Av Block - no other primary reason?

Hi everyone -

I am very excited to find this site dedicated to those of us in this unique club. I am a 40 y/o male and last Monday (5/5) I failed my stress test (could not get a heart rate above 78). On Tuesday I had a heart cath which showed a healthy heart, valves and arteries. No blockages. I also had a holter monitor for a couple days and an echo. By Thursday I had the pacemaker installed to treat Level II AV block.

Its clear I have level II AV block but its not clear why.

I am curious if anyone else is in a similar situation. Should I continue trying to push the docs for a primary cause or is this fairly common?

Any info is appreciated. Thanks...



8 Comments

AV Block

by Swedeheart - 2008-05-14 08:05:32

Hello,

I too have an otherwise "healthy" heart... no cholesterol issues, great "pumping action", etc. I also developed an electrical block in my AV Node. I received my pacemaker in Feb '08. My doctor's told me it could have been a variety of reasons why I developed AV Block... the beta-blocker I was taking for high blood pressure (causing AVNode block can be a side effect) could have been the culprit, apparently some flu strains can cause it. Ultimately my EP told me I had premature aging of my AV Node.

FYI here is a link to the American Heart Assn. webpage on explaining AV heart block:

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4611

If you search at the americanheart.org you may find a whole list of things on AVheart block causes...

Welcome to the club! Glad this is your only heart issue for now!

Swedeheart

3rd Degree AV Block

by Blueaustralia - 2008-05-14 10:05:35

I was diagnosed with 3rd degree av block. No apparent reason was given. I put it down to overwork stressful kids and having been so active and athletic in my younger years. I think I just wore out. I haven't persued the reason for my diagnosis because there is nothing I can do about it I just accept that I am battery operated.
Welcome to the club. You will find great folks here and such a diversity of talent they are a great group. Cheers

Cause of conduction problems

by ElectricFrank - 2008-05-15 01:05:20

Anything that can damage heart tissue can cause A/V block. Smitty listed several good possibilities. There are so many sources of viral or bacterial infections out there that it is often hard to pin down what really happened. We are aware of having the flu, food poisoning, or a reaction to a medication when it causes digestive upset, but damage to the heart often takes weeks or months to become known.

Most of the literature I have read puts coronary artery disease on the bottom of the list and with your being in good shape likely rules that out.

frank

More causes

by ted - 2008-05-15 06:05:41

As our two resident experts, Smitty and Electric Frank have pointed out, the possible causes are many. I would add tricylic antidepressants and systemic lupus.

Thank you all..

by BlockedBuckeye - 2008-05-15 09:05:50

Wow, what great info and comments. I really appreciate your responses and support. I have my 7 day wound check today and am now armed with a number of other items to discuss.

I am guessing I will only see the nurse but she assured me should could probably answer 95% of my questions.

Thanks again...

It was the stress from my ex wife...

by heckboy - 2008-05-15 10:05:13

... that did it to me. No question about it. :D

Heart Block

by SMITTY - 2008-05-15 12:05:10

The following from www.Health-cares.net may help answer the question of what causes heart block.

Heart block has a variety of causes. It can sometimes be a result of a congenital defect. It can also occur after a heart attack or as a result of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), cardiomyopathy (a disorder of the heart muscle) and other types of heart disease. Although these conditions are more common in older people, young people can also be affected. Heart block may also occur after heart surgery and in this case may be either temporary or permanent.

Wenckebach block may occur as a result of taking too much digoxin, or can occur after a heart attack. Heart block may be caused by coronary artery disease, inflammation of the heart muscle, rheumatic fever, or overdose of certain eart drugs. Treatment depends on the degree of heart block experienced. Some cases need no treatment while others require medication or an artificial pacemakers.

The electrical activity of the heart starts in the sinoatrial (SA) node in the atrium and travels through the atrioventricular (AV) node to reach the ventricles. The AV node is supplied by two different parts of the nervous system - the parasympathetic and sympathetic. These are both parts of the autonomic nervous system - which controls involuntary actions in the body. The sympathetic nervous system has nerves distributed to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, intestines and other organs in the abdomen. It governs functions in these areas by reflex action in balance with the parasympathetic nervous system, which supplies the same areas, but often provides the opposite function to the sympathetic nervous system. The AV node is sensitive to what is called autonomic tone - the action of the two branches of the autonomic nervous system together. Heart block may occur at any point along this electrical pathway. Heart block of the AV node can be of several types, and a doctor generally can diagnose these by looking at the patient's electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG).

There are two uncommon muscular degenerative diseases which are responsible for isolated heart block in adults - Lev's disease and Lenegre's disease. Hypertension (high blood pressure) and stenosis (tightening) of the aortic and mitral valves of the heart are specific disorders which will accelerate degeneration of the conducting system or cause the deposition of calcium or fibrosis of the system.

Still wondering but living

by The Bunny - 2008-05-16 06:05:01

I've had my PM for almost 9 years...2nd degree heart block mobitz II...cause...?????

My drs. told me possibly congenital, I did faint a lot when I was a kid. I had headaches for years and migraines about a year before my PM, I was put on Imitrex and the small print on the pamphlet said those with heart problems should not take...I didn't know I had a heart problem...if I did...but wonder if that was the culprit. I also caught a bad cold/virus...also a possiblity. In addition, I had a wisdom tooth pulled and was told that bacteria can get into the blood stream and do damage to the heart.

Like heckboy, not stress but it might have been a broken heart from my x! LOL!

For me, I wanted to know too for a season but then decided it was wasting my energy so I started living and having fun instead! I still am! :)

You know you're wired when...

You make store alarms beep.

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