbeat is irregular . It doesn't necessarily mean your heart is beating too fast or too slow. It just means it's out of its normal rhythm. It may feel like your heart skipped a beat, added a beat, is "fluttering," or is beating too fast (which doctors call tachycardia) or too slow (called bradycardia). Or, you might not notice anything, since some arrhythmias are "silent." Arrhythmias can be an emergency, or they may be harmless. If you feel something unusual happening with your heartbeat, call 911 so doctors can find out why it's happening and what you need to do about it.