TAKE heart
BE AWARE OF THE EFFECTS A SLOWER HEARTBEAT CAN HAVE
There can be many reasons why you constantly feel tired. It can be due to simply not getting enough sleep or there may be a medical reason why you’re lacking in energy and feeling exhausted.
A hidden heart condition called bradycardia could be responsible for your fatigue, as well as a host of other symptoms. It results in a slower than normal heartbeat. The hearts of most adults usually beat between 60 and 100 times a minute when they are resting. If your heart beats fewer than 60 times a minute, you may have bradycardia.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF BRADYCARDIA?
Some people can have a slower heartbeat and not realise it. But thanks to the fact their heart isn’t pumping enough oxygenrich blood around their body, other people can experience symptoms such as:
• Feeling dizzy or light-headed
• Fainting
• Being fatigued
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pains
• Becoming easily confused
• Memory problems
• Getting easily tired whenever they’re physically active.
ARE THERE COMPLICATIONS?
If your heart is not managing to get enough oxygen around your body, the symptoms can become worse and have an impact on your quality of life. Bradycardia can affect your organs, including your brain, and may also lead to heart failure. If you are predisposed to fainting spells, you run the risk of injuring yourself when you pass out. Sudden cardiac arrest can be a complication in severe cases.
WHAT CAUSES BRADYCARDIA?
It is often the result of damage to the tissues in the heart as a result of ageing. A sloweddown heartbeat may also be seen in people whose heart tissues have been damaged due to a heart attack or heart disease. Other possible causes include:
• A congenital heart defect present from birth
• An infection of your heart tissue (myocarditis)
• Heart surgery complications
• Underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism)
• An imbalance of chemicals in the blood, such as potassium or calcium
• Frequent disruption to breathing during sleep, due to obstructive sleep apnoea
• Inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatic fever or lupus
• Medications, including drugs prescribed for other heart rhythm disorders, high blood pressure and psychosis
• Smoking or drug abuse
• High blood pressure.
HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU’VE GOT IT?
Many of the symptoms of bradycardia can show up with other conditions, so it is quite tricky to diagnose. If you think your heartbeat could be slow, take your pulse several times over the course of a day while resting – if it is consistently below 60 beats per minute, then you should see your doctor (unless you are a young adult or a fit athlete as their resting heart rates are often below 60). Also see your doctor if you have any of the symptoms listed. They will check for a variety of conditions, including bradycardia.
They may do an EKG to measure your heart’s electrical rate or get you to wear a heart monitor.
HOW IS IT TREATED?
Treatment depends on the underlying cause of your bradycardia. For example, if it is most likely due to hypothyroidism, treating that may make your heart beat faster. Changing any medications you are on may also make a difference. If there is no obvious cause, or initial measures don’t work and your symptoms may be putting your organs at risk, you could need a pacemaker. This small device, which is implanted surgically, gives out small electrical charges that help to keep the heart pumping at a steady rate.
CAN YOU PREVENT IT?
Not really, but the best way of trying to avoid getting bradycardia is to take steps that improve general heart health, such as giving up smoking, staying active and eating healthily. Maintaining a healthy weight and keeping blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar at healthy levels are also good for your heart.