Verified By Apollo Cardiologist March 16, 2020
4886The heartbeat is controlled by electrical signals (impulses), which instruct your heart to contract. Normally, a heartbeat occurs when the SA node (sinoatrial node) generates an electrical signal in the atria (upper chamber of the heart) which then moves to the ventricles (lower chamber of the heart) via the atrioventricular (AV) node. The ventricles thus contract and pump blood to the rest of your body. A heart block occurs when there is an interference in allowing the electric signals to move from the atria to the ventricles.
Complete heart block or third degree heart AV block occurs when the electrical signal cannot move from the atria to the ventricles i.e. it stops completely. This causes the heartbeat to drop to as low as 40 beats per minute as against the normal beat which is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm), for an adult. Often, this condition is found to be very common for people suffering from heart diseases.
In such cases, a natural back-up system in the ventricles takes over, but the heart rhythm is much slower and more irregular than normal.
If you are having a heart block, you may experience the following:
If a heart block is ignored and not treated will lead to internal organ injury or cardiac arrest.
If your doctor suspects that you having irregular heartbeats, then:
If you are diagnosed with a third degree heart block, your cardiologist will recommend a pacemaker, unless the problem can be managed by stopping the medication that may have caused the heart block.
A Pacemaker is a small device which is implanted under the skin in your chest. The pacemaker is like an electrical system which uses electrical pulses to keep your heart beating normally.
Life after heart block with a pacemaker is definitely better than before. You can lead an active life by following the measures listed below:
Heart block is not always avoidable and complete heart block is the most severe form of heart block. They can worsen your pre-existing health conditions, due to insufficient supply of oxygen. Third degree heart AV block can be congenital or acquired. In case of acquired heart blocks, the risk increases with age, due to existing heart diseases etc. Prevention of heart blocks mainly focuses on the management of risk factors i.e. knowing your medication (to avoid medicine induced heart block), by leading a healthy lifestyle, eating appropriately, regular exercise and consulting your doctor at the onset of first sign of heart block.
The content is reviewed and verified by our experienced and highly specialized team of heart specialists who diagnose and treat more than 400 simple-to-complex heart conditions. These specialists dedicate a portion of their clinical time to deliver trustworthy and medically accurate content
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