Introduction
The human heart drives out blood following a particular rhythm and pattern throughout its lifetime. A specific conduction system in the heart keeps the heartbeat on track. The conduction system is under the authority of the nervous system, which holds the commanding power over the heartbeat. Any errors or hindrances on the signal conduction path reflect in the form of cardiac disorders and impair proper heart functioning.
What Is the Cardiac Conduction System?
The cardiac conduction system is critical to keeping the heart alive and active. The blood gathered in the heart needs to reach different areas of the body to keep the vitality of all the cells, and it is made possible by pumping out the blood. The heart muscles shrink and swell alternatively to keep the blood flow consistent, projected as a heartbeat and pulse. For the heart to elicit contraction, it should be electrically triggered.
The heart conduction system works to bring in electrical innervation to the heart cells and maintain the heart's rhythmic beating. The conduction system encompasses specific areas in the heart like the sinoatrial node, atrioventricular bundle, atrioventricular node, and Purkinje fiber. Nodes are designed with cells that can effectuate electrical signals or impulses. The sinoatrial (SA) node is recognized and coined as the heart's pacemaker, which is rooted at the right upper side of the heart. The nervous system adjusts the heartbeat according to the body's physical activity and metabolic processes.
The impulse created at the SA node moves down to the middle of the heart via the bundle fibers to reach the atrioventricular node. The SA node is responsible for contractions in the upper right heart compartment (right atrium), and the AV node triggers the same in both the heart's lower compartments (ventricles). The final ventricular compression forces and drives the blood to different areas within the body to keep all the cells nourished and oxygenated. This conduction system sets the seal on the heartbeat and makes sure that the electrical stimulations at each chamber are happening rhythmically and systematically.
What Are Heart Conduction Disorders?
Disruption or disparity in the process of electrical signal conveyance can interrupt the rhythm in the heartbeat, which in turn gets reflected as various functional errors in the heart. Conduction disorders in the heart may also arise from impairment in impulse generation from the specific nodes. Impaired signal inception and impeded conduction pathways are identified to be the prime factors associated with the precipitation of cardiac conduction disorders. The involvement of any components in the cardiac conduction system can precipitate such disorders.
What Are the General Manifestations of Heart Conduction Disorders?
The clinical manifestations of heart conduction disorders differ individually based on the type, intensity, and site where the impulse transference is hindered or impaired. However, there are a set of symptoms that are frequently reported in the majority of heart conduction disorders. Some of those manifestations include the following:
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Irregular Heartbeats: The heartbeat will lose its rhythm, which may precipitate either enhanced or collapsed heat rate. Heart racing is more frequently elicited in heart conduction disorders, where the person experiences a pounding feeling in the heart.
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Short Breaths: The person experiences short breaths, especially during strenuous physical activities. In more advanced cases, breathing issues are also encountered while sleeping, which even wakes the person from sleep.
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Chest Discomfort: It can be in the form of heaviness or pain in and around the chest region.
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Fatigue: The patient develops exhausted and worn-out feelings throughout the day, irrespective of physical demands. The affected person also noticed a significant collapse in their physical strength.
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Dizziness: The affected individuals elicit general weakness, lightheadedness, and a sense of fainting.
What Are the Different Types of Heart Conduction Disorders?
Numerous heart conduction disorders are reported in human beings that differ in the location or tissue of involvement. Here are a few of the routinely encountered heart conduction disorders:
1. Sinus Node Disease: It is a peculiar conduction disorder in which the SA node is primarily impaired. Disruptions in the SA nodal activities collapse the beating rhythm, and the heart tends to precipitate break-offs in the synchronized muscular contractions. It often demands the assistance of artificial pacemakers to keep up the cardiac beating rhythm. Sinus node dysfunction and sick sinus syndrome are the two widely used synonyms for sinus node disease.
2. Bundle Branch Block: Hindrance to the path of impulse flow through the bundle fibers is reflected as a bundle branch block. Here the SA node promptly initiates signals, but the transmission pauses the bundle fibers, thus breaking the periodic contractions. Through the bundle fibers, the impulse triggered by the SA node strikes the AV node and precipitates ventricular shrinkage to express the blood.
3. Ion Channel Disorders: The muscular activities are primarily controlled by the ion exchange process through which specific ions move out while some get in. Disorders involving those channels are also capable of precipitating conduction disorders. Long QT syndrome, short QT syndrome, and Brugada syndrome are a few such conduction disorders evoked by ion channel errors.
4. Atrioventricular Block: In the atrioventricular block, there is a remarkable impairment or obstruction in the signal (impulse) conveyance from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, which is responsible for bringing about compression of the lower chamber, which in turn drives out the blood. It is commonly known by the synonym heart block and is differentiated by various subtypes considering the potential of the impairment.
What Are the Potential Complications Associated With Heart Conduction Disorders?
Advanced cases of heart conduction disorders are quite alarming and are capable of endangering one's life in the absence of prompt medical interventions. Cardiac arrest (complete suspension of heart beating), arrhythmias (unsteady heart beating), and heart failure (collapsed heart beating) are the life-threatening consequences of unattended heart conduction.
Conclusion
Heart conduction disorders should be given prompt attention and medical intervention to extend the person's longevity. The treatment strategy is primarily focused on the stage of the disorder. Not all cases demand a surgical approach. However, keeping track of disease advancement aids in checking the possibility of health complications. Surgical interventions involving artificial pacemaker placement offer promising results even in severe cases.
