Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT)Symptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT)
Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is an episode of a rapid heart rate that start in a part of the heart above the ventricles. "Paroxysmal" means from time to time.
PSVT; Supraventricular tachycardia; Abnormal heart rhythm - PSVT; Arrhythmia - PSVT; Rapid heart rate - PSVT; Fast heart rate - PSVT
Normally, the chambers of the heart (atria and ventricles) contract in a coordinated manner.
- The contractions are caused by an electrical signal that begins in an area of the heart called the sinoatrial node (also called the sinus node or SA node).
- The signal moves through the upper heart chambers (the atria) and tells the atria to contract.
- After this, the signal moves down in the heart and tells the lower chambers (the ventricles) to contract.
The rapid heart rate from PSVT may start with events that occur in areas of the heart above the lower chambers (ventricles).
There are a number of specific causes of PSVT. It can develop when doses of the heart medicine, digoxin, are too high. It can also occur with a condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which often causes symptoms in young people and infants.
The following increase your risk for PSVT:
- Alcohol use
- Caffeine use
- Illicit stimulant drug use
- Smoking
Symptoms most often start and stop suddenly. They can last for a few minutes or several hours. Symptoms may include:
- Anxiety
- Chest tightness
- Palpitations (a sensation of feeling the heartbeat), often with an irregular or fast rate (racing)
- Rapid pulse
- Shortness of breath
Other symptoms that can occur with this condition include:
- Dizziness
- Fainting
PSVT that occurs only once in a while may not need treatment if you don't have symptoms or other heart problems.
You can try the following techniques to interrupt a fast heartbeat during an episode of PSVT:
- Valsalva maneuver. To do this, you hold your breath and strain, as if you were trying to have a bowel movement.
- Coughing while sitting with your upper body bent forward.
- Splashing ice water on your face
You should avoid smoking, caffeine, alcohol, and illicit drugs.
Emergency treatment to slow the heartbeat back to normal may include:
- Electrical cardioversion, which is the use of electric shock
- Medicines through a vein
Long-term treatment for people who have repeat episodes of PSVT, or who also have heart disease, may include:
- Cardiac ablation, a procedure used to destroy small areas in your heart that may be causing the rapid heartbeat (currently the treatment of choice for most PSVTs)
- Daily medicines to prevent repeated episodes
- Pacemakers to override the fast heartbeat (on occasion may be used in children with PSVT who have not responded to any other treatment)
- Surgery to change the pathways in the heart that send electrical signals (this may be recommended in some cases for people who need heart surgery for other reasons)
Brigham And Women's Hospital, Heart And Vascular Center
Dr. Usha B. Tedrow is director of the Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s (BWH) Heart Rhythm Program. A cardiovascular medicine specialist, she is also an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS).Dr. Tedrow received her medical degree from HMS. She completed an internal medicine residency and a cardiology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition, she completed a cardiac electrophysiology fellowship at BWH. Dr. Tedrow is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and cardiac electrophysiology.Her clinical interests include atrial fibrillation, cardiac resynchronization and ventricular tachycardia. She is currently researching left ventricular mapping and pacing data to analyze novel ablation treatments for structural heart disease. In addition, Dr. Tedrow serves on the editorial board of Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, has authored over 120 peer-reviewed publications and has received research funding from the Heart Rhythm Society. Dr. Tedrow is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT). She is also highly rated in 25 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Ventricular Tachycardia, Arrhythmias, Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT), Cardiac Ablation, and Pacemaker Implantation. Dr. Tedrow is board certified in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology.
Duke Cardiology Clinic - Clinic 2F/2G
I am excited about electrophysiology because it gives me the opportunity to improve patients' quality of life and allows patients to live longer in many cases. I ultimately went to medical school because of a passion for helping people, lifelong learning, and establishing meaningful relationships with my patients. I strongly believe in patient engagement and patient-centered decision making. Therefore, I believe that it is important to spend time educating patients and discussing all available treatment options. I encourage patients and their family members to ask questions so that I can help them understand their health. I offer medical therapy and catheter ablation therapy to patients with atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), and ventricular tachycardia. I also place transvenous pacemakers and defibrillators (ICDs), cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices, leadless pacemakers, and subcutaneous defibrillators. I also perform lead extractions. I have two children, and I enjoy cooking, as well as playing golf, tennis, and skiing. Dr. Pokorney is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT). He is also highly rated in 17 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT), Atrial Fibrillation, Arrhythmias, Cardiac Ablation, and Pacemaker Implantation. Dr. Pokorney is board certified in American Board Of Internal Med, Cardiovascular Disease and American Board Of Internal Med, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysio.
Montefiore Medical Center
Andrea Natale is a Cardiac Electrophysiologist practicing medicine in Bronx, New York. Dr. Natale is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT). He is also highly rated in 31 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Atrial Fibrillation, Arrhythmias, Ventricular Tachycardia, Cardiac Ablation, and Pacemaker Implantation.
PSVT is generally not life threatening. If other heart disorders are present, it can lead to congestive heart failure or angina.
Contact your health care provider if:
- You have a sensation that your heart is beating quickly and the symptoms do not end on their own in a few minutes.
- You have a history of PSVT and an episode does not go away with the Valsalva maneuver or by coughing.
- You have other symptoms with the rapid heart rate.
- Symptoms return often.
- New symptoms develop.
It is especially important to contact your provider if you also have other heart problems.
Summary: Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a common heart rhythm disorder seen in emergency departments, causing a rapid heartbeat (typically 150-250 beats per minute). The current best non-drug treatment, the modified Valsalva maneuver (mVM), successfully restores normal rhythm in about 43% of cases. When these maneuvers fail, intravenous adenosine is used, which, while effective, can cause brief but ...
Summary: Arrhythmogenic ventricular cardiomyopathy (AVC) is a genetic condition which affects the heart and can lead to heart failure and rhythm problems, of which, sudden cardiac arrest or death is the most tragic and dangerous. Diagnosis and screening of blood-relatives is very difficult as the disease process can be subtle, but sufficient enough, so that the first event is sudden death. The Mayo Clinic ...
Published Date: January 27, 2026
Published By: Thomas S. Metkus MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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