Heart Block
Alternate Names : Atrioventricular Block, AV Block, Bundle Branch Block, Complete Heart Block, First-Degree Heart Block, Second-Degree Heart Block, Third-Degree Heart Block, Cardiac Conduction Defect, Infranodal Block, Intraatrial Block, Intraventricular Block, Sinoatrial Block
What can be done to prevent the disease?
Treatment of an existing heart problem can make heart
blocks less likely to develop or worsen. Avoiding medicines that cause
heart block may also help in some people. There is no way to prevent a
heart block from occurring in a healthy person.
What are the long-term effects of the disease?
The long-term effects of heart block depend on the underlying
heart disease. Heart block is a sign of the disease process. If the
underlying disease causes a fixed slow heart rate, less than 45 beats/minute,
then a pacemaker
will be needed. If the underlying disease does not get worse, then the
heart block is not a concern. If a new heart block appears suddenly
where there was none before, it can result in a heart attack.
In summary, the worse the underlying disease the worse the block.
The worse the block, the slower the heart rate. The slower the rate, the worse
the symptoms. Common symptoms are:
fainting
stroke
sudden death
What are the risks to others?
Heart block causes no risk to others.
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