Extrasystole is a fairly common disorder, especially when it comes to elderly patients. This condition is accompanied by a violation of normal heart rhythm. And today, more and more people are interested in questions about what are the causes of such a problem, how dangerous it can be for health.
Extrasystole - what is it?
Today, many patients of clinics face a similar problem. So what is extrasystole? This is a disorder that is associated with certain cardiac arrhythmias. With such a disease, extraordinary contractions (systoles) of either the whole myocardium or its individual parts (for example, atria, ventricles) are observed.
Extrasystole - the norm or a threat to health?
Of course, today many people are faced with a similar problem. So how dangerous can these disorders be? In fact, extraordinary reductions can occur and, in fact, occur at any age. For example, young people often complain of a feeling of a strong heart beat, this is extrasystole. Moreover, according to statistics, about 80% of people over fifty years from time to time suffer from periodic “unplanned” shocks.
What is the cause of systole? With some violations of the heart and blood vessels, the conductive system changes: the so-called ectopic foci, areas of increased activity are formed in it. Most often, such a disorder appears in the pathways of the ventricles, atria, atrioventricular node. It is these ectopic foci that generate impulses that trigger the heart contraction mechanism in the phase of its relaxation (diastole). This is what extrasystole looks like. This, by the way, can be extremely dangerous.
Of course, occasionally emerging impulses do not pose a serious threat to human health. Nevertheless, they signal the presence of a particular problem, experts recommend that such patients pay more attention to their lifestyle, monitor nutrition and regularly undergo examinations.
On the other hand, too frequent extrasystoles affect the work of the whole organism. Indeed, as a result of multiple extraordinary contractions, blood flow decreases, which leads to a decrease in blood flow in the brain and coronary vessels. In such cases, cardiac extrasystole is extremely dangerous, as it can lead to myocardial damage, fainting, or even sudden death of a person.
Heart rhythm disturbance: causes
In fact, there are many factors that can cause an attack of extrasystole. For example, heart rhythm disturbances may be due to exposure to certain chemicals, including certain foods, alcohol, drugs, even strong tea or coffee. Risk factors also include smoking. Functional extrasystole of the heart can occur in women during menstruation.
In addition, some diseases also belong to the causes, including osteochondrosis of the spine (especially the cervical spine), as well as vegetovascular dystonia, neuroses of various origins, and others.
There are other factors under the influence of which there is a violation of the heart rhythm. The reasons may be associated with organic lesions of the myocardium and the conductive system. For example, attacks often occur in patients with various defects, as well as against the background of cardiosclerosis, cardiomyopathy, ischemic disease, inflammatory diseases (myocarditis, pericarditis). Risk factors also include diseases such as hemochromatosis, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, since in such conditions there is a high risk of heart damage.
An attack of extrasystole often occurs against a background of severe fever. In addition, the administration of certain drugs, including those drugs that contain caffeine, ephedrine, aminophylline, novodrin, as well as tricyclic antidepressants, diuretic drugs, and glucocorticoids, can lead to the same effect.
Severe stresses, physical overstrain, impaired mineral content in myocardial cells - all this can provoke an attack of increased contraction of the heart muscle.
Classification of violations
Of course, today there are many classification systems that make it possible to understand what constitutes an extrasystole - for example, depending on the location of the ectopic focus. Most often, rhythm disturbances in the ventricular region are observed, more than 60% of patients go to the doctor with this diagnosis.
Atrial extrasystole is observed in 25%. Much less frequently, foci of rhythm disturbance occur in the atrioventricular junction, in such cases they are called atrioventricular. In addition, there are various combinations of the above forms.
In some cases, the main sinus rhythm is maintained simultaneously with the formation of an ectopic focus, such a violation is called a parasystole. Violations are also classified by the number of foci of excitation, they can be either mono- or polytopic.
If extrasystoles go in two in a row, then they are called paired. If extraordinary contractions follow the pattern of "more than two in a row", then this is a volley extrasystole. In addition, such disorders are divided into groups depending on the moment of their occurrence during cardiac contraction (these are early, middle and late). If we take into account the frequency of occurrence of extrasystoles, they can be rare (extraordinary contractions of less than 5 per minute), medium (from 6 to 15) or frequent (for example, frequent ventricular extrasystole is accompanied by more than 15 extraordinary contractions of the ventricle per minute).
