Bradycardia
Bradycardia is where the heart rate is below 60 beats per minute when at rest. It can be a normal finding in athletes or during sleep (sometimes 40-50 bpm particularly when in deeper sleep stages), but in other cases it can indicate an underlying health condition.
By Sinusbradylead2.JPG: James Heilman, MDderivative work: Mysid (using Perl and Inkscape) - This file was derived from: Sinusbradylead2.JPG:, CC BY-SA 3.0
Symptoms
- Fatigue
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Fainting or near-fainting spells
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Confusion or memory problems
Since the heart rate is lower than normal the brain revives less oxygen hence why patients often experience symptoms like dizziness and fatigue.
Treatments
Untreated bradycardia can lead to complications such as heart failure, cardiac arrest, or even death if serious enough. Treatment may include:
- Pacemaker
- Atropine (a medication that increases heart rate)
- Adjusting medications that may be causing bradycardia
Diagnosis
See also
References
- Mayo Clinic
WEB - Cleveland Clinic
WEB - WebMD
WEB