Sinus bradycardia is a condition when your heart beats less frequently than usual, typically below 60 bpm, but it still performs normally. It frequently happens, especially in persons who regularly exercise and in people over 65. When this happens, you could feel weak, easily fatigued, worn out, and breathless. Bradycardia occasionally happens without any issues or symptoms. It is often not significant if there are no symptoms. Typically, it can be treated with medication or a permanent pacemaker.
Even though this ailment is frequent in highly busy persons, the majority of those who have it don’t exhibit any symptoms. About 1 in 600 persons over 65 get sinus bradycardia with symptoms. It follows that although the real figure is unknown, it is very certainly significantly greater.
Symptoms
Many individuals with sinus bradycardia do not feel any symptoms. However, you may feel these symptoms if your heart and body do not receive enough blood:
● Dizziness or lightheadedness
● Chest pain/discomfort
● Shortness of breath
● Being unclear or having memory issues
● Fainting
● Confusion
● Easily irritated or mood changes
● Easy fatigability
Causes
Bradycardia might be caused by the following:
● A congenital cardiac problem (congenital heart defect) such as congenital heart defect and tetralogy of fallot
● Aging-related damage to heart tissue
● Inflammatory conditions like lupus or rheumatic fever
● Eating disorder such as Anorexia
● Lyme Disease and Chagas Disease
● An infection of the heart’s tissue (myocarditis)
● Repeated breath pauses during sleep (obstructive sleep apnea)
● Thyroid function that is too low (hypothyroidism)
● Sleep Apnea
● Cardiac disease that can cause damage to the heart’s tissues and valves
● A potential side effect of cardiac surgery and its complications
● Scleroderma
● Rheumatoid Arthritis
● Blood Chemistry imbalances
● Several pharmacological interactions, including those used to treat cardiac arrhythmias, severe high blood pressure, and particular mental health disorders, as well as sedatives and opioids
Diagnosis
In diagnosing sinus bradycardia, a physical exam and a complete medical history will be required by your doctor. Then additional tests will be done:
● Electrocardiogram (ECG)
● Stress Test
● 24-hour Holter monitoring
● Blood tests to check for chemical imbalance and cardiac markers
● Sleep monitoring for sleep apnea
● Nuclear blood tests to check for thyroid levels
● Tilt table test
Treatment
The optimal course of treatment will depend on how severe the symptoms are and what is causing the bradycardia in the first place. If you are symptom-free, counseling might not be necessary.
Treatment of the underlying health condition that is causing the slow heart rate, such as thyroid disease or sleep apnea, may alleviate bradycardia. Treatment options for bradycardia may include a pacemaker implant, pharmaceutical adjustments, or lifestyle modification.
At Doral Health and Wellness, your cardiologist will help you to prevent further abnormalities and complications to your heart. They will help you to diagnose through testing procedures and treat cardiac conditions. Please call us at 347-868-1012.
