What is the Difference Between Tachycardia and Bradycardia?

Tachycardia and bradycardia are both types of heart arrhythmias, which are irregular heartbeats. The main difference between them is the speed at which the heart beats per minute.

Tachycardia is a fast heartbeat, with the heart rate being greater than 100 beats per minute. Some common types of tachycardia include:

• Supraventricular tachycardia: Occurs when the electrical signals in the heart's upper chambers misfire.
• Ventricular tachycardia: Occurs when the electrical signals in the lower chambers misfire.
• Sinus tachycardia: Elevated heart rate in response to exercise or stress.

Bradycardia is a slow heartbeat, with the heart rate being less than 60 beats per minute. Some common types of bradycardia include:

• Sinus bradycardia: When the heart rate drops below 60 beats per minute.
• Sick sinus syndrome: The sinus node, which sets the pace of the heart, doesn't work properly, causing the heart rate to switch between too slow and too fast.
• Conduction block: A block of the heart's electrical pathways can cause the signals that trigger the heartbeats to slow.

It is possible to have both tachycardia and bradycardia at the same time, a condition referred to as tachy-brady syndrome or tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome. This condition causes the heart rate to fluctuate between beating too quickly (tachycardia) and too slowly (bradycardia).

Comparative Table: Tachycardia vs Bradycardia

Tachycardia and bradycardia are two types of heart rhythm abnormalities that differ in the speed at which the heart beats per minute. Here is a table comparing the differences between tachycardia and bradycardia:

Both tachycardia and bradycardia can be caused by atrial fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia that results in an irregular heart rhythm. It is also possible to experience a combination of tachycardia and bradycardia, known as tachy-brady syndrome or tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome, in which the heart rate fluctuates between beating too quickly and too slowly.