You could have arrhythmia even if your heart is healthy. Or it could happen because of:
• The wrong balance of electrolytes (such as sodium or potassium) in your blood;
• Heart injury or changes such as reduced blood flow or stiff heart tissue;
• Healing process after heart surgery;
• Infection or fever;
• Certain medications;
• Problems with the electrical signals in your heart;
• Strong emotions, stress, or surprise;
• Things in your daily life like alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, or exercise;
• Diabetes;
• Substance use disorder;
• Drinking too much coffee;
• Heart disease, such as congestive heart failure;
• High blood pressure;
• Hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid gland;
• Stress;
• Scarring of the heart, often due to a heart attack;
• Certain dietary and herbal supplements;
• Some medications;
• Structural changes in the heart.
Any interruption to the electrical impulses that stimulate heart contractions may result in arrhythmia.
A person with good heart health will hardly ever experience long-term arrhythmia unless they have an external trigger, such as a substance use disorder or an electric shock.
However, an underlying heart problem can mean that electrical impulses do not travel through the heart correctly. This increases the risk of arrhythmia.
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