Supraventricular Tachycardia Causes (SVT, PSVT)

      Paroxysmal (also termed sporadic) supraventricular tachycardia usually occurs without other symptoms. However, it may be associated with a number of medical conditions, such as the following:

• Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) 
• Heart failure 
• Thyroid disease 
• Chronic lung disease 
• Pneumonia 
• Pulmonary emboli, or blood clots migrating into the lung arteries from elsewhere in the body 
• Pericarditis 
• Certain drugs and social habits 
• Cocaine abuse 
• Alcohol abuse 
• Smoking 
• Drinking too much caffeine in coffee, tea, or soft drinks 
• Emotional stress 
• Pregnancy 
• Structural abnormalities, such as Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, in which extra electrical tissue sets up abnormal electrical circuits that predisposes the heart to arrhythmias which include PSVT, A fib, AF, and ventricular fibrillation 

      PSVT may also occur as a side effect of medications such as digitalis, asthma medications, or cold remedies.
      In some cases, the cause of PSVT is unknown. PSVT is the most common arrhythmia in infants, children, and pregnant females.