Everyone’s experience with SVT is different. Symptoms, and the intensity of symptoms, can vary from person to person. Typical symptoms include palpitations, chest pressure or pain, and/or shortness of breath. During an SVT episode, one’s heart rate can jump from a normal range of 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm) to over 250 bpm. Talk to your healthcare provider if you experience the kind of symptoms listed on this site.
Frequently asked questions
to better understand your SVT
Is it easy to tell if you have SVT?
Is SVT the
same as
a panic
attack?
How is SVT
diagnosed?
Panic attacks and SVT episodes may each cause anxiety and fear, but they are not the same. SVT symptoms are often misdiagnosed as a panic disorder. It is important that you get the right diagnosis from your doctor.
Your doctor needs to see your heartbeat during an episode to diagnose SVT. The abnormal heartbeat can be documented with an electrocardiogram (EKG, sometimes called ECG), Holter monitor (or another type of device that you can carry around with you), or a small device that can be inserted or injected under your skin. It can take a long time to catch an SVT episode while it’s happening because SVT starts and stops without warning. Not having a definitive diagnosis can be frustrating. Ask your doctor about devices that can monitor for an abnormal heart rhythm.
ARE THERE IN-HOME
TREATMENT
OPTIONS FOR SVT?
What lifestyle
changes can I
make to stop SVT
episodes from
happening?
Who
gets
SVT?
There are currently no FDA-approved, in-home treatments to stop your SVT, but there are ways you can manage your SVT.
Some people have found it helpful to make lifestyle changes and/or avoid things that may trigger an SVT episode. These include avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and smoking, or changing their diet to try to manage SVT.
Because SVT is something you are born with, episodes can begin at any stage of life and can occur even in otherwise healthy individuals. SVT affects people of all ages but occurs more commonly as you age. Women are also twice as likely as men to develop the condition.
Can you
die from
SVT?
How long do SVT
episodes last?
How often do
episodes occur?
In general, SVT is not a life-threatening condition. However, there have been some reports of death due to SVT. These are extremely rare. SVT can significantly impact quality of life.
SVT episodes last anywhere from minutes to hours.
Everyone’s experience with SVT is different. For some, episodes may happen every day. For others, they may occur a few times a year or less. The frequency of SVT episodes can also change over time. SVT episodes may have occurred only once or twice a year for many years, but they can suddenly happen much closer together, even as often as several times per week. If you notice a sudden or dramatic change in how often your episodes occur or how long they last, let your doctor know so you can discuss whether a different treatment plan might be right for you.
What causes SVT?
WAS I BORN
WITH SVT?
ARE SVT AND PSVT THE SAME CONDITION?
SVT is due to an abnormality in the electrical system of the heart. Learn what causes SVT here.
SVT is something you are born with. It is not a genetic condition. That means that it’s not passed down from your parents and you won’t pass it down to your children.
Your healthcare provider may refer to SVT as PSVT (paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia). The two terms mean the same thing. “Paroxysmal” simply means that an episode begins suddenly and can happen repeatedly. Learn more here.
Everyone’s experience with SVT is different. Symptoms, and the intensity of symptoms, can vary from person to person. Typical symptoms include palpitations, chest pressure or pain, and/or shortness of breath. During an SVT episode, one’s heart rate can jump from a normal range of 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm) to over 250 bpm. Talk to your healthcare provider if you experience the kind of symptoms listed on this site.
Panic attacks and SVT episodes may each cause anxiety and fear, but they are not the same. SVT symptoms are often misdiagnosed as a panic disorder. It is important that you get the right diagnosis from your doctor.
Your doctor needs to see your heartbeat during an episode to diagnose SVT. The abnormal heartbeat can be documented with an electrocardiogram (EKG, sometimes called ECG), Holter monitor (or another type of device that you can carry around with you), or a small device that can be inserted or injected under your skin. It can take a long time to catch an SVT episode while it’s happening because SVT starts and stops without warning. Not having a definitive diagnosis can be frustrating. Ask your doctor about devices that can monitor for an abnormal heart rhythm.
There are currently no FDA-approved, in-home treatments to stop your SVT, but there are ways you can manage your SVT.
Some people have found it helpful to make lifestyle changes and/or avoid things that may trigger an SVT episode. These include avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and smoking, or changing their diet to try to manage SVT.
Because SVT is something you are born with, episodes can begin at any stage of life and can occur even in otherwise healthy individuals. SVT affects people of all ages but occurs more commonly as you age. Women are also twice as likely as men to develop the condition.
In general, SVT is not a life-threatening condition. However, there have been some reports of death due to SVT. These are extremely rare. SVT can significantly impact quality of life.
SVT episodes last anywhere from minutes to hours.
Everyone’s experience with SVT is different. For some, episodes may happen every day. For others, they may occur a few times a year or less. The frequency of SVT episodes can also change over time. SVT episodes may have occurred only once or twice a year for many years, but they can suddenly happen much closer together, even as often as several times per week. If you notice a sudden or dramatic change in how often your episodes occur or how long they last, let your doctor know so you can discuss whether a different treatment plan might be right for you.
SVT is due to an abnormality in the electrical system of the heart. Learn what causes SVT here.
SVT is something you are born with. It is not a genetic condition. That means that it’s not passed down from your parents and you won’t pass it down to your children.
Your healthcare provider may refer to SVT as PSVT (paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia). The two terms mean the same thing. “Paroxysmal” simply means that an episode begins suddenly and can happen repeatedly. Learn more here.
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References
1. NHS Inform. Supraventricular tachycardia. 2023. 2. Milestone Pharmaceuticals data on file: PSVT Patient Observational Study conducted by The Blueprint Research Group, 2020. 3. Colucci, R.A. Am Fam Physician. 2010;82(8):942-952. 4. Yetkin, E. Cardiovasc Endocrinol Metab. 2018;7(2):34-36. 5. Wood, K.A. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2007;6(4):293-302. 6. Yetkin, E. Cardiovasc Endocrinol Metab. 2020;9(4):153-158. 7. Mayo Clinic. Supraventricular tachycardia. 2022. 8. Bibas, L. CMAJ. 2016;188(17-18):E466-E473. 9. Al-Zaiti, S.S. Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am. 2016;28(3):309-316. 10. Fahie, S. Verapamil. StatPearls. 2023. 11. Singh, S. Adenosine. StatPearls. 2023. 12. Page, R.L. Circulation. 2016;133(14):e471-e505. 13. Orejarena, L.A. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1998;31(1):150-157. 14. Rehorn, M. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2021;32(8):2199-2206. 15. Hafeez, Y. Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. StatPearls. 2023. 16. Cleveland Clinic. Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). 2022. 17. Cedars-Sinai. Supraventricular tachycardia. 2023. 18. Jay, P.Y. Hereditary supraventricular tachycardias. In: Molecular Genetics of Cardiac Electrophysiology. Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2000.
