The human heart is able to contract due to the appearance of exciting pulses in the cardiovascular cells. The largest concentration of these cells is called the sinus node, it sends strong rhythmic impulses that pass through all parts of the heart and form regular heart contractions, which can vary from sixty to ninety beats per minute. If the node produces few pulses, the heart contracts less than sixty beats per minute, in this case there is sinus bradycardia, which we will consider below. This phenomenon provokes a slowdown in blood circulation in the body and the development of hypoxia.
Description and description of the problem
Sinus bradycardia - a delay in the heart rhythm in the form of a decrease in the heart rate less than sixty beats per minute, while the rhythm and sequence of contractions are preserved. Such a phenomenon may be a variant of the norm, being an individual feature of the human body, and may indicate a violation of the activity of organs or systems. In medicine, this pathology is not considered as an independent disease, but only as a syndrome.
Severe bradycardia (what it is, described above) provokes a violation of blood circulation in the body. It becomes difficult for a person to perform habitual activities, play sports and even moderate physical activity. If the heart rate is less than forty beats per minute, this may indicate the development of negative consequences, which often lead to cardiac arrest. Moreover, the more pronounced the pathology, the more serious the disturbances in the human body will be.
Forms of bradycardia
In medicine, two forms of this syndrome are distinguished:
- Physiological bradycardia is a feature of the body. This phenomenon acts as a physiological process as a response of the body to the influence of environmental factors. In this case, the human nervous system has an inhibitory effect on the functioning of the heart. Such a syndrome occurs in athletes during sleep, hypothermia, as well as with prolonged stay in a horizontal position. Physiological sinus bradycardia is characterized by the presence of a pulse of at least fifty beats per minute, the absence of complaints and the rhythm of the heartbeat.
- Pathological bradycardia is a symptom of diseases. In this case, the syndrome occurs without any prerequisites, in the form of spontaneous attacks, which are accompanied by an irregular heartbeat rate, as well as a human condition disorder and other complaints.
Varieties of pathology
Also, bradycardia of the heart (what it is - indicated above) can be of several types:
- Absolute, in which violations can always be detected regardless of the conditions and conditions of a person at the time of examination.
- Relative, which develops during physical exertion, meningitis, infectious diseases, injuries and so on.
- Moderate, which develops with respiratory arrhythmia. In this case, the pulse quickens at the entrance and decreases when you exhale. Typically, this phenomenon is observed in people with VSD.
- Extracardial bradycardia is formed with pathologies of the internal organs and nervous system.
Causes of the syndrome
The causes of bradycardia are various. In medicine, it is customary to distinguish five main groups of causes that can provoke the development of pathology:
- Cardiac factors, which include diseases of the cardiovascular system: heart attack, ischemia, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, heart defects of various genesis, myocarditis.
- Non-cardinal factors, which include pathologies of the nervous, respiratory and endocrine systems: VVD, hypoxia, diabetes mellitus, adrenal disease, bronchitis, asthma and others.
- Drug factors. In this case, bradycardia, the reasons for which lie in the prolonged or uncontrolled use of such drugs as diuretics, cardiac glycosides, antiarrhythmic drugs, develops gradually.
- Electrolyte factors characterized by a violation of the water-salt balance.
- Toxic, which are caused by the effect of toxins on the body as a result of smoking and drinking alcohol, drugs.
- Idiopathic sinus bradycardia in children and adults develops for no apparent reason.
Thus, bradycardia can develop for physiological and pathological reasons. In the first case, it occurs during intensive training, during sleep apnea, as a result of taking medications, as well as aging of myocardial fibers, intoxication of the body. In the second case, arrhythmia, bradycardia occur as a result of a heart attack, intracranial hypertension, damage to the sinus node, hypothyroidism, as well as fatty degeneration of the myocardium, excess iron in the body, jaundice and other pathologies.
Symptoms and signs of the disease
Symptoms of the pathology can be different, in some cases it does not show any signs, and sometimes the condition of a person can be critical. The development and course of the disease can be sudden, paroxysmal, chronic. In the latter case, the human body adapts to a slowdown in heart rhythms. With rapidly progressing disease, there is a risk of complications. If a slowing of the heart rate is preceded by a strong increase in heart rate, this may indicate an immediate cardiac arrest.
Signs of pathology depending on the heart rate
At a heart rate per minute from fifty to sixty beats, a person’s general condition is not disturbed, he may feel a slight headache, weakness and dizziness, blood pressure remains normal, breathing is not disturbed.
If sinus bradycardia (what it is, we already know) manifests itself in a rhythm frequency of forty to fifty beats per minute, a person develops dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, drowsiness and lethargy, blood pressure and pulse decrease, breathing becomes frequent.
