Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT): What You Need to Know
If your heart suddenly races to 150‑200 beats per minute and you feel a flutter or light‑headedness, you might be experiencing supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT. It’s an arrhythmia that starts above the heart’s ventricles, which means the electrical signal goes off‑track in the atria or the AV node. Most people feel a rapid heartbeat that comes on fast and can stop just as quickly, but the sensation can be scary.
What is SVT and How It Feels?
SVT isn’t a disease; it’s a pattern of electrical activity that makes the heart beat faster than normal. The episodes can last seconds, minutes, or even hours. Common signs include:
- A pounding or "fluttering" heartbeat
- Dizziness or faint‑feeling
- Shortness of breath
- Chest discomfort (usually not painful)
- Sweating or anxiety
Many people describe the feeling as "my heart is stuck on fast‑forward." Triggers are often simple: caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, stress, or sudden temperature changes. In younger folks, SVT can happen without any obvious trigger.
Managing SVY: Tips and Treatments
The first step is to stay calm – panic can actually make the episode worse. Try a vagal maneuver, which stimulates the vagus nerve and can slow the heart down. The easiest ones are:
- Bear‑crawling: lie down and press your face into a cool surface, or splash cold water on your face.
- Valsalva: pinch your nose, close your mouth, and try to exhale hard for 10‑15 seconds.
If these don’t work, a quick dose of over‑the‑counter medication like a short‑acting beta‑blocker (only if prescribed) may help. For frequent episodes, doctors often prescribe anti‑arrhythmic drugs such as flecainide or a daily low‑dose beta‑blocker.
When medication isn’t enough, a procedure called catheter ablation offers a long‑term fix. A tiny tip is threaded through a blood vessel to the heart, where it uses heat or cold to destroy the tiny tissue that’s causing the mis‑fire. Success rates are high – most patients go years without another SVT episode.
While you’re working with a clinician, lifestyle tweaks can cut down on episodes:
- Limit caffeine and energy drinks.
- Quit smoking and reduce alcohol.
- Practice regular stress‑relief – breathing exercises, yoga, or short walks.
- Stay hydrated; dehydration can trigger SVT.
If you ever feel chest pain, severe shortness of breath, or fainting, treat it as an emergency and call 911. Those symptoms could mean a more serious rhythm problem.
Bottom line: SVT is usually not life‑threatening, but it can be uncomfortable. Knowing the warning signs, using simple maneuvers, and working with a doctor on medication or ablation can get you back to a normal heartbeat fast.
