Ordinarily, the heart maintains a consistent rhythm, beating in a regular pattern. Following each heartbeat, there is a brief pause before the next one. However, individuals with bigeminy experience a peculiar irregularity in their heart rhythms, where an additional beat occurs immediately after each regular beat. This abnormal pattern is akin to twins, which explains the origin of the term “bigeminy” – derived from the Latin words “bi” and “gemini,” meaning “double” and “twins” respectively.
Closer Examination of Bigeminy
In individuals with bigeminy, each regular heartbeat is followed by another one that occurs slightly too soon. These premature beats are known as premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) when they arise from the ventricles of the heart, or premature atrial contractions (PACs) when they originate in the atria. A typical ventricular bigeminy rhythm consists of a regular beat, a PVC, a pause, another regular beat, and another PVC.
Symptoms of Bigeminy: Detecting an Irregular Heartbeat
When it comes to bigeminy, many individuals remain unaware of its presence due to the lack of noticeable changes in their heartbeat. However, for those who do experience symptoms, they commonly describe it as a fluttering or pounding sensation in their chest. It is not uncommon for individuals to become overly conscious of their heart rate and develop concerns that it may be beating too rapidly.