How to treat bradycardia

Written by Chen Tian Hua
Cardiology
Updated on September 12, 2024
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People with bradycardia should maintain good habits in daily life, eat a light diet, exercise reasonably, avoid overwork and staying up late, refrain from smoking and drinking, and keep a relaxed mood. Medications such as Xinbao Pills can be taken to increase the heart rate. Additionally, consuming traditional Chinese medicines like ginseng can also help in increasing the heart rate. For severe bradycardia that causes repeated symptoms like dizziness, visual obscurity, or fainting, and even episodes of Adams-Stokes syndrome, such as sick sinus syndrome or third-degree atrioventricular block, it is crucial to promptly visit a hospital. Active pacing treatment should be administered to increase the patient's heart rate, in order to prevent sudden cardiac arrest and avoid sudden cardiac death.

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Can digitalis poisoning cause bradycardia?

Digitalis toxicity can cause bradycardia. Digitalis is an inhibitor of the sodium-potassium ATPase, which affects the transfer of sodium and potassium in cells, leading to electrolyte disturbances and arrhythmias. Common arrhythmias include premature beats, bradycardia, and conduction blocks, and severe cases may experience sudden cardiac arrest. Therefore, in patients with heart failure, it is important to closely monitor the blood concentration of digitalis during long-term use, and adjust the dosage of digoxin and digitalis based on its concentration to avoid toxicity. Once toxicity occurs, the first step is to stop the medication and then take appropriate symptomatic treatment to prevent accidents.

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What is bradycardia?

Bradycardia generally refers to a heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute, often seen in healthy young people, athletes, and during sleep. Other possible causes include hypothyroidism, obstructive jaundice, as well as severe hypoxia and hypothermia. If the patient's bradycardia does not cause other pathological conditions, such as dizziness or fainting, it generally does not require treatment. If severe dizziness and fainting occur, indicating insufficient cardiac output, medications that increase the heart rate, such as atropine or aminophylline, can be used. (These medications should be taken under the guidance of a doctor.)

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What are the dangers of bradycardia?

If the bradycardia is physiological, it generally does not harm the body and does not require special treatment. If the bradycardia is pathological, when the heartbeat significantly slows down, it can cause a decrease in cardiac output due to the slow heart rate, leading to symptoms of insufficient cardiac output, insufficient blood supply to the brain which can cause dizziness, visual disturbance, fainting, and other symptoms. Insufficient coronary artery supply can induce angina, and insufficient perfusion of the kidneys can lead to reduced urine output and kidney damage. Therefore, if a patient with bradycardia has a slow heart rate that leads to obvious symptoms, it is necessary to install a pacemaker for pacing treatment to increase the heart rate.

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What are the symptoms of bradycardia?

The normal heart rate for an adult is between 60-140 beats per minute. If it falls below 60 beats per minute, it is generally referred to as bradycardia. Most patients with bradycardia may not have symptoms, but those who do should be closely monitored. The symptoms of bradycardia mainly arise from a reduced cardiac output, leading to insufficient blood supply to the heart and brain, thereby causing symptoms. Patients may experience dizziness, fatigue, poor mental performance, and other symptoms. Some patients may experience dizziness, transient blackouts before the eyes, fatigue, palpitations, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, patients may also experience fainting.

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Is bradycardia with irregular heartbeat serious?

If bradycardia accompanied by irregular heartbeats occurs, whether it is serious and the severity depends on the cause of the bradycardia and the frequency of the irregularity. A slow heart rate can lead to severe insufficient blood supply to the heart and brain, causing some ischemic heart and brain diseases. Therefore, patients with bradycardia and irregular heartbeats should go to the hospital and undergo related examinations under the guidance of a doctor. If it is caused by a primary disease, it is necessary to treat the primary disease and use medications to increase the heart rate and correct the irregular heartbeat to avoid causing greater harm to the body.