Symptoms and Signs of Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT, PSVT) Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Doctor's Notes on Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT, PSVT) Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is a heart condition caused by abnormal conduction of electrical impulses in the heart. It causes the upper chambers of the heart (atria) and secondarily the lower chambers, the ventricles, to beat very rapidly. The term paroxysmal is used because the rapid heartbeat tends to come and go on its own, lasting a few seconds or many hours.

Symptoms of PSVT include the sensation of heart palpitations that may be associated with a feeling of fullness in the throat. Other associated signs and symptoms can include weakness, fatigue, lightheadedness or dizziness, shortness of breath, fainting, and chest pressure. The symptoms occur during the rapid heartbeat, but the fatigue may last even after the heartbeat has returned to normal.