(HealthDay News) -- Arrhythmia represents a change in the normal rhythm of your heartbeat. Arrhythmia can be caused by a problem with the heart's natural pacemaker, which regulates the organ's contractions that force blood through its chambers.
Less serious types of arrhythmia can be caused by smoking, alcohol abuse, stress or overexertion during exercise, says the American Academy of Family Physicians. Heart disease is the most frequent cause of arrhythmia.
Arrhythmias are most often harmless and don't require treatment. But in some people -- especially those with heart disease -- arrhythmia should be treated. Options include surgery, an implanted pacemaker or cardiac defibrillation, the AAFP says.
