Bradycardia (Slow Heart Rate): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Bradycardia is a slow or irregular heart rhythm, usually fewer than 60 beats per minute. At this rate, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen-rich blood to your body during regular activity or exercise. As a result, you may feel dizzy or have a chronic lack of energy, shortness of breath, or even fainting spells.
Bradycardia causes
Bradycardia can occur for several reasons. Common causes of bradycardia include:
- Congenital heart disease (i.e., condition you were born with)
- Specific side effects or heart medications
- The natural ageing process
- Scar tissue from a heart attack
- Sick sinus syndrome, also called sinus node dysfunction (the heart’s natural pacemaker not functioning correctly)
- Heart block (the electrical impulse that travels from the upper to the lower chamber of the heart is irregular or blocked)
Bradycardia symptoms
When your heart beats too slowly, you may experience various symptoms. These symptoms help your doctor assess the severity of your heart condition and determine the appropriate treatment for you.
- Dizziness
- Chronic lack of energy
- Shortness of breath
- Fainting
Risk factors
Your risk of developing bradycardia is greater if you:
- Have certain types of heart disease
- Are taking certain medicines
- Are age 65 or older
- Have recently had heart surgery
Bradycardia treatment
The treatment strategy for bradycardia is dependent on what is causing the slower-than-usual heart rate and the patient’s symptoms. If another medical problem, such as hypothyroidism, is causing a slow heart rate, treating it may indirectly affect bradycardia.
Treating these problems with new medicines, or adjusting the doses of the medication you are currently taking, may restore a normal heartbeat.
If the damage within the heart’s electrical system is causing a slow heart rate, you may be eligible for an implantable heart device called a pacemaker.
Pacemakers are small devices implanted under the skin, often below your collarbone on the left or right side of your chest, to help restore the heart’s rhythm.
By sending tiny electrical signals to the heart to increase the heart rate, a pacemaker can relieve the symptoms of bradycardia.