Tachycardia in a child

Tachycardia in children is nothing more than a kind of cardiac arrhythmia, in which the frequency of beats begins to exceed 100 per minute.

The heart rate in children is higher than in adults.

This state of affairs is due to the different needs of the body for oxygen.

In addition, children tend to move more, and this, too, undoubtedly plays a role in heart rate.

Causes of tachycardia in childhood

Although there are cases that newborns are also exposed to this disease.

In infants, the heart rate is 140 beats per minute, in children of one year of age - 125, at 7 years old - about 95, and in adolescents who are already 15 years old - 80.

Like any other disease, tachycardia in children has its own causes. Most often, these manifestations are due to increased nodal automatism during the origin of a nerve impulse.

The following can act as provoking factors for the development of arrhythmia in children:

• disorders of the cardiac and vascular system, including heart disease;
• VSD;
• tumor formations in the adrenal glands;
• functional disorders of the thyroid gland;
• dehydration of the body;
• oxygen starvation, anemia;
• obesity;
• increase in body temperature.

In some cases, it is possible to diagnose a moderate form of physiological tachycardia, the occurrence of which can be explained by increased physical activity, emotional outbursts, fear, or other factors that arise under certain life circumstances. Most often, in this situation, a violation of the heart rhythm is associated with the entry into the blood of biologically active substances called catecholamines. Such tachycardia in a child passes by itself after a few minutes.

Among other things, tachycardia in adolescents may be due to the maturation period: the development of the nervous and the final formation of the cardiovascular system.

Factors that can affect the development of tachycardia in infants are:

• heart failure;
• shortness of breath, asphyxia;
• anemia;
• low blood sugar levels;
• development of perinatal encephalopathy;
• emotional reaction to actions, manipulations and external stimuli.

Diagnosis of tachycardia

Violation of the heart rhythm requires a qualitative diagnosis. The nature of the disease and the clinical picture are clarified through a detailed survey of small patients. Usually, children complain of increased heart rate, dizziness, weakness.

Sometimes the signs of arrhythmia are hidden, it can be diagnosed using modern methods:

• Sinus tachycardia in children on the ECG is determined in order to exclude the likelihood of focal excitations in the myocardium.

• If the arrhythmia is of a short duration, then 24-hour ECG monitoring is provided with continuous recording of the rhythm. This approach allows you to correctly diagnose and determine the degree of complexity of the disease, as well as assess the functional characteristics of the heart muscle.

Accelerated diagnosis requires tachycardia in newborns.

It is carried out by examining the child. In addition, it is mandatory to determine the hemoglobin levels in the blood. If necessary, use an ultrasound machine.

Therapy Methods

One way or another, but with tachycardia in children, measures should be taken. If the child is small, then it is recommended to make sure that the room where he was was ventilated. You can remove the initial symptoms by placing a wet towel on the baby's forehead.

If the symptoms begin to reappear from time to time, then therapy will be appropriate. Drugs should be prescribed only by a doctor, taking into account the likelihood of side effects.

Recently, folk methods of treatment have become popular, including mint soothing teas, valerian drops, and so on. Although herbal preparations are classified as harmless, such treatment can pose a certain danger to children, especially if the child has increased nervous excitability.

Medical appointments for tachycardia depend on factors such as:

• the age of the child;
• the nature and severity of the disease.

Ventricular tachycardia is treated with surgery or radiofrequency ablation.