Overview
Atrial flutter is a common type of supraventricular arrhythmia. This means it’s an abnormal heart rhythm that starts in the upper chambers of your heart. With atrial flutter, your heart beats in a fast but consistent pattern. Faulty electrical signals cause this to happen.
A normal heart rate is 60 to 100 beats a minute when you’re at rest. Atrial flutter can make your heart’s upper chambers beat 250 to 350 times a minute. This causes your lower chambers to beat fast in response, commonly as fast as 150 beats a minute or more.
Types of atrial flutter
- Typical (most common type): Abnormal electrical signals go in a counterclockwise circle in your right atrium.
- Reverse typical: Abnormal electrical signals move in a clockwise direction in your right atrium.
- Atypical (not common unless you’ve had heart surgery or ablations before): Abnormal electrical signals can happen in your left or right atrium.
A provider can tell which type of atrial flutter you have based on your electrocardiogram (EKG) results.
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