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Electrophysiologists commonly treat patients with arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation. An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm occurring when the heart beats too slow or too fast. Arrhythmias are considered serious when the heart cannot effectively pump blood. An arrhythmia may not cause any symptoms. However, a physician can detect an irregular heartbeat during physical exam by taking the patient's pulse, listening to the heart or by performing diagnostic tests.
Symptoms may include:
- Palpitations
- Pounding in the chest
- Dizziness or feeling light-headed
- Shortness of breath
- Chest discomfort
- Weakness or fatigue
The most common type of arrhythmia treated at UMass Memorial Medical Center is atrial fibrillation. If this condition cannot be treated with medication, UMass Memorial offers ablation therapies, which use radiofrequency energy to help cure this condition.
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