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Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT): Symptoms, Risks and Treatments

By EmpowHER
 
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When the heart is in Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT), you may experience a number of symptoms including conditions such as rapid pulse, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, anxiety, heart palpitations, or chest tightness. The time length that symptoms occur varies from minutes to hours and frequently may start or stop without warning. Sometimes symptoms may last much longer, like for more than 12 hours. When this occurs, it’s referred to as incessant PSVT.

Although it can occur at any age, PSVT is more common in infants or younger adults. Certain conditions may increase your risk of developing PSVT. Heart patients taking digitalis or digitoxin may develop digitalis toxicity which increases the risk of PSVT.

Other heart conditions such as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome are also known to cause PSVT. Certain lifestyle choices such as alcohol consumption, too much caffeine, recreational drug use, and smoking contribute to PSVT.

If symptoms occur, it’s often possible to interrupt the rapid heartbeat and return it to normal rhythm by the use of a Valsalva maneuver. These include techniques such as coughing or holding your breath, straining, or splashing cold water on your face or applying ice packs to your face.

https://www.empowher.com/supraventricular-tachycardia/content/paroxysmal-supraventricular-tachycardia-or-psvt?page=0,1

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Supraventricular Tachycardia

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