What is an arrhythmia?
An arrhythmia is any rhythm that’s too fast, too slow, or irregular. A single-lead home EKG records your heart’s rate and rhythm and can flag some of these patterns, but a clinician interprets and diagnoses them. Start with our home EKG overview.Atrial fibrillation (AFib)
AFib is a chaotic, irregular rhythm from the upper chambers. It often feels like an irregular flutter, fatigue, or breathlessness, and it raises stroke risk — which is why it’s the arrhythmia most worth catching. See atrial fibrillation and AFib and stroke risk.Atrial flutter
Atrial flutter is a cousin of AFib but usually more organized and regular. Symptoms overlap, and like AFib it can raise stroke risk, so it also needs a doctor’s evaluation.SVT (supraventricular tachycardia)
SVT is a sudden burst of fast heartbeat — often 150–250 beats per minute — that can start and stop abruptly. It typically feels like a racing or pounding heart and is usually not dangerous, but episodes should be evaluated. Recording one on a personal EKG helps your doctor see it.PVCs (premature ventricular contractions)
PVCs are extra, early beats that can feel like a skip or thud followed by a stronger beat. Occasional PVCs are extremely common and usually benign, but frequent ones, or PVCs with other symptoms, are worth checking. See heart palpitations.Bradycardia and tachycardia
Bradycardia is a slow heart rate (often under 60 bpm) and tachycardia is a fast one (over 100 bpm at rest). Either can be normal in context — athletes often run slow, exertion runs fast — or can signal a problem, depending on symptoms. Our normal heart rate and rhythm page explains the ranges.How a home EKG helps
Because many arrhythmias come and go, the hard part is capturing one. A personal device like the SonoHealth EKGraph lets you record a trace during symptoms and share it with your doctor, turning a fleeting “off” feeling into useful data.Related: Atrial Fibrillation Explained · Heart Palpitations · Normal Heart Rate and Rhythm · When to See a Doctor About Your Heart