Naturally, there is a system by which extrasystole is classified depending on its origin. For example, cardiac arrhythmias may be associated with organic or toxic tissue lesions, physiological disorders.
How is extrasystole manifested?
In fact, signs of heart disease are not present in all patients, sometimes rhythm disturbances are determined by chance during a planned electrocardiogram. Moreover, there are many factors that can affect the number and intensity of the symptoms present. For example, patients with organic myocardial lesions can quite easily tolerate extrasystole attacks, while the clinical picture in people with vegetovascular dystonia looks much harder.
Most often, subjectively extrasystole feels like a strong push, even a heart beat on the chest from the inside. In some cases, patients note that they feel as if the heart is “turning over” or even “tumbling”. Such sensations are associated with a strong, energetic and sharp contraction of the myocardium.
In some patients, an attack of extrasystole is somewhat reminiscent of symptoms of ischemic disease or angina pectoris. Extrasystole, which is associated with functional changes, is often accompanied by other signs. For example, patients complain of excessive sweating, a feeling of lack of air, hot flashes, severe, sharply arising weakness, discomfort. Sometimes an inexplicable feeling of anxiety arises , even fear.
There are other signs of heart disease. For example, dizziness. Frequent atrial or ventricular extrasystole is accompanied by a decrease in blood ejection, which causes this symptom. In patients with cerebral arteriosclerosis, such rhythm disturbances can lead to circulatory disorders, which is accompanied by paresis, fainting, aphasia, and other disorders. In any case, with the manifestation of such conditions, you should immediately consult a doctor, since the consequences can be extremely dangerous and severe.
Extrasystole in childhood
In fact, extrasystole in children is diagnosed quite often. A child of any age can suffer from it, sometimes a similar disorder is recorded even during fetal development. According to statistics, more than 75% of children to one degree or another suffer from heart rhythm disturbances. Moreover, over the past decade, the number of babies with similar disorders has increased significantly.
What are the main causes of heart rhythm disturbances in children? First of all, it is worth noting congenital malformations and cardiomyopathies. In addition, the most common include infectious myocarditis, rheumatic heart disease, and genetically determined diseases.
In some cases, the disease is associated with certain disorders of the endocrine and nervous system. For example, hypothyroidism or diabetes can lead to the appearance of extrasystole. On the other hand, chronic inflammatory and infectious processes, as well as vitamin deficiencies and a deficiency of some elements, too much physical or emotional stress are important. In any case, such a disorder needs proper treatment. As for the forecasts, an average or rare extrasystole, which is not accompanied by organic heart lesions, is considered a relatively safe form of the disease.
Modern diagnostic methods
Naturally, there are many diagnostic methods, including ECG. Extrasystole with such a study, as a rule, is clearly visible. Nevertheless, the diagnostic process does not begin with this. First, the doctor must conduct a full examination, which begins with the collection of information. The patient must inform the specialist what symptoms he has manifested, how intense his attacks are, how often they occur.
It is extremely important to determine the cause of the occurrence of heart rhythm disturbances. For this purpose, an anamnesis is going, the doctor should know about the presence of other diseases, taking medications. The fact is that the choice of effective methods of treatment largely depends on the cause and nature of the lesions of the cardiac conduction system.
After this, the doctor, as a rule, palpates the pulse on the radial artery. With extrasystole, a specialist can replace a pulse wave that occurs prematurely. Sometimes, on the contrary, extrasystole is accompanied by episodes of "loss" of the pulse, which is observed with insufficient filling of the ventricles during diastole.
Next, an auscultation of the heart. When listening, you may notice the presence of premature I and II tones. By the way, with such a disease, the first tone is strengthened, which is associated with a small filling of the ventricles. But the second tone, on the contrary, is weakened, since the ejection of blood into the aorta and pulmonary artery is much less.
After this, the doctor will probably send the patient to make a cardiogram of the heart. This is one of the most accurate research methods. In some cases, a so-called Holter ECG is performed. What is the given procedure? A special portable device is attached to the patient’s body, which records the heart rate for 1-2 days. Along with this, the patient keeps an activity diary in which he describes his feelings and actions taken. A similar study is used if it is necessary to find out what provokes an attack of extrasystole.
