Heart arrhythmias - causes, signs, treatment

Arrhythmia or heart rhythm disorder( LDC) means irregular heart function. There are LDCs when such characteristics change in his work, like automatism, excitability, conductivity.

Age and causes of arrhythmia

Throughout life, men arrhythmias can be detected at any age. Sometimes they occur without any manifestations of the disease, in healthy people, are detected accidentally. There are cases when violations of heart rhythms are associated with severe pathology of the heart, other organs.

Early age

In childhood, sinus arrhythmia and tachycardia are most often found. Normally, they occur from birth. They reflect the immaturity of the nervous regulation, the untrained heart muscle. The muscle of the heart in structure resembles the muscles of the skeleton.

Pathological types of rhythm disturbances in children are associated, as a rule, with the presence of congenital heart defects, the operation on this occasion, less often, with diseases of other systems and organs. The frequency of congenital heart disease is 6-8 per 1000 births( or about 20,000 per year).One of the causes of congenital heart disease is the use of alcohol by parents. Arrhythmias that can occur in such cases are diverse.

Adolescents and conscript age

Arrhythmias identified in conscripts are of particular interest. This period of life of young people is under the supervision of medical commissions of military commissariats interested in the health of servicemen. Most often, there are arrhythmias that are characteristic of children( sinus tachycardia).Explanation of their presence is a weak physical preparation.

Boys who spend most of their time reading books, studying at the computer remain physically untrained in their old age. The lack of regular physical activity( for the heart they are needed, as for any muscle) leads to the fact that any effort causes an increase in heart rate( tachycardia).Especially sensitive young people notice this in the form of unpleasant sensations of the heartbeat.

Other types of arrhythmias are less common, are detected by chance, do not interfere with life( blockade of the right leg of the bundle, Sinouauric blockade of the 2nd degree, extrasystole).They are referred to the age variants of the norm. They do not show any pain, they do not require treatment. Service in the army they do not interfere( except for special arms, where the criteria for health are particularly strict).

Pathological arrhythmias are rare in conscripts. Usually, these are consequences of the operations carried out for congenital heart defects, less often others. They are successfully treated.

Middle and senior age

The average age of the stronger sex is vulnerable to various diseases, heart damage. All of them can cause arrhythmias.

Causes of cardiac arrhythmias in middle-aged men:

• intoxication( smoking, alcohol);
• occupational hazards;
• taking certain medications;
• ischemic heart disease;
• arterial hypertension;
• diabetes mellitus;
• thyroid disease;
• stress;
• neuroses;
• disease of other organs.

Such rhythm disturbances require attention, treatment of the underlying disease. Some arrhythmias, with this cause, can cause sudden death( ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia).

Older men may have the same causes of arrhythmias. More often, their violations of the rhythm of the heart are associated with complications of the existing heart disease, other organs. The presence of arrhythmias at this age shortens life, reduces its quality.

Classification of

Changes in any electrophysiological characteristic of the heart( excitability, automatism, conduction, contractility) are accompanied by heart rhythm disturbances. Depending on what function is changed, distinguish:

• impulse formation defects;
• changes its conduct;
• combined options. These can be extrasystoles, blockades, tachycardias, or combinations thereof.

Depending on the persistence of arrhythmia, their forms are distinguished: constant or paroxysmal( paroxysmal).

How to understand that this is an arrhythmia?

Manifestations of arrhythmias depend on their type, influence on heart function and systemic hemodynamics( blood movement, oxygen supply of vital organs).Violations of the rhythm of the heart can not show themselves. Sometimes it's just the unpleasant sensations of his "owner".

• Heart failure

The most common type of arrhythmia is extrasystole .Its causes are unknown, it occurs in 80% of healthy people. Completely harmless arrhythmia for a healthy heart in a single and group version. It is not felt by all people, only by neurotics, which is related to the peculiarities of perception of "rustles" in the body.

It feels like a short heartbeat, a "somersault," especially a severe stroke or heart contraction. If you do not pay attention to it, perception becomes dull, becomes invisible. In another case, when their appearance is given unduly increased attention, they begin to be perceived especially colorfully. There is a fear of cardiac arrest, sudden death, attacks of weakness, dizziness, sweating, cold extremities join.

Extrasystole with sinus tachycardia is especially common in young people, as a sign of neurosis, physical untrained. Neurosis, which is the cause of such feelings, progresses to panic attacks, requiring serious strong-willed efforts to overcome them. These manifestations of arrhythmias are the most frequent reason for young men to turn to a cardiologist.

In the presence of serious cardiac pathology this kind of arrhythmia requires attention, observation, sometimes - additional treatment. The conditions for the appearance of extrasystoles are important. In rest they appear with neuroses, with physical exertion( as a rule, not felt at this), the reason for them can be serious.

• Heartbeat attacks

Other signs of arrhythmia are heart attacks of varying duration: from several minutes to several hours, days. They appear at any time of life. There are several more common in men than women.

