Heart block: Types, symptoms, and treatment
Your heart is not connected to an electrical outlet that needs to be switched on. Rather, your heart is more like a lamp powered by electrical signals.
Every time the heart beats, an electrical signal is transmitted from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. These signals tell your heart to pump blood. However, when the signal slows down, a heart block occurs.
This condition occurs when the electrical signals that control the heart rate are partially or completely blocked. As a result, the heartbeat slows down because blood cannot be pumped effectively. Some are born with a heart block, while others develop a heart block later in life.
Heart blocks are generally categorized according to the degree of electrical signal impairment. There are three main types of heart block.
Atrioventricular block
This is the least severe type of heart block. At this stage, the electrical signal slows down as it moves from the atrium to the ventricle. However, they still reach the ventricles undisturbed. Therefore, a single heart block usually does not require treatment.
Second-degree heart block
In Second-degree heart block, impulses are blocked intermittently. This heart block is further divided into two categories.
Mobitz Type One: The electrical signal slows down during the beat, causing the heart to beat over time.
Mobitz Type 2: Electrical signals may or may not enter the ventricles. This type of heart block can often lead to three heart blocks.
Third-degree heart block
This is the most severe heart block. At this stage, the electrical signal does not always reach the ventricle from the atrium. This can lead to a complete failure of the wire.
Depending on these stages, certain symptoms of heart disease may appear. However, the symptoms of heart block vary from person to person. If you have a primary heart block, you may not develop symptoms.
Certain symptoms, such as the following, can occur twice in the atrioventricular blocks.
Chest pain
Dizziness
Fainting
Fatigue
Nausea
Shortness of breath
However, the symptoms of 3rd degree atrioventricular block may be different. Contact your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:
Cardiac arrest
Fainting
Cardiac arrhythmia
Severe malaise
Ignoring early symptoms can lead to serious heart block. The type, location, and severity of heart blocks vary from person to person. If left untreated, the condition can endanger your health. Therefore, diagnosing an obstruction of the heart is essential for timely treatment.
Heart Block Diagnosis
To diagnose your condition, your doctor will consider:
Your general health history
Ask about your family history of heart block
You are taking Medicine
Symptoms you have
He will test after this physical examination You may also suggest specific tests such as:
EKG: Helps record the electrical impulses of the heart.
Halter or Event Monitor: This measures the rhythm of the heart over a period of time. Halter monitors can be worn for 24 to 48 hours or even weeks.
Implantable Loop Recorder: This is a small heart recorder placed under the skin of the heart.
Electrophysiological Study: In this outpatient treatment, a thin, flexible wire is passed from the arm through the heart to test the conduction system of the heart.
Heart Block Treatment
Doctors will start treatment based on the results of these tests and the type of heart block. However, it may not be necessary to treat atrioventricular block once.
However, in severe cases of second-degree atrioventricular block, it may be necessary to place a small device called a pacemaker on the chest. The third-degree atrioventricular block is the stage of complete heart block. In this case, the treatment also includes a pacemaker, as the heart cannot be reliably stimulated because it is completely occluded.
Minimally invasive treatment for heart block
