Final answer:
Arrhythmia is the medical term for an irregular heartbeat sensation, including pounding, skipping a beat, or fluttering. Tachycardia refers to a fast heartbeat and bradycardia to a slow heartbeat. Diagnosis of arrhythmias may involve an ECG and treatment could include medications or surgery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The medical term for the sensation of an irregular heartbeat, which may be described as pounding, skipping a beat, or fluttering, is arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is a condition where the heartbeat is irregular, too fast, or too slow. A fast heartbeat, known as tachycardia, occurs when the heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute in adults, whereas a slow heartbeat, called bradycardia, occurs when the heart rate drops below 60 beats per minute.
Patients may experience a variety of symptoms, including palpitations, feeling a pause between heartbeats, or in more serious cases, lightheadedness, fainting, shortness of breath, or chest pain. The normal, rhythmic beating of the heart, termed sinus rhythm, can be disrupted by malfunctions in the heart's electrical conduction system. These can be grouped into four main types: extra beats, supraventricular tachycardias, ventricular arrhythmias, and bradyarrhythmias, each with different potential causes and treatments.
To diagnose arrhythmias, health professionals may use tests such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a Holter monitor. In serious cases, interventions may include medications, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, ablation, or surgery to normalize heart rhythm and prevent complications such as stroke or heart failure.