At a heart rate of thirty to forty beats per minute, a person is forced to lie down, as his condition worsens, becomes critical, he can fall into a coma, blood pressure drops very much or may be completely absent, breathing and pulse may stop. In the absence of emergency care, death from cardiac arrest occurs.
Emergency medical care
Bradycardia in adults and children can cause fainting, cramps, cardiac arrest, death. With a significant reduction in heart rate, it is necessary to lay the person on his back, to provide access of oxygen by removing clothing that compresses the chest. Then it is necessary to evaluate breathing and pulse, the presence of consciousness and palpitations, in their absence, heart massage and artificial respiration are performed. If a person is conscious, he is advised to give Zelenin drops. If you have drugs such as Atropine Sulfate, Dopamine, or Adrenaline, it is recommended that you inject one of them subcutaneously. Be sure to bring the person to a medical facility for hospitalization.
Diagnosis of the disease
When bradycardia develops, what is it - the doctor who examines the patient will tell. Diagnosis of pathology begins with a study of the anamnesis, analysis of patient complaints, manifestations of symptoms. During the survey, the doctor determines the presence of previous surgical interventions, various diseases, addictions, the development of pathology in close relatives. Then, examination, auscultation and percussion of the heart are carried out, blood pressure and pulse are measured. Then the patient is sent for laboratory tests of blood and urine, hormones, ECG.
Often, sinus bradycardia of the heart (what it is, the patient learns when visiting a doctor) is diagnosed using Holter monitoring, which is the wearing of a portable ECG apparatus for one day. This technique makes it possible to determine inconsistent heart rhythm disturbances, which can be associated with physical activity, eating, emotional stress, and so on.
The doctor also sends for an electrophysiological examination in case of insufficient information after undergoing an ECG, as well as to assess the condition of the heart, echocardiography to determine the causes of the pathology, as well as a stress test to assess the functionality of the sinus node. Often a transesophageal electrophysiological study is performed , which allows you to track the activity of the heart, to study the functionality of the sinus node. The doctor may also refer you to a therapist.
Only after a comprehensive examination is an accurate diagnosis made and appropriate treatment prescribed, which will depend on the causes of the development of the pathology. And how to treat heart bradycardia, the attending physician will tell.
Disease therapy
Treatment of bradycardia involves several stages:
- Symptomatic therapy, which consists in providing emergency care to eliminate the pathology and its consequences, which can threaten human life and health.
- Special treatment that aims to eliminate the causes of the development of the disease.
Usually, sinus bradycardia (what it is, many people know) disappears after curing the diseases that caused it to develop. With the physiological form of the disease, the doctor prescribes vitamin and mineral complexes, as well as fortifying drugs, a special diet with a high content of fruits and vegetables. Medications may be prescribed to reduce symptoms.
Medicines and surgery
If sinus bradycardia is poorly tolerated by a person, the doctor prescribes medication, which includes drugs aimed at increasing the frequency of heart contractions. These include sympathomimetics and anticholinergics.
Operations are prescribed for a life-threatening course of the disease, which is accompanied by fainting, a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as with ineffective drug treatment and the inability to restore normal heart rhythm. In this case, a person is injected subcutaneously with a pacemaker, which is a special device that artificially increases the heart rate. If bradycardia in children and adults involves the use of a pacemaker, then the person in this case will be limited in physical capabilities, as any load will be contraindicated.
Forecast
The prognosis of the disease in most cases is favorable, doctors manage to eliminate the causes of the development of the pathology and the symptoms of its manifestation. In some cases, if untreated, serious complications can develop that can result in death. Also, a person can get injured during a fall during fainting, he may develop acute circulatory disorder in the brain, heart failure or coronary heart disease, heart attack. Therefore, it is important to know how to provide first aid for the manifestation of a syndrome such as bradycardia, what it is and how to prevent its development.
Prevention
For the purpose of prevention, doctors recommend observing the regime of work and rest, eating properly and fully, and consuming more foods that contain fiber. It is also necessary to abandon addictions, take prescribed medications under medical supervision, and undergo timely diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and other diseases. At the first manifestations of signs of pathology, you must immediately visit a medical institution, undergo an examination to identify the causes of its development, in order to know how to treat bradycardia.
Finally ...
Sinus bradycardia of the heart (what it is, was examined in detail today) is a common syndrome among people of different age and gender. Some people live with this pathology all their lives, since it does not cause them discomfort and does not affect their general well-being. In other cases, immediate treatment is needed. In 95% of people, cure occurs as a result of the use of drug therapy, the duration of which depends on the cause of the disease. In other options, patients require the installation of a pacemaker. Such treatment will be effective in all cases and forms of the disease. If you do not treat the causative disease, you can not get rid of bradycardia.