Why do I have this heart block condition?

heart block

by Tracey_E - 2022-07-22 14:00:24

From everything I've read, if it's not caused by surgery or meds, it's random. The only genetic link they've found is moms with lupus are more likely to give birth to babies with CCHB. I've never heard of it being hormone related, but who knows. They know suprisingly little about it. 

Causes

by Lavender - 2022-07-22 14:40:17

I don't know about hormones causing it but I read this on the Cleveland Clinic site:

Who is at risk of having heart block?

You may be at increased risk of a heart block if:

Your mother has an autoimmune disease, such as lupus.

You are of older age. Risk of heart block increases with age.

You have other heart conditions including coronary artery disease, heart valve disease.

You have birth defects of the heart.

You have a disease that affects the heart including rheumatic heart disease or sarcoidosis.

You have an overactive vagus nerve (causes the heart to slow down).

You take medications that slow the conduction of the heart’s electrical impulses including some heart medications (beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, digoxin), high blood pressure drugs, antiarrhythmics; muscle relaxants and sedatives; antidepressants and antipsychotics; diuretics; lithium. Ask your provider to review the medications you take.

What causes heart block?

The most common cause of heart block is heart attack. Other causes include heart muscle disease, usually called a cardiomyopathy, heart valve diseases and problems with the heart’s structure. Heart block can also be caused by damage to the heart during open heart surgery, as a side effect of some medications or exposure to toxins. Genetics can be another cause.

 I see that you've had a pacemaker for many years now so perhaps you're looking back wondering where this all started.  

Why heart block

by Diamond Jules - 2022-07-22 14:43:01

Thanks for the answers, always good to learn...I forgot to say I had a pacemaker implanted 10 years ago during the menopause and I'm all good now ☺️👍

Why heart block

by Diamond Jules - 2022-07-22 16:42:29

Yes indeed Lavender, every now and then I come back to it and wonder exactly why.....I've never directly asked a doctor 🥴🧐

Never directly asked a doctor

by Persephone - 2022-07-22 18:08:12

Hi Jules - I kicked this ball around so much in my head initially - I think my medical team first called it "acquired heart block" but later changed that up to "congenital" and asking questions about why over the first years really got me nowhere, so I'm now resigned to not knowing. The good people here have provided much more background than my medical team has (and I believe they are a good medical team but they are just being honest).

Why heart block

by Dixie Chick 65 - 2022-07-22 19:17:47

I totally understand you wanting to know where this came from, but honestly, we'll never know for sure.

In my case I blame it on beta blockers since I've been on Metoprolol 50mg since 2012, developed intermittent grade 2 and grade 3 AV block in 2020, and got my PM.

Doing great so far - So grateful for this technology !!

Why?

by AgentX86 - 2022-07-22 23:50:32

You'll never know.  If you did or even could know, how would it change your life now?  Would you beat yourself up constantly because you could have done something differently? There are some stones that can't be turned over and others that shouldn't be.

Questions

by MinimeJer05 - 2022-07-25 11:27:44

Hello,

Not to derail this thread, but after reading the initial question and the comments -- it has me wondering what IS heart block.

I've been reading about it on these forums for a while and I never really stopped to think about it much, until I read the comments above that explained how or why people get heart block.

Reason I say that is because I had a mechanical valve placed in 2020 and have been on Metroprolol ever since and then last year I got a PM placed because of some syncope events and now I am starting to wonder....will I develop heart block? Do I already have it? Can it be referred to as something else?

As far as I know... I don't currently have it. 

Are there other symtoms that come with it?

Jer

Jer

by Tracey_E - 2022-07-25 12:01:37

Not everyone with a pacer has heart block. Heart block is when the signal doesn't make it from the atria to the ventricles. 

I don't believe having the valve or being on metoprolol can cause heart block. It can happen with surgery, but you'd know it by now if your av node was nicked. 

There are a lot of names for it and several types of block- 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree, 3rd degree is also called complete heart block. You might also see the words Mobitz or Wenckebach. 

Good explanations here

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17056-heart-block

The good news is if you were to develop it, you already have the fix in place. You'd be able to tell because of an increase in ventricular pacing. 

Tracey

by MinimeJer05 - 2022-07-25 14:40:56

Tracey,

Thank you for the quick response and for the information! I am going to read through the information that you provided.

I figured the more one knows, the better they can prepare for whatever could happen.

Have a great day

Jer

Why Hear Block

by meking - 2022-08-24 20:01:48

PM now 2 months.  Prior to PM, I had Wenkebach and it mystified the doctors.  I had never had a heart attack or stroke, never been on ANY medications, not congenital anywhere in my family.  They might understand it better some day.  I thought by all the cardiologists reactions that they were going to write me up in the medical journal.  It is obviously less understood than they are taught.