- Symptoms and how to identify sinus bradycardia
- Possible consequences and when it is serious
- How sinus bradycardia is treated
- Causes of sinus bradycardia
Sinus bradycardia is when the heart starts beating less than 50 beats per minute, at rest. In this type of arrhythmia, the beat is slower, but the heart beats regularly, maintaining the same frequency per minute.
Normally, sinus bradycardia has no symptoms, however, as there is a decrease in the flow of oxygen to the heart, the person may feel tired, weak and have episodes of dizziness, and it is recommended to go to the cardiologist to have tests done and to arrive at a diagnostic conclusion.
This type of arrhythmia is very common in athletes because they have a heart already conditioned by regular physical effort. In the elderly it can also happen due to the natural aging of the heart. Treatment is established by the cardiologist depending on the symptoms, causes and severity of bradycardia, and it may be necessary to place a pacemaker in the most severe cases. The best way to prevent bradycardia complications is to have regular follow-up with a cardiologist.
Symptoms and how to identify sinus bradycardia
Normally, sinus bradycardia has no symptoms, but it can progress with dizziness and even fainting. It is usually found during medical consultation or with the use of digital pressure devices, which also show the heart rate. In case of symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, weakness, or if a lower heart rate is detected, a cardiologist should be sought for evaluation.
To investigate and define the severity and treatment of bradycardia, it is necessary to perform an electrocardiogram, and then it is also recommended to perform an exercise test, also known as an exercise stress test, as well as an echocardiogram, to assess the cardiac structure. You can also perform a 24-hour Holter, which is an exam that assesses whether bradycardia is controlled or if, at some point, the individual has some type of heart block.
It may also be requested by the doctor to perform some laboratory tests to verify whether sinus bradycardia is related to infections, hypothyroidism or changes in the amount of electrolytes (calcium or potassium) in the blood, for example.
Possible consequences and when it is serious
The consequences of sinus bradycardia can be:
- Easy tiredness; Weakness; Dizziness; Shortness of breath; Cold skin; Fainting; Chest pain in the form of burning or tightness; Pressure decrease; Malaise.
Thus, to combat all these discomforts, one should go to the cardiologist and perform tests to start the appropriate treatment. In some cases, this bradycardia can develop into a heart block, requiring a cardiac pacemaker to allow the heart to beat properly. It is particularly severe when the person has chest pain or has an associated heart disease.
How sinus bradycardia is treated
Treatment is done according to the cause, symptoms and severity, and the cardiologist may recommend that hypothyroidism be treated, for example, if this is the cause of bradycardia, or the change in medications taken by the patient or, in more cases serious, the use of a pacemaker, which is a device placed surgically that aims to regulate the heartbeat in the case of bradycardia, for example. Learn more about the cardiac pacemaker.
To prevent bradycardia from occurring and lead to the appearance of symptoms and possible complications, it is recommended that periodic examinations be performed with the cardiologist. The use of some medications should be evaluated, as there are those that can cause bradycardia.
Causes of sinus bradycardia
The decrease in heart rate can happen during sleep and in people who exercise regularly, such as running and cycling athletes, for example, which is considered normal. It is also normal for it to happen after a large meal, during blood donation or when passing a nasogastric tube.
However, bradycardia can be caused by some cardiac or physiological conditions, the most common causes being:
- Sinus node disease; Infarction; Hypothermia; Hypothyroidism; Hypoglycemia; Decrease in the concentration of potassium or calcium in the blood; Use of drugs for hypertension or arrhythmia; Exposure to toxic substances; Meningitis; Tumor in the central nervous system; Intracranial hypertension; Severe hypoxia; Hypothyroidism; Sleep apnea, which corresponds to a momentary pause in breathing or shallow breathing during sleep.
In less common situations, sinus bradycardia can happen due to infections by viruses or bacteria, such as diphtheria, rheumatic fever and myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle caused by infection by viruses or bacteria. See what are the main symptoms and how to treat myocarditis.
