An intricate electrical system regulates the heart's beating. The heart rhythm is the result of repeated electrical signals sent out by the heart’s own pacemaker, the sino-atrial node. These impulses spread through the heart using specialized pathways – the cardiac conduction system. When this system short-circuits, the heart may beat too quickly, too slowly or in an uncoordinated fashion. Irregular beating is called an arrhythmia. Although most arrhythmias are not serious, some types are extremely dangerous.
Common arrhythmia symptoms range from the sensation of "skipped beats", rapid heartbeats, a sudden loss of consciousness (syncope), to a cardiac arrest in rare occasions.
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