Causes of heart attacks:

• the presence of additional pathways in the heart( when there is no function of synaptic delay of the atrioventricular node);
• alcohol intoxication;
• thyrotoxicosis;
• ischemic heart disease;
• cardiomyopathy;
• if the cause of attacks of palpitations can not be found, it is called idiopathic( unknown).

• Other conditions

Rarely there are paroxysmal dizziness, weakness, syncope( the so-called syncopal conditions), the cause of which are arrhythmias. Their "owners" are usually people of considerable age( or very young children with congenital heart defects).This blockade of the heart of high degrees, giving a pause in work for more than 3 seconds or too high frequency of contractions of the heart( about 300 per minute).Such conditions do not provide a full blood supply to the brain.

Methods for determining the type of arrhythmia

For the diagnosis of LDCs, the ECG method, with its modifications, is the main( taking into account complaints).Of particular importance for analysis is the recording of ECG at the time of arrhythmia. On this depends the definition of its form, the need for therapeutic interventions.

Fig.1 - Diagnosis of arrhythmia by ECG.

ECG can be recorded on paper or digital media using stationary or portable devices called electrocardiographs. They can be configured for permanent recording, fragmented( after certain time intervals set by the program), "on demand" - the recording mode determined by the patient or the situation provided by the recording program.

Hospitals use models with paper carriers, ECG recording in 12 standard leads( electroplating locations).The analysis of stationary ECGs, provided that they are professionally recorded, is considered more complete. Portable models have a limited number of leads, which are quite sufficient to identify the type of arrhythmia.

The ECG method modification is Holter monitoring of ECG( HMECG).Continuous ECG recording is performed for 1-2 or more days. This depends on the software of the HMECG system. There are monitors designed for very long periods of wearing( months).This method is used for quantitative analysis of types of rhythm disturbances, registration of syncope episodes on ECG, revealing their causes.

In some cases, when the episode of arrhythmia can not be recorded, it is possible to provoke it with the participation of a physician by electrophysiological research( EFI).These can be methods of intracardiac or transesophageal electrostimulation of the heart with ECG recording. The properties of the conduction system of the heart, nodes of automatism are studied. This method of research is easily tolerated by children, women, a rare man treats him without fear.

Treatment and its need for

Not all arrhythmias need treatment. The need for it is determined by the type, subjective tolerance of heart rhythm disturbances, changes in hemodynamics.

Sometimes a man subjectively badly tolerates even single harmless extrasystoles or tachycardia. It happens with neuroses, panic attacks. It is necessary to recommend such patients a short-term intake of drugs that improve the tolerability of arrhythmia. Usually, these are calming agents of vegetable origin( valerian, motherwort, etc.) in the form of freshly prepared infusions.

Much less often prescribed are small doses of drugs that reduce the heart rate. A mandatory recommendation( which is often neglected by a man) is treatment by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. Always pay attention to physical activity in the regime of the day, its gradual expansion leads to the elimination of manifestations of neurosis and facilitates the perception of arrhythmias.

Men, as a rule, consider taking medication as sufficient. Their perception of rhythm disturbances is accompanied by depression, a violation of potency, a negative attitude toward physical training. An infrequent variant, when a strong sex cope with neurosis on its own.

Other types of arrhythmias with hemodynamic disorders, for example, atrial fibrillation, paroxysms of tachycardia with a high heart rate, blockades are successfully treated promptly. There are many variants of operative methods for these reasons, the choice is made by the arrhythmic doctor, explaining the essence of the intervention to the patient( RFA, ECS).The results of surgical treatment depend on the patient's condition, the experience of the cardiac surgeon. Good results have from 50 to 90% of operations.

Some forms of paroxysms of cardiac rhythm disturbances are transferred quite successfully( supraventricular tachycardias), repeated rarely( once a year or several years).Their surgical treatment can be delayed for an indefinite period of time. There are cases when the operation is impractical or the patient does not want to be operated on.

In such situations, medication is prescribed for arrhythmia. It can have a planned character, with a long reception of prescribed doses of drugs or emergency( permanently or at home) to arrest the resulting paroxysm. Men differ in the inaccuracy of the doctor's recommendations for drug therapy. As a consequence, they have a higher frequency of emergency situations with rhythm disturbances.

Prevention

With some irregularities in the rhythm of the heart, it is possible to live without paying attention to them. Others are good to warn, so as not to engage in their treatment for a long time and perseveringly. To do this, it is necessary to influence the causes of their development. The most reliable principles of preventing arrhythmia coincide with a healthy lifestyle. These are:

• exclusion of bad habits( smoking, drinking alcohol - life without them has much more opportunities for self-fulfillment and happy moments);
• the maximum possible physical activity;
• rational nutrition;
• enough rest;
• is a positive attitude towards life.

In conclusion, you can add that an arrhythmia man of any age can prevent and cope with them if he considers himself to be a representative of the stronger sex.

Cardiologist Kuklina E. N.

Recommended for viewing: