Bradycardia is a type of heart rhythm disturbance expressed in a fall in heart rate below 55 beats / min. In some cases, such a decrease in frequency is not a pathology, but serves as a natural reaction of the body to the processes occurring in it. For example, heart contractions slow down during sleep or after taking certain medications.
However, most often, bradycardia is a loss by the sinus node of the possibility of generating electrical pulses in normal mode.
Causes
Disorders in the sinus node and the conduction system of the heart can be caused by a number of different diseases. These include diseases of the cardiovascular system such as myocarditis, coronary arteriosclerosis, cardiosclerosis, coronary artery disease, postinfarction scars. Sinus bradycardia can also be caused by disorders in the autonomic nervous system, severe infections, or endocrine diseases.
Varieties of bradycardia
Depending on the causes, the following varieties are distinguished:
- Medicinal bradycardia. Slowing of the rhythm is manifested after taking such drugs as Obzidan, Anaprilin, Verapamil, Cordaron, and Quinidine.
- Neurogenic bradycardia is a decrease in the rhythm against the background of an increased tone of the parasympathetic department, neurosis, depression, hypertension, as well as in conditions of increased intracranial pressure.
- Toxic bradycardia is a consequence of infectious diseases. For example, typhoid fever, viral hepatitis, influenza, or sepsis.
- Endocrine bradycardia is a disease caused by an excess of oxygen, potassium and calcium in the blood.
- Cardiogenic Organic. This variety
manifests itself in myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, myocarditis, cardiosclerosis.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
When making a diagnosis, recording of an electrocardiogram is of utmost importance. The doctor prescribes ECG monitoring and other types of examination, depending on the results of the examination of the patient. The primary symptom in the diagnosis is a drop in heart rate below 55 beats / min. Additional symptoms of the disease may include the following symptoms:
- heartache;
- blood pressure instability;
- fatigue, weakness;
- dizziness;
- fainting.
Treatment
Violations of the normal operation of the sinus node can lead to serious consequences. In some cases, cardiac arrest is not excluded . Preventive measures and treatment of the disease are aimed at preventing the consequences of sinus bradycardia. Symptoms of the manifestation of this pathology allow the doctor to understand the degree of damage to the site. If the rhythm is not accompanied by pain, fainting, or other additional symptoms, treatment may not be necessary. In those cases when the diagnosis showed its need, it should first of all be aimed at the underlying disease, which led to the appearance of bradycardia. In addition, drug therapy is carried out aimed at restoring the normal heart rate . In the most severe cases, implantation of a pacemaker is possible.