AFib vs SVT – Difference and Comparison

What is AFib?

Either of these cardiac rhythms is atrial fibrillation, known as ‘AFib.’ Those upper chambers deliver electrical impulses to them at an extraordinarily fast rate in this scenario.

Individuals with AFib should seek medical care immediately since this form of arrhythmia can produce blood clots and end in a stroke if left untreated.

AFib, on either hand, occurs when the atria and ventricles pump at different rates. If left untreated, this leads to blood collecting in the heart’s chambers, which can progress to a stroke or severe heart failure.

Doctors may struggle to diagnose and monitor abnormal heart rhythms because indications such as weariness or shortness of breath, common with abnormal heartbeats, may go unnoticed.

Sick people with AFib are more likely to have chronic renal disease or coronary artery disease, both of which lead to stroke.

A patient with atrial fibrillation might have an atrial flutter, which is a cardiac rhythm disorder. Although atrial flutter is not the same as atrial fibrillation, the treatment is extremely similar.

Medications, therapies to restore the heart rhythm, and catheter operations to stop incorrect heart signals are all possible treatments for afib.

The heart rate can vary between 100 to 175 beats per minute in atrial fibrillation. A heartbeat of 60 to 100 beats per minute is considered normal.

What is SVT?

SVT is a hazardous cardiac rhythm that doctors must monitor in their sufferers. This ailment affects the heart’s bottom chambers or ventricles.

It most affects persons between 40 and 60, but it can also affect younger children and infants.

Supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT, is a fast heartbeat that begins in the heart’s upper chambers.

An ectopic beat – one that originates beyond one of your native pacemaker sites either within the ventricle – is frequently the first symptom of this problem. Your heart will start to race if you do have an ectopic beat. You’ll get SVT if you don’t address it for more than just a few minutes or seconds.

SVT is produced by aberrant electrical signals that generate a fast heartbeat when one chamber contracts too quickly while others do not.

60 to 100 beats per minute is a regular heart rate (bpm). SVT, on the other hand, causes your heart rate to rise above 100 beats per minute. When you’re sleeping or exercising, this can happen.

Exhaustion, caffeine, drink, or narcotics can all cause SVT, but it’s more common that there isn’t a clear cause.

SVT is a rare life-threatening condition. However, if you continue to have extended bouts, you may also need hospitalization.

Main Differences Between AFib and SVT

  1. AFib can develop when your heart’s electrical impulses are now out of synchronization, whereas an issue causes SVT with your neurological system.
  2. SVT could be cured by drugs, whereas  AFib is a persistent cardiac ailment.
  3. If drugs for AFib do not work correctly throughout the period, this could lead to other health problems such as blood clots or strokes, whereas SVT is treatable with medicines. A specialist must suggest anything else if the drug does not work effectively throughout the period.
  4. AFib can affect people over 40, whereas SVT is more frequent in teens and young adults.
  5. Cardiac contractions are quick, erratic, and uncontrolled, whereas cardiac muscular contractions are well-regulated and occur at a fast speed.

Comparison Table Between AFib and SVT

Parameters of comparisonAFibSVT
TherapyMedication, but ablation if the sufferer does not try to emulate their doctor‘s advice and still has issues.Ablation may be required if the sufferer does not react to medicine or other possible treatments.
ElectrocardiogramEKG pulse that is irregularly formed (irregular), frequently with a high heart rate.When left untreated, the heartbeat is steady but quicker than usual.
Sign of illnessSymptoms and indicators include palpitations, dyspnea, an increasing decrease of exercise ability, and an erratic pulse.Dizziness; weariness; quick, strong, and infrequent palpitations.
Risk factorsGetting older, having a history of heart problems or stroke, raised blood pressure, or having diabetes are all risk factors.Rarely, structural problems such as openings between the upper chambers (atrial septal defect/ASD) have been linked to the condition.
LocationsAFib is a type of arrhythmia that develops in the atria.The ventricles are affected by SVT.