What does a flutter indicate?

Atrial flutter is a type of abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia. It occurs when a short circuit in the heart causes the upper chambers (atria) to pump very rapidly. Atrial flutter is important not only because of its symptoms but because it can cause a stroke that may result in permanent disability or death .

Your heart may feel like it’s pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly, often for just a few seconds or minutes. You may also feel these sensations in your throat or neck. Palpitations may seem alarming, but in most cases they’re harmless and are not a sign of a serious problem .

With an atrial flutter, you have a rapidly firing electrical circuit in your atrium, which causes your atria to beat quickly, but can also cause your ventricles to beat faster than normal . An atrial flutter is often caused by previous damage to your heart, whether because of disease or surgery.