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An arrhythmia may not cause any obvious signs or symptoms. You may notice something that occurs only occasionally, or your symptoms may become more frequent over time. If left untreated, arrhythmia can lead to life-threatening complications such as stroke, heart failure, or sudden cardiac arrest.

If you or your child is at increased risk of arrhythmia, the doctor may want to do a screening to assess the risk of a life-threatening event. Sometimes screening is required to participate in competitive sports. If your child carries a genetic risk of arrhythmia, your child’s doctor may recommend regular screening to monitor your child’s heart or other family members’ health. Heart-healthy lifestyle changes and other precautions can help decrease the risk of triggering arrhythmia.

You may have an increased risk of arrhythmia because of your age, environment, family history and genetics, habits in your daily life, certain medical conditions, race or ethnicity, sex, or surgery.

Arrhythmia is caused by changes to heart tissue. It can also occur suddenly as a result of exertion or stress, imbalances in the blood, medicines, or problems with electrical signals in the heart. Typically, an arrhythmia is set off by a trigger, and the irregular heartbeat can continue if there is a problem in the heart. Sometimes the cause of an arrhythmia is unknown.

The main types of arrhythmia are bradyarrhythmias; premature, or extra, beats; supraventricular arrhythmias; and ventricular arrhythmias.

There are things you can do to help relieve symptoms and reduce your chances of serious problems, such as pain crises and other complications of sickle cell disease.

In the United States, most people who have sickle cell disease are of African ancestry or identify themselves as Black. There are also many people who have sickle cell disease who come from Hispanic, southern European, Middle Eastern, or Asian Indian backgrounds.

A blood and bone marrow transplant is currently the only cure for some patients who have sickle cell disease. After early diagnosis, your doctor may recommend medicines or transfusions to manage complications, including chronic pain. Babies who have sickle cell disease may see a hematologist, a doctor who specializes in blood diseases such as sickle cell disease.

Your doctor may use a number of tests to diagnose sickle cell disease if various screening tests show that you might have the condition.

Sickle Cell Disease – Screening and Prevention People who do not know whether they carry an abnormal hemoglobin gene can ask their doctor to have their blood tested. Sickle Cell Anemia, Hemoglobin S or SS disease, Sickling disorder due to hemoglobin S