What is Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)

Supraventricular tachycardia is a kind of abnormal heartbeat. It makes your heart beat very fast and then beat at a normal speed.

A normal heart beats 60–100 times a minute. This condition can make your heart beat more than 150 times a minute. Times of having a fast heartbeat (episodes) can be scary, but they are usually not dangerous. They can lead to problems if:

• They happen often.
• They last a long time.

Symptoms of this condition include:

• A pounding heart.
• A feeling that your heart is skipping beats (palpitations).
• Weakness.
• Trouble getting enough air (shortness of breath).
• Pain or tightness in your chest.
• Feeling like you are going to pass out (light-headedness).
• Feeling worried or nervous (anxiety).
• Dizziness.
• Sweating.
• Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea).
• Passing out (fainting).
• Tiredness.

Sometimes, there are no symptoms.

Follow these instructions at home:

Stress

• Avoid things that make you feel stressed.
• Find out what helps you feel less stressed. Try:
  • Doing a relaxing activity, like yoga, meditation, or being out in nature.
  • Listening to relaxing music.
  • Doing relaxation techniques, like deep breathing.
  • Taking steps to be healthy. These include getting lots of sleep, exercising, and eating a balanced diet.
  • Talking with a mental health doctor.

Sleep

• Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.

Tobacco and nicotine

• Do not use anything that has nicotine or tobacco, such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor.

Alcohol

• If alcohol gives you a fast heartbeat, do not drink alcohol.
• If alcohol does not seem to give you a fast heartbeat, limit your alcohol. For nonpregnant women, this means no more than 1 drink a day. For men, this means no more than 2 drinks a day. “One drink” means one of these:
  • 12 oz of beer.
  • 5 oz of wine.
  • 1½ oz of hard liquor.

Caffeine

• If caffeine gives you a fast heartbeat, do not eat, drink, or use anything with caffeine in it.
• If caffeine does not seem to give you a fast heartbeat, limit how much caffeine you eat, drink, or use.

Stimulant drugs

• Do not use stimulant drugs. These are drugs like cocaine or methamphetamine. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor.

General instructions

• Stay at a healthy weight.
• Exercise regularly. Ask your doctor to suggest some good activities for you. Try one of these options:
  • 150 minutes a week of gentle exercise, like walking or yoga.
  • 75 minutes a week of exercise that is very active, like running or swimming.
  • A combination of gentle exercise and very active exercise.
• Do home treatments to slow down your heartbeat as told by your doctor.
• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your doctor.

Contact a doctor if:

• You have a fast heartbeat more often.
• Times of having a fast heartbeat last longer than before.
• Your home treatments to slow down your heartbeat do not help.
• You have new symptoms.

Get help right away if:

• You have chest pain.
• Your symptoms get worse.
• You have trouble breathing.
• Your heart beats very fast for more than 20 minutes.
• You pass out (faint).

These symptoms may be an emergency. Do not wait to see if the symptoms will go away. Get medical help right away. Call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.). Do not drive yourself to the hospital.