Without treatment, an uneven heart rhythm could cause dangerous problems such as:

• Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. These cognitive disorders may happen because your brain doesn’t get enough blood over time.

• Heart failure. Your heart might not pump as well as it should after repeated arrhythmias.

• Stroke. Blood that lingers in your atria can clot. If a clot travels to your brain, it may cause a stroke.

• Cardiac arrest. V-fib could cause your heart to stop.

Safe Driving Concerns

If you have an arrhythmia, you could faint behind the wheel. This could put you, other motorists, pedestrians, and property at great risk.

To figure out whether you can drive safely, your doctor will consider:

• What type of arrhythmia you have;

• How serious yours is;

• The treatment you receive for it (if any);

• How often you have symptoms and how serious they are.

If you have no symptoms, and you haven't had any serious heart rhythm problems, you should be able to drive as you always have. If meds keep your arrhythmia under control, your doctor may give you the green light to drive, too.

In addition to meds to help manage your heart rhythm, you may have two other treatments. Both would keep you out of the driver's seat for a while:

Ablation: This treatment will usually restrict you to the passenger's seat for about a week. It may keep you there longer, depending on your medical history.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: Usually after you get an ICD, you'll be asked not to drive for a week. If you got an ICD after fainting or surviving cardiac arrest, you may have to wait several months before you get back behind the wheel.

You can't drive commercially (as in a delivery truck or a taxi) at all if you have an ICD.