What are the causes of heart block? What are the symptoms of this particular condition? This article will talk about heart block and other vital information about the disease. If this article sparks interest, you might want to read how your dental health relates to your heart health; check the relevant blogs at Available Dental Care’s website.
What is heart block and what are the possible causes?
Heart block is a condition that causes the heart to have an irregular rate and rhythm. When a person has a heart block, the electrical messages from the brain are unable to reach the heart.
There are many causes of heart block. Here is a list of the possible causes of heart block.
- Congenital heart block
There are some instances when people can be born with heart block. There are many ways that congenital heart block can be caused by a birth defect that is caused by the heart not being fully developed while in the womb.
Another cause of congenital heart block is if it is passed on from mother to child during pregnancy. It can be caused if the mother has an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, and she passes it on to her child during pregnancy. The transfer usually happens through the umbilical cord. for congenital heart disease, it can manifest itself in a person when they are born, or in some cases, the person may show symptoms later in life.
- Acquired heart block
If a person is not born with heart block, it can also be acquired. There are many causes for acquired heart block.
- After surgery
There are certain surgeries that can have an effect on the electrical system. If the heart’s electrical system is affected, it can cause heart block.
- Heart attack
If a person experiences a heart attack, it can also have an effect on the inner workings of the heart. Heart block can be caused after a heart attack if the heart is not able to work properly afterwards. Keep in mind that damage from the heart attack can have on the electrical system of the heart.
- Medicines
Certain types of medication can cause heart block. If you have a family history of heart disease, or have had family members in the past who suffered from complete heart block in the past, it is a good idea to inform your doctor about this. Your doctor will be able to prescribe medicines that will not trigger heart block and make sure that you will still be able to get the benefits that you need from the medications.
- Muscle diseases
If you have muscle disorders, you can approach your doctor about how your muscle disorders may potentially cause heart block for you.
- Heart issues
If you have existing heart issues or heart disease, you are at more risk of having heart block because your heart is not able to work properly as it is. If you have already been diagnosed of a heart disease, making sure you take the prescribed medicines your doctor has given you will lessen the chances of you developing heart block.
If you are worried about the causes of heart block, talk to your doctor about it. Your doctor will be able to inform you about your risk factor for heart disease, heart block and other factors that will contribute to your heart’s overall health. They will also be able to advise you on possible prevention methods you can take to prevent heart disease and heart block later on.
Degrees of heart block
If a person has heart block, there are varying degrees to the heart block that they may experience. These degrees help doctors gauge how severe the heart block is, so they can better be able to determine how to best treat the heart block. The degrees of heart block depend on how effecting the electrical signals are able to reach the heart from the brain.
- First degree heart block
This is the mildest degree of heart block. The electrical messages are somewhat slowed, but they are still able to get to their correct destination. With this type of heart block, the person may not even know that they have this type of heart disease.
- Second degree heart block
Second degree heart block is a little more serious. The electrical signals are slower and the messages may not always get to the right places. This can cause serious heart disease because the heart may beat more slowly or may skip beats at times. Patients may exhibit symptoms, but sometimes they may not.
- Third degree or complete heart block
Complete heart block is the most serious degree of heart block. Complete heart block may cause a person’s heart to slow down so much, or it may even cause the heart to stop beating entirely. The cause of this is because no electrical messages from the brain are getting through to the heart. This is a serious type of heart disease and may be fatal if it goes untreated,
Symptoms of heart block
If you fear that you have heart block, and do not want it to develop into a complete heart block, talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.
You may have second degree heart block if you have sudden bouts of dizziness, chest pain, nausea, fatigue, fainting or the general feeling that your heart skips beats. You may be suffering from complete heart block if you have an irregular heart beat, have had a heart attack, dizziness, fainting, cardiac arrest or the feeling of being very tired. If you have had any of these severe symptoms and think you may have complete heart block, call 911 immediately. Complete heart clock requires immediate medical attention because of how sudden and how dangerous it can be.
Final thoughts
Although heart block can happen to anyone, because it can be a result of other heart disease types, older people are at more risk of developing heart block. This is why regular check ups with your doctor are important as doctors can be able to monitor any existing heart diseases and make sure that you get treatment for heart block or any other type of heart disorder before they become too serious to be treated.
Remember that treatment for heart block is possible. Your doctor may recommend that a pacemaker be placed in your heart, to remind it to beat when it needs to. Regular check ups with your doctor will ensure that your heart and your pacemaker remain in good condition.