If cardiac arrhythmias are not observed at rest, additional tests are carried out - this is bicycle ergometry and a treadmill test. Such studies make it possible to measure indicators (blood pressure) and make an ECG during exercise (for example, walking on a treadmill, exercise on a stationary bike). If organic myocardial damage is suspected, patients are advised to have an ultrasound scan and heart MRI.
How is extrasystole treated?
As already mentioned, the treatment of cardiac extrasystole directly depends on the causes of its occurrence. For example, if rhythm disturbance is associated with the use of some medications, then, of course, they must be canceled. If the reasons lie in the disruption of the digestive or cardiovascular systems, then you need to treat them first, and attacks of extrasystoles will disappear along with the primary disease.
In some cases, diagnosis helps to understand that rhythm disturbances have arisen against the background of nervous overstrain. Such patients are referred for a consultation with a neurologist, and, as a rule, they are prescribed soft sedatives or sedative herbs.
Single and rarely occurring attacks of extrasystole do not require specific medication, patients are only recommended to follow the principles of a healthy lifestyle and undergo repeated examinations from time to time.
If attacks are often observed, accompanied by shortness of breath, strong strokes and weakness, then, most likely, the doctor will select the appropriate medicines. As a rule, so-called antiarrhythmic drugs are prescribed to eliminate the disorders , including lidocaine, sotalol, novocainamide, diltiazem, quinidine, cordarone, mexylene. In no case should you independently use these drugs, since the dosage and regimen are strictly individual. Moreover, sometimes drugs begin to be administered during Holter ECG monitoring, this makes it possible to understand whether the drug really works as it should, and whether it will cause more harm to the body.
In benign extrasystoles, medications are taken until the seizures have completely disappeared, or at least their number has not been minimized. After this, the number of drugs begins to gradually decrease, and then they are completely canceled. As a rule, such treatment lasts several months. But with malignant forms of violation, patients take antiarrhythmic drugs throughout their lives.
In cases where such drugs do not work, or if the patient has revealed their intolerance, other methods of treatment are used, in particular, radiofrequency ablation of the heart. By the way, the ventricular form of extrasystole, which is accompanied by 20-30 thousand attacks per day, is also an indication for this form of therapy. This is a surgical procedure that relates to minimally invasive methods. It is carried out using a special endovascular catheter that transmits high-frequency currents. Thus, the electrode affects the areas of the heart where conduction is impaired. Using a similar procedure, you can block the transmission of pathological, “wrong” impulses and resume normal sinus rhythms.
Consequences of heart rhythm disturbances and prognoses for patients
Predictions for patients are directly dependent on the course of the disease and the presence of concomitant disorders. For example, extrasystoles, which develop against a background of a heart attack, cardiomyopathy, and organic myocardial lesions, are considered the most dangerous.
In any case, the lack of qualified and timely assistance can lead to a host of complications. Despite the fact that in most cases, extrasystole is benign, sometimes other dangerous diseases develop, including paroxysmal tachycardia, atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. Such conditions can lead to sudden death of the patient.
There are some other complications that accompany extrasystole. These are, first of all, problems with blood circulation and tissue nutrition. Indeed, with repeated extrasystoles, the volume of blood ejected by the heart is significantly reduced. This leads to oxygen starvation and impaired normal circulation. Often extrasystole leads to the development of chronic failure of the renal, coronary and cerebral vessels, which entails even greater complications.
Prevention methods
Of course, a patient with similar problems should be registered with a cardiologist and undergo regular examinations. The main method for the prevention of dangerous complications of extrasystole is the correct treatment of the primary disease. Sick people need to take medications prescribed by a specialist, as well as follow the schedule and treatment regimen. In addition, regular studies of heart rhythm are required, as this gives the doctor the opportunity to monitor the pace of the disease and the effect of the prescribed drugs.
Surely patients will need to radically reconsider their lifestyle. Any heart disease requires a special diet. Quitting smoking, drinking alcohol and caffeine is required. , , - , , .
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