Patient's question:
I don't know what's going on, but my child has been misbehaving and crying non-stop lately. Even the hospital check-ups haven't helped. Could you please tell me what could be causing a 6-year-old child to have a fast heartbeat?Doctor's answer:
Hello, has your child caught a cold? Is he/she feverish? It's recommended to go to a regular hospital's pediatric department for a check-up, as it's better to rule out conditions like myocarditis and identify the cause for proper treatment. Don't take it lightly.Sinus arrhythmia is the most common type of arrhythmia, caused by irregular signals from the sinoatrial node. However, this "arrhythmia" is mostly "respiratory sinus arrhythmia," which is a normal physiological phenomenon. Its characteristic is that the heart rate changes with breathing—increasing by several beats during inhalation and slowing by several beats during exhalation. The cycle of speeding up and slowing down matches exactly one breathing cycle, and the rhythm becomes regular when holding one's breath.
This "sinus arrhythmia" that changes with breathing is completely normal and nothing to worry about. It doesn't require treatment.